# Determining Age-Dependent Metabolic Changes in Tumors and Their Microenvironment

> **NIH NIH DP2** · OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $1,344,763

## Abstract

Title: Determining Age-Dependent Metabolic Changes in Tumors and Their Microenvironment
Project science areas: 6 MCB, 8 HIB
Project Summary/Abstract:
 Aging is one of the primary risk factors for cancer and deregulated metabolism is a unifying hallmark for
both aging and cancer. Yet, we do not fully understand how ageassociated metabolic changes contribute to
cancer initiation and progression. Although many animal models are created to fatefully recapitulate the
oncogenic events that lead to cellular transformation and cancer progression, most are carried out in young
animals that likely have metabolically different tumor microenvironments and robust immune systems. To this
date, few studies have systematically examined how age-dependent alterations of cellular and organismal
metabolism impact tumor growth and metastasis. We hypothesize that age-associated metabolic dysregulation
will significantly alter cellular metabolism both within tumor cells, as well as in cells within the tumor
microenvironment, which may influence cancer progression and response to therapies. We propose a
multipronged, single cell approach to characterize and resolve metabolic changes over time, both within the
tumor and its microenvironment. Finally, we will assess the impact of environmental factors, such as dietary
nutrients and microbiome derived metabolites, on cancer initiation and progression. Collectively, we think our
findings will be transformative and will answer key questions of how aging rewires cellular metabolism and how
it affects tumor growth and metastasis. We hope to elucidate important questions about cellular plasticity,
metabolic heterogeneity and identify metabolic liabilities that can be accentuated by limiting specific nutrients or
metabolites in new combinatorial therapies.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10245780
- **Project number:** 1DP2CA271361-01
- **Recipient organization:** OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Maria M. Mihaylova
- **Activity code:** DP2 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $1,344,763
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-21 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10245780

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10245780, Determining Age-Dependent Metabolic Changes in Tumors and Their Microenvironment (1DP2CA271361-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10245780. Licensed CC0.

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