List All Projects List Graduate Projects List Senior Design Projects List REU Projects Other Undergraduate Projects
Project # 94
Therapeutic Methods of Stabilizing Tumor Vasculature to Improve Cancer Outcomes
| Team Lead: | Malak Al-Noubani |
| Other Team Members: | |
| Faculty Advisor(s): | Dr. Michael Cho |
| Department: | BE |
| Project Type: | REU |
| Title: | Therapeutic Methods of Stabilizing Tumor Vasculature to Improve Cancer Outcomes |
| Abstract: | One of the hallmarks of cancer is increased blood vessel growth to feed the tumor’s rapid expansion. The newly formed vessels are often “leaky” due to structural and functional abnormalities. This leads to ineffective anti-cancer drug delivery and provides tumor cells with additional opportunities to spread throughout the body (i.e., metastasis). We propose that treating blood vessels with FDA-approved Poloxamer 188 (P188) reseals gaps between vessel-lining cells as a method to recover normal vessel function, allowing for improved drug delivery and decreased metastasis. We developed a model that mimics the inner lining (endothelium) of blood vessels and introduced breast cancer cells (BCCs) to recreate the typical metastatic microenvironment. We then assessed the impact of BCCs on vessel permeability, and their ability to migrate through the endothelium. We observed that the P188-reinforced endothelium exhibited more stable structural integrity and hindered cancer cell migration. This novel finding may be further developed for a safe, cost-effective therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment, eliminating the need for the development of new drugs. |
| Poster: | View Poster #94 (PDF) |
| Judges Scoring: | Submit Evaluation (judges only) |