# Animal Core Facility

> **NIH NIH P20** · NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $638,854

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract (Animal Core Facility)
 Animal models play a vital role in the establishment and refinement of improved therapies for various
cancers, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Thus, when the NDSU Center for Diagnostic
and Therapeutic Strategies in Pancreatic Cancer was established, a key component included was the Animal
Research Core Facility. During Phase I of this project, the Animal Core has made significant contributions to
the COBRE project's mission and the overall NDSU research community. A breeding colony of nod-SCID-
gamma (NSG™) mice was founded and used in multiple grafting studies, including subcutaneous, orthotopic,
and patient-derived xenograft implantations. The Core also established a colony of genetically engineered
LSL-KrasG12D/+; LSL-Trp53R172H/+; Pdx-1-Cre (KPC) mice to complement these NSG™ studies. These
achievements allowed the Animal Core to complete our original goals of enhancing basic and translational
studies devoted to detecting and treating pancreatic cancer and strengthening biomedical research at NDSU.
For Phase II, the Animal Core aims are 1) to support the scientific and animal needs of individual Junior
Investigators, Pilot Project Investigators, new and existing faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students
associated with the CDTSPC; and 2) to increase the sustainability of the Animal Core Research platform.
These aims will be achieved by establishing new colonies of genetically engineered models (including KC-
smad4 and KC-Tgfbr2 strains), establishing a tissue biobank for archival maintenance of PDAC and other
cancer samples, and expanding services to include on-site histology analysis and advanced imaging
modalities.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10496131
- **Project number:** 2P20GM109024-06
- **Recipient organization:** NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** John Curlee Wilkinson
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $638,854
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2016-03-01 → 2027-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10496131

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10496131, Animal Core Facility (2P20GM109024-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10496131. Licensed CC0.

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