Targeting cancer spread by blocking curvature-driven survival signals
Official title: Targeting cancer metastasis by inhibiting curvature-induced kinase activation
Funded at Stanford University · NIH-11408580 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new treatment approach aims to block a hidden survival trick cancer cells use when they break away from tumors, helping prevent cancer from spreading.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project start | September 8, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $982,313 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA311218-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11408580 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with solid tumors at risk for metastasis, particularly if future trials prove the therapy safe and effective.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose cancer does not rely on curvature-driven survival for metastasis may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on solid tumors and tries to stop metastasis by targeting how cancer cells survive when they lose contact with their original tissue. Researchers will study curved membrane structures and the proteins that latch onto them to see if blocking this pathway can make detached cancer cells die or stop spreading. The work involves preclinical experiments, likely using human cancer samples and models, to test a therapy that disrupts a critical survival signal during metastasis. If successful, this could lead to therapies that reduce metastatic deaths and improve long-term outcomes for patients with cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If the approach works, patients could benefit from therapies that limit cancer spread and improve survival.
How similar studies have gone: There is growing evidence that physical properties of membranes influence cancer signaling and metastasis, but this exact curvature-targeting approach is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Stanford University
Stanford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cui, Bianxiao — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Cui, Bianxiao
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.