Wednesday, February 18, 2026 2/18/2026

Defining Protein Signature of Vascular Invasion in Hepatoblastoma

Award Number: F32CA278313
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/24/2023
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/23/2024

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Defining Protein Signature of Vascular Invasion in Hepatoblastoma - PROJECT SUMMARY Hepatoblastoma (HB) is the most common liver cancer seen in children and has a poor overall survival in patients that present with vascular invasion (VI). Standard of care treatments with additional chemotherapy and surgical treatment have been developed, but despite this aggressive treatment, the survival rate remains <50%. Furthermore, our group recently reported that HB patients with microvascular invasion (micro-VI) had worse overall survival rates than those without micro-VI. Despite the understanding that VI is the precursor to multifocal disease and metastasis, little is known about the mechanisms that enable VI in HB, nor are there any targeted therapies to address this mechanism of disease. Therefore, to create effective therapies, further understanding of the biomarkers and biology of VI in HB is critically needed. Our prior work identified the JAK/STAT3 pathway as being significantly upregulated in the tumor thrombus of patients with high-risk HB and VI. In addition, downstream targets of the JAK/STAT3 pathway were upregulated in a patient-derived xenograft model of high-risk HB, and STAT3 inhibition in our patient-derived cell lines countered HB cell growth and invasion. Based on the rigor of our and other’s prior research, we hypothesize that HB tumors with VI exhibit unique expression signatures that involve JAK/STAT3 signal activation, which can inform the development of VI-targeted therapies. To address this, our first aim (Aim 1) will be to investigate changes in protein expression between HB cells in the primary tumor and those involved in VI to identify a VI-specific protein signature using innovative Phenocycler analysis. This signature will then be validated in a cohort of FFPE patient tissues as a novel biomarker panel to identify patients at risk for VI, as well as pathway targets for future drug development. Then in Aim 2, we will study the role of JAK/STAT3 in VI. Our laboratory has shown that JAK/STAT3 plays a role in enabling cancer cells to invade the blood, emphasizing the role that JAK/STAT3 may have in HB metastasis and VI. Using gain- and loss-of-function assays, we will prove the necessity and sufficiency of STAT3 function to drive HB tumor cell invasion. We will then test targeted JAK/STAT3 pathway inhibitors in vitro and in vivo using two of our unique high-risk patient derived xenograft models as a validation tool. Taken together, these aims will result in new prediction models and preclinical data to inform future clinical trials for high-risk HB patients with VI. Completion of this project will also provide me with a foundation in novel research techniques and help develop my scientific acumen so that I can build a successful career as a surgeon- scientist.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = -$26,088 )
2025	2024	BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE	1 BAYLOR PLZ	HOUSTON	TX	77030	HARRIS	USA	Cancer Research Manpower	000	2	2/18/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$26,088
2025	2024	BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE	1 BAYLOR PLZ	HOUSTON	TX	77030	HARRIS	USA	Cancer Research Manpower	001	2	4/24/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = -$26,088

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $45,182 )
2024	2024	BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE	1 BAYLOR PLZ	HOUSTON	TX	77030	HARRIS	USA	Cancer Research Manpower	001	2	5/8/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$2,656
2024	2024	BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE	1 BAYLOR PLZ	HOUSTON	TX	77030	HARRIS	USA	Cancer Research Manpower	000	2	4/10/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$42,526
														Subtotal = $45,182

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $78,272 )
2023	2023	BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE	1 BAYLOR PLZ	HOUSTON	TX	77030	HARRIS	USA	Cancer Research Manpower	000	1	4/24/2023	NEW	$78,272
2023	2023	BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE	1 BAYLOR PLZ	HOUSTON	TX	77030	HARRIS	USA	Cancer Research Manpower	001	1	4/24/2023	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $78,272

Grand Total All Awards = $97,366

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Defining Protein Signature of Vascular Invasion in Hepatoblastoma

Award Number: F32CA278313

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/24/2023

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/23/2024

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