Sunday, March 23, 2025 3/23/2025

Study the role of integrin tension in cell migration, platelet contraction and invadopodium dynamics

Award Number: R35GM128747
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

Group Awards By:

View Award Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract The PI’s laboratory studies cell mechanobiology at the molecular tension level. Force is essential for the life of cells. Integrin-transmitted cellular force at the cell-matrix interface mechanically drives short-term cellular functions such as cell adhesion, contraction and migration. In long term, cellular force is also transduced to biochemical signals to regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, cancer cell metastasis, etc. Because of its fundamental importance, integrin-transmitted cellular force has been extensively studied at the bulk level by the well-developed cell traction force microscopies. However, integrin tension, the force transmitted by individual integrin molecules, despite its fundamental role in integrin signaling, is much less understood in most cellular functions. The PI’s lab specializes in studying cell mechanobiology using innovative molecular tension tools that measure, map and manipulate integrin tension in live cells. A tension sensor named ITS was developed by the PI to convert integrin tension to fluorescent signal and enable integrin tension mapping directly by fluorescence imaging with high spatial resolution. A tension modulator named TGT was developed to quantitatively restrict integrin tension in whole cells under a designed level for the study of regulative role of integrin tension in specific cellular functions. With these tools, the PI’s lab initiated the study of integrin tension in migrating cells, platelets and micro-sized invadopodia of cancer cells. The preliminary experiments have demonstrated the feasibility and versatility of these integrin tension tools in the research of cell mechanobiology at the molecular tension level. With these innovative tension tools, the elusive integrin tension can now be visualized, quantified and controlled along with cell structure and biochemical factors in live cells with comparable resolution, sensitivity and precision. In next five years, the PI’s lab will study the correlation, co-localization and causality among integrin tension, cell structure and local biochemical activities in live cells. The MIRA fund provides the PI’s lab with the flexibility to continue the study of integrin tension in three distinct cellular processes. The PI will combine molecular tension tools, genetic methods and fluorescence imaging to investigate the range, source, distribution and function of integrin tension in migrating cells, and reveal how cells exert and control integrin tension locally to coordinate cell protrusion and retraction. For platelet study, the force source and biological function of integrin tension during platelet adhesion, contraction and aggregation will be investigated in both 2D and 3D contexts. The integrin tension map will also be tested as a diagnostic assay for the assessment of platelet activity in stemming bleeding. For invadopodium study, the role of integrin tension in invadopodium formation and matrix degradation during cancer cell invasion will be comprehensively investigated. The proposed research will reveal valuable insights to the fundamental role of integrin tension in these various cellular processes. This project will also provide the field with innovative molecular tension sensor and tension modulator that are expected to be widely useful for cellular force study with unprecedented resolution and sensitivity.


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 = $344,991 )
2025	2025	CINCINNATI UNIV OF	2600 CLIFTON AVE	CINCINNATI	OH	45220	HAMILTON	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	002	7	12/24/2024	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$463,320
2025	2022	CINCINNATI UNIV OF	2600 CLIFTON AVE	CINCINNATI	OH	45220	HAMILTON	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	001	6	12/9/2024	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$0
2025	2021	IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY	1350 BEARDSHEAR HALL	AMES	IA	50011	STORY	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	4	10/22/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$118,329
														Subtotal = $344,991

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $35,889 )
2023	2022	UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI	2600 CLIFTON AVE	CINCINNATI	OH	45220	HAMILTON	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	001	6	9/14/2023	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$405,000
2023	2022	IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY	1350 BEARDSHEAR HALL	AMES	IA	50011	STORY	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	5	9/13/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$369,111
														Subtotal = $35,889

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $369,111 )
2022	2022	IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY	515 MORRILL RD, 1350 BEARDSHEAR HALL	AMES	IA	50011	STORY	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	5	8/17/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$369,111
														Subtotal = $369,111

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $369,111 )
2021	2021	IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY	515 MORRILL RD, 1350 BEARDSHEAR HALL	AMES	IA	50011	STORY	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	4	7/27/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$369,111
														Subtotal = $369,111

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $369,111 )
2020	2020	IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY	515 MORRILL RD, 1350 BEARDSHEAR HALL	AMES	IA	50011	STORY	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	3	7/30/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$369,111
														Subtotal = $369,111

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $369,111 )
2019	2019	IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY	515 MORRILL RD, 1350 BEARDSHEAR HALL	AMES	IA	50011	STORY	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	2	7/26/2019	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$369,111
														Subtotal = $369,111

Issue Date FY: 2018 ( Subtotal = $369,111 )
2018	2018	IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY	1350 BEARDSHEAR HALL	AMES	IA	50011	STORY	USA	Biomedical Research and Research Training	000	1	8/9/2018	NEW	$369,111
														Subtotal = $369,111

Grand Total All Awards = $2,226,435

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Study the role of integrin tension in cell migration, platelet contraction and invadopodium dynamics

Award Number: R35GM128747

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

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

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer