# Intratumoral functional connectivity with implications on synaptogenesis and aphasia recovery in adult astrocytic WHO II-III glioma

> **NIH NIH K08** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2021 · $200,054

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY:
 Over 700,000 Americans are currently living with a glioma and 65 new patients are diagnosed every
day. Factors influencing survival include patient age, WHO grade, and extent of tumor resection, however it is
increasingly understood that functional status such as language, cognition, and the ability to communicate
impacts longevity. While the survival time of some patients is short, many with WHO grade II and III tumors
and favorable genetics will survive for 20 years or longer. Throughout this survival period, over 70% of patients
experience functional disabilities that reduce quality of life and survival. This has shifted both research and
clinical questions beyond survival to include functional outcomes. The fundamental goal of my research
program is to study the bidirectional mechanisms by which gliomas interface with functional cognitive networks.
There is strong evidence in the preclinical literature that neuronal activity impacts tumor progression, but this is
unstudied from a functional capacity in humans.
 Little is known about the mechanisms by which gliomas affect functional cognitive networks. For
example, the precise organization of language within the perisylvian language network is highly variable and
the cellular mechanism behind what makes some areas functionally relevant remains unknown. Functionally
relevant regions (as determined by direct cortical stimulation) have increased functional connectivity with
surrounding brain. It has been shown recently that distinct astrocyte subpopulations within gliomas contribute
to synaptogenesis, however their organization within the tumor and functional significance in humans remains
unknown. It is therefore possible that glioma-neural interactions in part mediated by synaptogenic glioma cells
may be a driving force behind these connections and co-localize within regions with high functional
connectivity. In this research proposal I will study functional connectivity within dominant hemisphere
perisylvian WHO II-III astrocytic gliomas to determine whether synaptogenic glioma cells are enriched within
regions of elevated functional connectivity. The results of the experiments in this proposal will offer a sharper
and more accurate account of how synaptogenesis in adult gliomas contributes to aphasia recovery. These
experiments conducted in the robust academic environment of University of California San Francisco and
encompass scientific and education aims covering both neuro circuit dynamics and glioma biology.
Furthermore, they will contribute to my training plan, which will focus on establishing competence in 1) neural
circuit physiology, 2) the neurobiology of aphasia recovery, 3) human subject testing, and 4) design of the
clinical trial trials that will ultimately enable clinical validation of my hypothesis. The aims of my training plan are
to further my training in translational neuro-oncology toward becoming an independent R01-funded scientist
with a research program...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10152681
- **Project number:** 5K08NS110919-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **Principal Investigator:** Shawn L. Hervey-Jumper
- **Activity code:** K08 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $200,054
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-05-01 → 2024-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10152681

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10152681, Intratumoral functional connectivity with implications on synaptogenesis and aphasia recovery in adult astrocytic WHO II-III glioma (5K08NS110919-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10152681. Licensed CC0.

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