The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) received a $465,020 Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) under the Cancer Treatment Research Federal Grant Program (CFDA 93.395). The grant, which runs from February 1, 2025 to January 31, 2030, supports research to determine the mechanisms by which chemotherapy used in first-line ovarian cancer treatments inadvertently activates tumor-associated membrane-anchored serine proteases (MASPs) that promote tumor dissemination and metastasis. The goal is to uncover these chemotherapy-induced metastatic mechanisms so that effective blocking strategies can be developed to improve treatment outcomes for ovarian cancer patients. The research will utilize patient-derived tumor cells, ascites, cell lines, and preclinical models to 1) define the molecular mechanisms driving MASP overactivation following chemotherapy, and 2) systematically characterize the cell-specific determinants and functional mechanisms of intraperitoneal metastasis caused by chemotherapy-induced MASP activation.
Generated 3/4/25, 6:15 AM