# Developing Improved Models of Basal Cell Carcinoma to Evaluate Tumor-Drug Response

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2022 · $401,117

## Abstract

Project Summary / Abstract
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common cancer in North America. Driven by constitutive activation of
the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway, these tumors are typically removed by surgery; however, a subset of
patients with locally advanced or inherited BCCs require treatment with Hh pathway inhibitors such as
vismodegib. Although these inhibitors are often effective at regressing BCC, these drugs typically do not
eradicate all tumors cells, and resistance can develop over time. These outcomes underscore the need to
identify and evaluate additional therapeutic approaches.
A major hindrance to developing novel therapies against BCC has been the relative lack of adequate, diverse
and convenient model systems for studying this cancer. Current models of BCC all possess major
shortcomings that have limited their widespread use. Taking advantage of our extensive experience studying
BCC, as well as recent technical advances in our lab, we seek to generate and characterize improved models
of this most common cancer. In Aim 1, we will focus on developing a technique to serially biopsy macroscopic
BCCs in mice. As an initial proof of concept, we will treat tumor-bearing mice with vismodegib, and collect pre-
and post-treatment tumor material for pathological, genetic and molecular analyses. In Aim 2, we will generate
and characterize cell lines from these macroscopic tumors and test their responses to vismodegib and JQ1, an
inhibitor of downstream Hh signaling. We will also develop methods to culture these cells as organoids to
better mimic the in vivo 3-dimensional architecture of these tumors. Finally, we will attempt to culture human
BCC cell lines. Altogether, these studies will lead to the development of improved models of BCC for future
use in evaluating novel treatment approaches.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10518702
- **Project number:** 1R21CA267941-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Sunny Y Wong
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $401,117
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-15 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10518702

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10518702, Developing Improved Models of Basal Cell Carcinoma to Evaluate Tumor-Drug Response (1R21CA267941-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10518702. Licensed CC0.

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