Understanding how gastric cancer starts and grows in the stomach
Official title: Initiation of Diffuse and Intestinal Non-Cardia Gastric Cancer
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11535288 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers at Columbia are studying how two main types of stomach cancer begin and progress, using new mouse models and advanced single-cell and spatial analysis to map where cancer cells come from and how they change.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $98,645 |
| NIH project number | 3R01CA272891-05S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11535288 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be patients with or at risk for diffuse or intestinal gastric cancer or those contributing tissue samples for related analyses.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not directly linked to gastric cancer or those not participating in tissue-based studies may not benefit.
What this research studies
This grant supports creating engineered mouse models to target key tumor-suppressor genes in the stomach lining, while exposing these models to relevant environmental factors. The team will apply cutting-edge multi-omic single-cell sequencing and spatial transcriptomics to identify the cells that give rise to diffuse and intestinal gastric cancer and to understand how progression happens. The goal is to connect genetic changes with environmental influences to reveal how early events in cancer development unfold in the stomach tissue. Findings could point to new windows for early detection or targeted prevention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to earlier detection and better strategies to prevent or treat diffuse and intestinal gastric cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Similar multi-omic and spatial approaches have begun to unravel cellular origins in cancers, with growing evidence of their value.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ryeom, Sandra — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Ryeom, Sandra
Related research
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A research project aims to understand what triggers the transformation of stomach cells into cancer in people with diffuse gastric cancer, especially those with hereditary risk.
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.