# Arkansas Integrative Metabolic Research Center

> **NIH NIH P20** · UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT FAYETTEVILLE · 2024 · $263,813

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 The Arkansas Integrative Metabolic Research Center (AIMRC) is a Phase I COBRE at the University of
Arkansas at Fayetteville (04/01/2021-02/28/2026; PI: Dr. Kyle P. Quinn). The scientific objective of the AIMRC
is to investigate the role of cell and tissue metabolism in disease, development, and repair through research
involving advanced imaging, bioenergetics, and data science. The long-term objective of the AIMRC is to
establish a sustainable interdisciplinary research center that can support biomedical research at the U of A and
grow the emerging strengths in metabolic research on campus.
 The overall goal of this supplement research is to probe the specific effects of obesity-driven altered
extracellular matrix (ECM) topography in breast tumor innervation. Obesity is marked by metabolic dysregulation
and a well-known comorbidity in female breast cancer. Interestingly, obese mammary adipose tissue contains
significantly thicker and aligned collagen I fibers. The altered ECM topography might be crucial in driving breast
tumor innervation, as neurites are known to prefer extending along aligned ECM fiber organization. A link
between 1) aligned collagen and innervation, 2) innervation and tumor malignancy, 3) obesity and aligned
collagen, and 4) obesity and metabolism dysregulation are well-established. However, how these factors
concertedly drive breast tumor innervation remains unclear. We hypothesize that aligned collagen I fibers present
in the obese breast tumor microenvironment (TME) potentiate breast tumor innervation.
 To test our hypothesis, we will use our in-house optimized composite hydrogels comprising decellularized
white adipose tissue and collagen type I combined with a custom-designed uniaxial stretching device to align
collagen I fibers. Using this platform, we will determine 1) metabolic profiles of the embedded co-cultures of
adipose stromal cells and normal or malignant human mammary epithelial cells, 2) neurotrophic factor secretion
from the co-cultures, and 3) neurite infiltration as an in vitro model of breast tumor innervation. Given our
expertise in tissue-engineered models of the breast TME, we are confident that we can determine the specific
effects of aligned collagen fibers on breast tumor innervation by means of dysregulated cellular metabolism in
breast cancer. This administrative supplement award will enable us to establish this line of research by
investigating obesity's effects on breast tumor innervation. In the future, we can better recapitulate obese TME,
e.g., by incorporating adipocytes in the 3D cultures and procuring cells from lean and obese animals and/or
patients. Notably, this research aligns with the National Cancer Institute’s interest in “fundamental mechanisms
of cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis”, and the Office of Research on Women's Health’s interest in
“research that addresses women’s health issues across the lifespan with an emphasis on chronic diseases and
comorb...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10953993
- **Project number:** 3P20GM139768-04S3
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT FAYETTEVILLE
- **Principal Investigator:** Kyle Patrick Quinn
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $263,813
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2021-04-01 → 2026-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10953993

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10953993, Arkansas Integrative Metabolic Research Center (3P20GM139768-04S3). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10953993. Licensed CC0.

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