Federal Cooperative Agreement Award Summary

Case Western Reserve University's Office of Research Administration, in affiliation with University Hospitals of Cleveland, received a $667,575 Cooperative Agreement from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) under the Cancer Biology Research program (CFDA 93.396), awarded July 8, 2026, with completion targeted for June 30, 2031. The award funds research investigating the mechanisms by which cancer-derived small extracellular vesicles (SEVs), particularly those enriched with the oncogenic protein Kindlin-2 (K2), regulate breast cancer metastasis. The research team, led by the Sossey-Alaoui, Languino, and Lorico laboratories, will deliver fundamental cancer biology research examining how K2-containing SEVs initiate metastatic progression through nuclear localization pathways and subsequent remodeling of the metastatic microenvironment.

The research deliverables encompass a multi-systems approach combining in vitro studies using two-dimensional cancer cell cultures and patient-derived three-dimensional organoids, in vivo mouse models incorporating primary tumor resection to isolate SEV effects, pharmacological intervention studies using the nuclear transport inhibitor PRR851, and multi-omics characterization to identify molecular and immunological signatures modulated by SEV cargo. The work directly supports NCI's Cancer Biology Research program objectives to provide fundamental information on cancer causation and nature with applications toward improved prevention, detection, and treatment methodologies for neoplastic diseases, with specific emphasis on tumor biology and metastasis mechanisms.