# An Inducible Model for Studying Cancer Stem Cells in PDAC

> **NIH NIH R21** · GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $401,117

## Abstract

Project Summary
 The Cancer Stem Cell (CSC) theory, which was first proposed more than four decades
ago, states that a small population of cancer cells possess the characteristics associated with
normal stem cells such as the capacities for self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation, is the
primary driver of tumor heterogeneity, progression, and resistance. However, there have been
on-going controversies regarding the origins, identities and functions of CSCs, in large part due
to the lack of vigorous and physiological approaches to specifically identify, track, and target the
rare CSC population in intact tumors. To fill this gap, we have developed a new inducible
genetically engineered mouse model (GEMM) of Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC),
which enable us to conduct in vivo lineage tracing, ablation, as well as ex vivo analysis of the
CSC niches from autochthonous PDAC tumors. Using this powerful new system, our proposal
will examine (1) the dynamics of the CSC niches during PDAC progression and relapse, (2) the
performance of previously described putative PDAC “CSC” markers, and (3) the functional
significance of the CSC niches to PDAC invasion, metastasis and chemo-resistance.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10178478
- **Project number:** 1R21CA258153-01
- **Recipient organization:** GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Chunling Yi
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $401,117
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-05-01 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10178478

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10178478, An Inducible Model for Studying Cancer Stem Cells in PDAC (1R21CA258153-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10178478. Licensed CC0.

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