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VivoSphere as an oncology platform for colorectal cancer modeling and drug screening

Award Number: R44CA302245
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/01/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2027

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VivoSphere as an oncology platform for colorectal cancer modeling and drug screening - ABSTRACT The development of three-dimensional (3D) disease models has paved the way for accelerated design, discovery, and validation of potential targets and drug compounds, thereby significantly reducing the time, cost, and labor involved in the drug discovery pipeline. 3D cancer models, such as self-aggregated spheroids, cancer organoids, and organ chips, have been established as more accurate and predictive than two-dimensional (2D) models for drug screening. However, current commercial 3D cancer models either lack control over tumor microenvironment (TME) or suffer from low consistency and throughput. This makes VivoSphere a breakthrough product. VivoSpheres are developed as a more physiologically relevant and high-throughput screening (HTS)-adaptable model. They are cell-laden hydrogel microspheres that are produced rapidly using our patented microfluidic encapsulation platform, making them a much higher throughput model than organ chips. The incorporation of hydrogel matrices in VivoSpheres can improve the consistency of tissues in size and shape, which is critical in obtaining high-quality results in HTS, and provide the ability to manipulate the TME, an important driver of appropriate cell phenotype and function. Compared to self-aggregation systems, VivoSphere models support either aggregating or non-aggregating cells, and allow for co-encapsulation of stromal cell component, which is lacking in organoid model. This project will develop more pathophysiologically relevant VivoSpheres for colorectal cancer disease modeling and optimize key assays used in HTS. Patient-derived xenograft tumors will be generated using a mouse model as a benchmark to evaluate the VivoSphere model’s ability to recapitulate in vivo tumor biology. The overarching goal of this project is to establish VivoSphere as a complex in vitro platform that can reduce, refine, and ultimately replace animal use in preclinical cancer research. The outcome of this project will remove potential roadblocks to building disease-specific models for HTS.


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: 2026 ( Subtotal = $350,000 )
2026	2026	VIVOSPHERE LLC	540 DEVALL DR STE 101	AUBURN	AL	36832	LEE	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	000	1	7/27/2026	NEW	$350,000
														Subtotal = $350,000

Grand Total All Awards = $350,000

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VivoSphere as an oncology platform for colorectal cancer modeling and drug screening

Award Number: R44CA302245

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

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

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/01/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2027

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