Wednesday, February 18, 2026 2/18/2026

Tissue-Engineered Models of Glioblastoma for Evaluating Treatment Response

Award Number: R01CA241927
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 02/13/2020
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 01/31/2025

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Tissue-Engineered Models of Glioblastoma for Evaluating Treatment Response - Glioblastoma (GBM) is a uniformly fatal brain cancer with poor response to treatment and virtually inevitable recurrence. GBM tumors do not metastasize. Instead, they aggressively infiltrate the brain. Tumor borders are highly vascularized by microvessels that serve as key niche environments promoting GBM cell survival, treatment resistance and migration. Currently, it is believed that a subpopulation of treatment-resistant, stem- like GBM cells (GSCs) migrate away from primary tumors — remaining in close contact with local microvessels — and seed recurrent tumors — which are enriched in GSCs. However, the mechanisms underlying the influence of the microvessel niche on GBM cell migration away from primary tumors, leading to recurrence, remain largely unknown. To address this gap in knowledge, the proposed studies will investigate 1) the role of specific cues in the tumor microenvironment on the migratory phenotype of GBM cells and 2) how these cues differentially affect distinct subpopulations of cells within heterogeneous tumors, including GSCs. Our fundamental hypothesis is that the microenvironment surrounding tumor microvessels promotes GBM progression through both mechanical and chemical means. Aim 1 will investigate effects of mechanical cues and Aim 2 effects of biochemical cues present in the microvessel niche on migratory phenotype of GBM. To do this, we will use an innovative, tissue- engineered platform for 3D culture of patient-derived GBM cells to quantify how specific features of the microenvironment affect migratory behavior. We propose to modularly tune mechanical and chemical properties of culture platforms to characterize their independent effects on migratory phenotype of GBM. For some experiments, platforms will be constructed with an interface between defined microenvironments through which GBM cells can migrate, enabling separation of migratory and non-migratory cells for downstream analysis and providing information about how subpopulations of cells within a single tumor, such as GSCs, may respond differentially to microenvironmental cues. As treatment resistance, invasion and recurrence are inter-related events, we will investigate how exposure to routine clinical therapies may alter migratory responses of GBM to microenvironmental cues. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we will investigate the mechanisms underlying responses to specific features of the microvessel niche. Collectively, the proposed studies will make significant strides towards our understanding of how interactions of GBM with the microvessel niche promote tumor recurrence by characterizing: 1) biomechanical properties of GBM tumors and microvessels (Aim 1), 2) migratory response of GBM cells to biochemical and biomechanical cues (Aims 1 and 2) and 3) mechanisms governing the migratory responses to biochemical and biomechanical cues (Aims 1 and 2). In the long term, we expect these insights will lead to the development of new therapies targeting GBM recurrence. !


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 = -$3,034 )
2025	2024	UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN	110 INNER CAMPUS DR	AUSTIN	TX	78712	TRAVIS	USA	Cancer Biology Research	000	6	6/11/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$3,034
														Subtotal = -$3,034

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $337,562 )
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN	110 INNER CAMPUS DR	AUSTIN	TX	78712	TRAVIS	USA	Cancer Biology Research	001	6	4/16/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$17,766
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN	110 INNER CAMPUS DR	AUSTIN	TX	78712	TRAVIS	USA	Cancer Biology Research	000	6	1/9/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$319,796
														Subtotal = $337,562

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $347,894 )
2023	2023	UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN	110 INNER CAMPUS DR	AUSTIN	TX	78712	TRAVIS	USA	Cancer Biology Research	000	5	2/1/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$347,894
2023	2022	UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN	110 INNER CAMPUS DR	AUSTIN	TX	78712	TRAVIS	USA	Cancer Biology Research	002	4	5/26/2023	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$783
2023	2021	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES	10889 WILSHIRE BLVD STE 700	LOS ANGELES	CA	90024	LOS ANGELES	USA	Cancer Biology Research	001	2	5/26/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$783
														Subtotal = $347,894

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $519,881 )
2022	2022	UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN	110 INNER CAMPUS DR	AUSTIN	TX	78712	TRAVIS	USA	Cancer Biology Research	003	4	6/23/2022	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$368,146
2022	2022	UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN	110 INNER CAMPUS DR	AUSTIN	TX	78712	TRAVIS	USA	Cancer Biology Research	004	4	9/2/2022	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$151,735
2022	2022	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES	10889 WILSHIRE BLVD STE 700	LOS ANGELES	CA	90024	LOS ANGELES	USA	Cancer Biology Research	001	3	4/28/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$33,895
2022	2022	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES	10889 WILSHIRE BLVD STE 700	LOS ANGELES	CA	90024	LOS ANGELES	USA	Cancer Biology Research	002	3	6/23/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$338,942
2022	2022	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES	10889 WILSHIRE BLVD STE 700	LOS ANGELES	CA	90024	LOS ANGELES	USA	Cancer Biology Research	000	3	1/4/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$305,047
														Subtotal = $519,881

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $339,463 )
2021	2021	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES	10889 WILSHIRE BLVD STE 700	LOS ANGELES	CA	90095	LOS ANGELES	USA	Cancer Biology Research	000	2	1/22/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$339,463
														Subtotal = $339,463

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $339,969 )
2020	2020	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES	10889 WILSHIRE BLVD STE 700	LOS ANGELES	CA	90095	LOS ANGELES	USA	Cancer Biology Research	000	1	2/12/2020	NEW	$339,969
														Subtotal = $339,969

Grand Total All Awards = $1,881,735

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Tissue-Engineered Models of Glioblastoma for Evaluating Treatment Response

Award Number: R01CA241927

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 02/13/2020

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 01/31/2025

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer