# Monitoring the interactions between cancer cell metabolism and radiation response

> **NIH NIH R00** · EMORY UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $248,999

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Over half of cancer patients receive radiation therapy during their course of treatment, but the current clinical
practice of radiation oncology does not adjust volumes or doses based on molecular characteristics of an
individual patient’s tumor. The existing knowledge gap between tumor biology and clinical practice limits the
ability to personalize radiation therapy. Dr. Kesarwala’s long-term scientific goal is to improve the efficacy of
radiation therapy by personalizing concurrent therapies and radiation volumes and doses based on metabolic
characteristics of tumors. She proposes to approach this goal via investigation and characterization of the
interacting effects of radiation therapy, IDH1 mutations, and hypoxia on the metabolic pathways of cancer
cells. This proposal is designed to test the hypothesis that altering cancer cell metabolism can increase
radiation response. The goals of this proposal are to characterize the effects of 1) radiation therapy, 2) IDH1
mutations, and 3) hypoxia on metabolic balance, and 4) develop small molecules for metabolic imaging. The
results from this research will significantly improve understanding of a potential target pathway for combination
drug and radiation therapy and lay the foundation for future radiation therapy clinical trials. During the
mentored phase of this proposal, she will expand upon her background in molecular imaging and cell biology
and her clinical training in radiation oncology with additional study of cancer cell metabolism and metabolic
imaging. She will be mentored by Dr. Kevin Camphausen, Senior Investigator and Chief of the Radiation
Oncology Branch at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), a translational radiation oncologist who is an expert in
brain tumors and clinical trials. Her co-mentor for this proposal is Dr. Murali Krishna Cherukuri, Senior
Investigator and Head of the Biophysical Spectroscopy Section of the Radiation Biology Branch at the NCI, a
leader and innovator in functional magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy. Her training program
represents a thoughtful approach to the transition to independence, combining guidance from an outstanding
team of mentors and mentoring committee members with formal coursework, a strong career development
plan, and the exceptional training environment of the NCI. The work outlined in this proposal will be the next
step towards Dr. Kesarwala’s long-term career goal, which is to become an independent investigator working
at the interface of radiation oncology, cancer metabolism, and molecular imaging.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10236403
- **Project number:** 5R00CA222493-04
- **Recipient organization:** EMORY UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Aparna Kesarwala
- **Activity code:** R00 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $248,999
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-08-15 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10236403

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10236403, Monitoring the interactions between cancer cell metabolism and radiation response (5R00CA222493-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10236403. Licensed CC0.

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