# Pre-Clinical Evaluation Core

> **NIH NIH P20** · LOUISIANA STATE UNIV A&M COL BATON ROUGE · 2022 · $372,248

## Abstract

Summary Pre-Clinical Evaluation Core.
The Center for Pre-Clinical Cancer Research (Cancer COBRE) aims to identify clinically
relevant mechanisms of human cancer using models that closely reflect the disease state in the
context of the tumor microenvironment to reveal insights into tumorigenesis and thus drive novel
therapeutic discovery. Promising Junior Investigators (PJIs) address devastating and/or
chronic human diseases that exhibit poor outcomes in patients and for which there are unmet
therapeutic needs. The four PJI projects feature osteosarcoma, breast cancer, liver cancer, and
prostate cancer as diseases that would benefit from pre-clinical models that are more predictive
of mechanistic efficacy in humans. The PJI projects will use specialized in vivo mouse models
and/or in vitro 3D tumor spheroids to identify or validate relevant mechanisms of tumorigenesis
or for evaluation of novel therapeutic strategies. The Center will promote a unified and coordinated
approach by establishing a new specialized core facility, Pre-Clinical Evaluation Core (PCEC),
to provide scientific expertise and technical support for the pre-clinical evaluation of the PJI
projects. Human and animal diseases are a major focus at the LSU SVM and on the LSU campus.
The unique PCEC will provide a centralized approach that will support exploratory, as well as
translational assessment of cancer disease mechanisms and therapeutic strategies in humans.
To accomplish this approach, advanced 3D cancer cell culture systems (spheroids) will provide
critical translational information. The Center has three Aims: Aim 1. To centralize management
and coordination of pre-clinical evaluation of tumorigenesis diseases mechanisms and
translational therapeutic approaches. Aim 2. To provide the COBRE PJIs and other biomedical
investigators with resources for development and analysis of advanced preclinical cancer models,
including 3D bioprinting and cell culture training, instrumentation, technical support, and
consultation. Aim 3. To educate faculty, staff, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students
regarding pre-clinical evaluation using state-of-the-art in vitro 3D cell cultures to complement in
vivo models.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10360593
- **Project number:** 5P20GM135000-02
- **Recipient organization:** LOUISIANA STATE UNIV A&M COL BATON ROUGE
- **Principal Investigator:** MANDI J. LOPEZ
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $372,248
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-03-01 → 2026-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10360593

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10360593, Pre-Clinical Evaluation Core (5P20GM135000-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10360593. Licensed CC0.

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