# Exosome Secretion in Tumor Aggressiveness

> **NIH NIH R50** · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $200,877

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Exosomes are a type of small extracellular vesicle (EV) secreted from all kinds of cells, derived from
endosomes. They have many physiological and pathological functions, such as cell proliferation and
differentiation, angiogenesis and wound healing, regulation of immunity, and cancer progression. They also
play roles in maintaining tumor microenvironments and driving cancer metastasis through cargo delivery to
recipient cells in paracrine and autocrine manners. The laboratory of Dr. Alissa Weaver (Unit Director) at
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine studies the regulation of cancer cell migration and invasion by
exosomes and the role of cancer cell exosomes in cancer aggressiveness and metastasis. The lab also carries
out research on the biogenesis of RNA-containing exosomes and the development of imaging tools to track
exosomes. The proposed studies for this R50 application of Dr. Bong Hwan Sung (Research Specialist) are
related to two NCI-funded R01 grants: 1. Exosome secretion in breast cancer progression. This project tests
the central hypothesis that adhesion molecules carried by cancer and fibroblast exosomes drive multiple steps
of the metastatic cascade in breast cancer. 2. Regulation of extracellular vesicle biogenesis through cell
adhesion. This project tests the hypothesis that the biogenesis of motility-promoting EVs in cancer is controlled
by syntenin-dependent regulation of EV formation and cargo loading downstream of activated leukocyte cell
adhesion molecule (ALCAM)-mediated adhesions. Dr. Sung has worked with Dr. Weaver for the past 15
years. As an expert in cell biology, EVs, and imaging techniques, Dr. Sung has set up state-of-the-art imaging
techniques, and developed experimental and imaging tools and image analysis methods in her laboratory.
This project will support those ongoing efforts.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10978309
- **Project number:** 1R50CA283661-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Bong Hwan Sung
- **Activity code:** R50 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $200,877
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-01 → 2029-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10978309

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10978309, Exosome Secretion in Tumor Aggressiveness (1R50CA283661-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10978309. Licensed CC0.

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