Wednesday, September 17, 2025 9/17/2025

Revealing cancer metabolism via mass spectrometry and isotope tracers

Award Number: R50CA211437
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/19/2016
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2026

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Revealing cancer metabolism via mass spectrometry and isotope tracers - Project Summary/Abstract Metabolism plays a fundamental role in cancer growth, diagnosis (e.g. FDG-PET), and treatment (e.g. antifolates, asparaginase). Over the past decade, research into cancer metabolism has flourished, contextualized by the realization that metabolic changes in cancer are triggered by oncogene signaling and accelerated by the emergence of new measurement tools. This NCI Research Specialist Award will study cancer metabolism using the most important modern tools: mass spectrometry and isotope tracers. Working together with Unit Director Joshua Rabinowitz and his lab, and a diverse set of collaborators from Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and other leading institutions, I aim over the next 5 years to achieve the following: (1) Optimize LC-MS-based metabolomic methods, focusing on ultrasensitive measurements appropriate for small biopsy samples and on novel metabolite identification via untargeted metabolomics. (2) Develop and optimize the imaging mass spectrometry methods for spatial metabolomics. (3) Combine these methods with isotope tracers to determine fluxes in tumors in vivo. Rabinowitz and I have a long-standing leadership position in isotope tracer methods for quantitating metabolic fluxes. We have recently developed protocols for infusing a wide variety of 13C, 15N, and 2H-tracers into mice, with the goal of enabling quantitation of tumor metabolic flux. We are pushing to enable these measurements also by mass spectrometry imaging, eventually with single cell resolution. Resulting data will provide critical insights into the metabolic pathophysiology of cancer and immune cells in the native tumor microenvironment and will thereby inform treatment selection strategies and the development of novel therapeutics.


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 = $125,134 )
2025	2025	THE TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY	1 NASSAU HALL	PRINCETON	NJ	08544	MERCER	USA	Cancer Biology Research	000	10	8/20/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$125,134
														Subtotal = $125,134

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $125,134 )
2024	2024	THE TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY	1 NASSAU HALL	PRINCETON	NJ	08544	MERCER	USA	Cancer Biology Research	000	9	8/20/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$125,134
														Subtotal = $125,134

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $125,134 )
2023	2023	THE TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY	1 NASSAU HALL	PRINCETON	NJ	08544	MERCER	USA	Cancer Biology Research	000	8	9/7/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$125,134
														Subtotal = $125,134

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $125,134 )
2022	2022	TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY, THE	1 NASSAU HALL	PRINCETON	NJ	08544	MERCER	USA	Cancer Biology Research	001	7	8/25/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$125,134
2022	2020	THE TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY	1 NASSAU HALL	PRINCETON	NJ	08544	MERCER	USA	Cancer Biology Research	000	5	12/22/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $125,134

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $125,134 )
2021	2021	TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY, THE	1 NASSAU HALL	PRINCETON	NJ	08544	MERCER	USA	Cancer Biology Research	000	6	9/21/2021	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$125,134
														Subtotal = $125,134

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $108,427 )
2020	2020	TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY, THE	1 NASSAU HALL	PRINCETON	NJ	08544	MERCER	USA	Cancer Biology Research	000	5	8/24/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$108,427
														Subtotal = $108,427

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $108,427 )
2019	2019	TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY, THE	1 NASSAU HALL	PRINCETON	NJ	08544	MERCER	USA	Cancer Biology Research	000	4	8/13/2019	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$108,427
														Subtotal = $108,427

Issue Date FY: 2018 ( Subtotal = $108,427 )
2018	2018	TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY, THE	1 NASSAU HALL	PRINCETON	NJ	08544	MERCER	USA	Cancer Biology Research	000	3	8/10/2018	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$108,427
														Subtotal = $108,427

Issue Date FY: 2017 ( Subtotal = $108,427 )
2017	2017	TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY, THE	1 NASSAU HALL	PRINCETON	NJ	08544	MERCER	USA	Cancer Biology Research	000	2	8/18/2017	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$108,427
														Subtotal = $108,427

Issue Date FY: 2016 ( Subtotal = $108,427 )
2016	2016	PRINCETON UNIVERSITY	POST OFFICE BOX 5292	PRINCETON	NJ	08544	MERCER	USA	Cancer Biology Research	000	1	9/16/2016	NEW	$108,427
														Subtotal = $108,427

Grand Total All Awards = $1,167,805

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Revealing cancer metabolism via mass spectrometry and isotope tracers

Award Number: R50CA211437

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

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

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/19/2016

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2026

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