Case Western Reserve University announced that its School of Medicine has received a 5-year $1.84 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health to investigate the role of the LRG1 protein in colorectal cancer growth and potentially develop a novel treatment option for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Recently, researchers at the university discovered that secretion of the LRG1 protein from the liver may cause vascular dysfunction and promote colorectal cancer metastasis to the liver. Patients with liver metastases often exhibit worse responses to treatment. In a new study, researchers at the university will seek to identify the key mechanisms driving cancer cell proliferation with the goal of inhibiting tumor growth. They will use antibodies to prevent communication between the liver and colorectal cancer cells. “In experimental models, preliminary data suggests that this approach could effectively block the growth of metastatic tumors, which would be encouraging for those afflicted with this terrible disease,” concluded Rui Wang, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.