Project title: Modeling intestinal neuroendocrine tumor biology in vitro
Ramesh Shivdasani, MD, PhD Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
- Status: Active
- Year(s): 2024
- Grant Type: Investigator
- Research Type: Basic
- Primary Tumor Site: Gastrointestinal
- Area of Inquiry: Tumor Modeling and Mechanistic Study
Description
What critical problem/question will researchers try to answer?
Neuroendocrine tumors are malignant forms of relatively rare neuroendocrine cells in various organs. Our project aims to understand how normal intestinal neuroendocrine cells become cancerous.
Why is this important?
Treatment of any disease is advanced by understanding exactly how it arises. This has been extremely challenging for intestinal neuroendocrine tumors because the normal cell population is so rare and has not been possible to culture in laboratories. We have developed a laboratory model to culture large numbers of normal human intestinal neuroendocrine (enteroendocrine) cells and their precursors. This development provides a new and powerful opportunity to investigate the origins of intestinal neuroendocrine tumors.
What will the researchers do?
To derive clues about tumor development, we will first catalog the myriad ways that gene activity in intestinal neuroendocrine tumors differs from that in normal human enteroendocrine cells. Second, mutations associated with indolent and aggressive forms of intestinal neuroendocrine cancers are known. We will introduce those mutations separately into cultures of normal human neuroendocrine cells and study the different paths by which mutant cells become malignant.
How might this improve treatment of neuroendocrine cancer?
By studying normal human enteroendocrine cells with respect to cancer origins, we expect to identify cellular pathways that may be targets for new therapeutic approaches.
What is the next step?
The next step is to leverage a powerful new tool of cultured normal human enteroendocrine cells to investigate pathways of tumor genesis.
Additional Details
- City: Boston
- State: Massachusetts
- Country: United States
- Grant Duration: 2 years
- Sponsor: Partial funding from Carol DeBacker Charitable Trust
DISCLAIMER
NETRF funds laboratory research to understand the development of neuroendocrine tumors and translational research to explore new concepts in treatment. Research grant descriptions and research updates from NETRF are not intended to serve as medical advice. It can take years for research discoveries to be fully validated and approved for patient care. Always consult your health care providers about your treatment options.