# Microenvironment determinants of radio-sensitivity in human high grade glioma

> **NIH NIH P20** · WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $265,528

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT 
The most aggressive variant of glioma, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), afflicts approximately 20,000 newly 
diagnosed patients within the United States annually. Despite maximal surgical and adjuvant chemo- 
radiotherapeutic intervention, prognosis remains dismal, with median survival being 14.2 months. Clinical 
progression is invariably due to tumor recurrence within a 2cm margin of the original surgical resection cavity, 
with recurrent tumors being resistant to additional radiation. Among these radiation resistant recurrent tumor 
cells, the mesenchymal GBM subtype is predominant. Although primarily studied in the context of metastatic 
carcinomas, mounting evidence supports a role for cancer epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) related 
processes in the progression and resistance of GBM to radiotherapy. The primary goal of this work is to 
provide an EMT-associated clinical target for improving radiation-induced cell death in recurrent 
glioblastoma cells, thereby increasing overall and progression free survival in this fatal disease that affects 
men and women globally. To this end, three inter-connected but independent aims are proposed. In Aim 1, the 
investigator will determine the effects of differential expression of cell-cell adhesion molecules and associated 
regulators of EMT on radiation induced cell death in patient-derived human glioblastoma cells. The second aim 
will examine the impact of differential cadherin expression and EMT regulators on the generation of reactive 
oxygen species (ROS) by external beam radiation treatment (XRT) in GBM. In the final aim, the investigator will 
evaluate the efficacy of recombinant cadherin-ectodomains and microenvironment modulation on radiation- 
induced cell death in novel patient-derived human glioblastoma orthotopic xenograft model of recurrent disease.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9984432
- **Project number:** 5P20GM121322-03
- **Recipient organization:** WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Christopher Paul Cifarelli
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $265,528
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-08-01 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9984432

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9984432, Microenvironment determinants of radio-sensitivity in human high grade glioma (5P20GM121322-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9984432. Licensed CC0.

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