Tumor-Niche Co-evolution in Ovarian Cancer Metastasis and Resistance
Official title: Tumor-Niche Co-evolution: Mechanisms Driving Ovarian Cancer Metastasis and Therapeutic Resistance
Funded at Ut Southwestern Medical Center · NIH-11464781 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research explores how ovarian cancer cells interact with their surrounding tissue to understand how metastasis and resistance to therapy develop, with potential to guide better treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project start | July 10, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $621,121 |
| NIH project number | 1R01CA309809-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11464781 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with ovarian cancer, especially those with metastatic disease, could benefit from future therapies informed by these findings.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not eligible for future trials or whose disease biology does not align with identified targets may see no direct benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will study how ovarian cancer cells communicate with their tumor microenvironment at the single-cell level, tracking how cancer evolves as it spreads within the abdomen. They will use advanced methods like barcoding, single-cell RNA sequencing, and CRISPR-based screens in mice to map how niche changes influence cancer progression and treatment resistance. The study aims to build a detailed picture of the dynamic dialogue between cancer cells and surrounding stromal and immune cells to identify new therapeutic targets. This work relies on sophisticated in vivo models to reflect human disease and to test how interventions might alter the cancer’s trajectory.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could reveal new targets and strategies to prevent metastasis and overcome resistance in ovarian cancer patients.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work using single-cell and CRISPR approaches has shown promise in understanding tumor evolution and niche interactions, supporting the potential of this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Ut Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Siyuan — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Siyuan
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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This study is looking at how groups of cancer cells behave differently from single cancer cells in spreading high-grade serous ovarian cancer, with the hope that understanding this could help find better treatments for patients facing this and similar aggressive cancers.
-
Investigating how chemotherapy affects ovarian cancer spread
This study is looking at how chemotherapy might sometimes make high-grade serous ovarian cancer spread more quickly, and it aims to find new ways to help prevent this from happening, so patients can have better treatment outcomes.
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.