Wednesday, July 2, 2025 7/2/2025

Hyperpolarized Micro-NMR for Quantitative Analysis of Metabolism in Leukemia Stem Cells

Award Number: R00CA226357
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 03/01/2018
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 12/31/2024

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Hyperpolarized Micro-NMR for Quantitative Analysis of Metabolism in Leukemia Stem Cells - Project Summary/Abstract The overarching goal of this project is to acquire the skills necessary to launch a competitive, independent research career in the field of biomedical engineering, with an explicit specialization in cancer metabolism research. Aberrant metabolic features in cancer cells, now recognized as one of the hallmarks of cancer, can be novel diagnostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets. Unfortunately, understanding of cancer metabolism remains limited, which is primarily due to the lack of tools. My long- term career goal is to lead a competitive research group, with primary research interests in developing novel technologies that allow sensitive and high-throughput analysis of cancer metabolism. I have extensive experience in developing sensitive analytical platforms with a background in electrical engineering. In addition to my engineering expertise, the mentorship from internationally recognized experts in cancer biology during the K99 training period will be instrumental towards my career objectives. In the current research, I plan to develop a novel magnetic sensing technology for comprehensive analysis of metabolism in leukemia stem cells (LSCs), as well as to acquire a deeper understanding of cancer biology. The Research Plan is built upon the development of the hyperpolarized micro nuclear magnetic resonance (HP micro-NMR) technology that enables quantitative analysis of metabolic flux in a small number of cells (down to 104 cells) within two minutes, while maintaining more than 90% of cell viability. The novel platform I developed, importantly, allowed downstream molecular analyses in the same sample in tandem, which may be truly beneficial for investigating mass-limited samples. Here, I will advance this system further to achieve a higher sensitivity and enhanced analytical throughput for comprehensive analysis of LSC metabolism (Aim 1), and I will develop HP metabolic markers to identify the dependence of LSCs on a metabolic enzyme, PHGDH, which has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for other cancers (Aim 2). The focus of the current research is centered on the critical clinical need for relevant leukemia stem cells models, but with imperative funding from the NIH Pathway to Independence Award - Parent K99/R00, the proposed platform would extend much further and have wide applicability on other clinically relevant cancer models, such as patient biopsies or tumor organoids.


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 = -$2 )
2025	2023	THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY	3400 N CHARLES ST	BALTIMORE	MD	21218	BALTIMORE CITY	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	000	5	6/12/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$2
														Subtotal = -$2

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $249,000 )
2023	2023	JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, THE	3400 N CHARLES ST	BALTIMORE	MD	21218	BALTIMORE CITY	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	000	5	12/23/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$249,000
														Subtotal = $249,000

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $249,000 )
2022	2022	JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, THE	3400 N CHARLES ST	BALTIMORE	MD	21218	BALTIMORE CITY	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	002	4	7/25/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$24,898
2022	2022	JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, THE	3400 N CHARLES ST	BALTIMORE	MD	21218	BALTIMORE CITY	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	001	4	12/29/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$224,102
2022	2021	JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, THE	3400 N CHARLES ST	BALTIMORE	MD	21218	BALTIMORE CITY	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	000	3	11/16/2021	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$0
														Subtotal = $249,000

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $249,000 )
2021	2021	JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, THE	3400 N CHARLES ST	BALTIMORE	MD	21218	BALTIMORE CITY	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	001	3	8/27/2021	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$0
2021	2021	JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, THE	3400 N CHARLES ST	BALTIMORE	MD	21218	BALTIMORE CITY	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	000	3	2/24/2021	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$249,000
														Subtotal = $249,000

Grand Total All Awards = $746,998

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Hyperpolarized Micro-NMR for Quantitative Analysis of Metabolism in Leukemia Stem Cells

Award Number: R00CA226357

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

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

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 03/01/2018

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 12/31/2024

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