Award Details:
Award Type: Catalyst
Award #: C-087
Proposal Title: A New Method for Studying Cancer Cells Predisposed to Metastasis
PI(s): Bruce Lahn (UChicago) and Maciej Lesniak (NU)
Award Amount: $250,000.00
Application Cycle: Round 25 (Spring 2018)
Award Start Date: September 1, 2018
Award End Date: August 31, 2020
Abstract:
In cancer metastasis, only a very small fraction of the original cancer cells metastasize to other tissues. An important question in cancer research and therapeutics is what factors predispose specific cancer cells to undergo metastasis. One way to probe this question is to prospectively isolate the subset of cancer cells that have the potential to metastasize, and compare them with the original cancer cells to identify molecular signatures responsible for their metastatic potential. In this study, we propose to develop a novel methodology termed “CRISPR-aided Retrieval of Indexed Clones” (CRISPR-RIC), which should allow the prospective isolation of cancer cells with metastatic potential. We will apply this method to the study of breast cancer metastases, with the ultimate goal of identifying specific molecular factors underlying metastatic potential.