# Core A: Molecular Pathology Core

> **NIH NIH P01** · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2020 · $249,393

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract:
 The objectives of the Molecular Pathology Core are: (i) to provide Program Project investigators with
access to high-quality, clinically-annotated human bladder tumors that represent the full spectrum of the disease,
(ii) to assist investigators with acquisition of human bladder tumors for molecular studies and organoid
generation, and (iii) to assist with the morphologic, histopathologic, and genomic characterization of bladder
tumors, including those that arise in genetically-engineered mouse models (GEMMs). Core A will play a central
role in collecting, annotating, storing, and distributing human tissues as required for each Project, and will assist
with histologic, molecular, and genomic analyses of murine and human tumors and organoids, and with the
validation of molecular findings from model systems to human urothelial cancer. The particular scientific focus
of Core A will be to work with Program investigators to pursue analysis of the temporal sequence in which
genomic alterations arise in human bladder cancer. The Aims of the Core are: Aim 1: To acquire and maintain
a biorepository of urothelial tumors that reflects all states of disease progression from early non-
invasive tumors, to muscle-invasive primary tumors to metastatic lesions, and that reflects the ethnic
and gender diversity of patients with urothelial tumors. The Core will work with Program investigators to
define the temporal sequence of mutational events in bladder cancer, with a focus on the timing of mutations in
epigenetic regulators, such as KDM6A and ARID1A, and genes associated with DNA repair and chemotherapy
response, such as ERCC2. The Core will also construct tissue microarrays from bladder specimens, particularly
those that have been characterized for genomic alterations, to facilitate validation of key molecular findings from
studies of GEMMs and human organoid models to human bladder cancer. Aim 2: To provide expert
histopathologic evaluation and molecular characterization of bladder tumors from patients and mice.
Core A will play a key role in the molecular characterization of mouse and human urothelial tumors by selecting
the most representative tumor regions to be analyzed and by performing macro- or microdissection as needed
to enrich for tumor content or to separate non-invasive from invasive or morphologically distinct regions. Core A
will also assist the Program investigators with genomic sequencing analyses of tumors, as well as with
performing and interpreting H&E, immunohistochemical, and in situ hybridization assays.
Integration: Each Project will require contribution from the Molecular Pathology Core to achieve their proposed
research aims. Project Leaders will work with the Core to obtain and process paired non-invasive/invasive and
primary/metastatic samples and samples collected at distinct times in a patient's disease course to define the
timing at which genomic alterations arise during bladder cancer pathogenesis. The...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9972901
- **Project number:** 5P01CA221757-03
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** Hikmat Al-Ahmadie
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $249,393
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** — → —

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9972901

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9972901, Core A: Molecular Pathology Core (5P01CA221757-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9972901. Licensed CC0.

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