PI Eric Lagasse
Title Cancer Stem Cells from HBV-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Co-Investigators Stephen Strom, David Geller
Description This research shall be conducted in the laboratories of Drs. Steve Strom and Eric Lagasse with collaborative work packages performed at Vertex. This collaboration shall focus on identification and characterization of HBV-HCC cancer stem cells. The collaboration shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following 4 stages. The objective of Stage I shall be to ascertain whether HBV-HCC primary human tumor tissue contains a cancerous stem cell population. The objective of Stage II shall be to characterize these HBV-HCC cancer stem cells in more extensive in vitro assays (e.g., expansion of the cancer stem cells in bioreactors) and in vivo assays (e.g., tumorigenicity, passage into naïve animals). The objective of Stage III shall be to compare/contrast these HBV-HCC cancer stem cells with candidate cancer stem cells from other forms of HCC. The objective of Stage IV shall be to complete comparative studies with HCC cancer stem cells from liver metastases in remote sites (e.g., lung) or circulating in blood.
Source Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Term 05/01/10 – 04/30/12
Amount: $655,629