# Light-sheet micro-aspiration microscopy for the isolation and analysis of rare tumor cells from intact clinical specimens

> **NIH NIH K99** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2020 · $155,380

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
This grant application responds to Program Announcement Number PA-18-398 and outlines a training and
research program which will prepare me for a long-term research career focused on the development of optical
imaging methods to better understand, diagnose, and treat human prostate cancer. The proposal outlines a
mentored-training program which places me under the direct guidance of a team of NIH funded researchers
from the University of Washington (UW) and the neighboring Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
(FHCRC). My training plan involves three complimentary areas of focus: (1) receiving further training in tissue
clearing and labeling, (2) obtaining educational and hands-on training in single-cell isolation and analysis, and
(3) developing a knowledge-base in molecular assays and prostate cancer to facilitate meaningful future
collaborations with experts in these fields. To achieve these goals, I will use the funding to dedicate time for
attending graduate courses, workshops, training seminars, grand rounds lectures, and most importantly regular
meetings with my entire career award team, as outlined in my career development plan. The research project
component of the proposal is driven by the fact that rare cell populations are known to play an outsized role in
many of the most challenging problems in cancer, and downstream profiling (i.e., genomics, proteomics, and
transcriptomics) of these individual cells can therefore allow for more-effective therapies targeted against these
often-hidden lynchpins of the disease. Despite this, single-cell isolation (the process by which individual cells
are targeted and collected for further study) is still technically challenging with current methods, particularly for
rare tumor cells. This is particularly problematic, as these rare tumor cells often dictate metastasis, treatment
resistance, and recurrence, all of which ultimately result in patient mortality. While this challenge exists for
nearly all forms of cancer, this proposal will focus specifically on metastatic tumor cells which have invaded the
lympho-vascular space in prostate cancer, as the isolation and analysis of these rare cells can enable the
development of new diagnostic and treatment strategies. To achieve this, I propose to build upon my post-
doctoral research, and with the necessary training above, develop a novel light-sheet micro-aspiration
microscope which will enable the isolation of these rare tumor cells from intact clinical specimens for the first
time. The project is comprised of three specific aims: (1) development of a multi-resolution open-top light-sheet
microscope system for identifying rare tumor cells; (2) combined demonstration of light-sheet microscopy with
micro-aspiration for isolating rare tumor cells; and (3) proof-of-concept clinical validation of the system for
isolating rare invading tumor cells from human prostate tissues with lympho-vascular invasion. The prostate
cancer research environm...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9956598
- **Project number:** 5K99CA240681-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** ADAM K GLASER
- **Activity code:** K99 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $155,380
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-07-01 → 2021-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9956598

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9956598, Light-sheet micro-aspiration microscopy for the isolation and analysis of rare tumor cells from intact clinical specimens (5K99CA240681-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9956598. Licensed CC0.

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