# Advanced development of the Cancer Dependency Map portal (DepMap.org)

> **NIH NIH U24** · BROAD INSTITUTE, INC. · 2020 · $791,050

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: The ability to predict vulnerabilities given the molecular features of a
patient’s tumor is central to operationalizing cancer precision medicine. While sequencing of patient tumors is
increasingly common, researchers, clinicians, and drug developers currently lack the ability to identify which
somatically altered genes and variants are required for tumor survival and/or confer a requirement for other
genes (synthetic lethality). The “Cancer Dependency Map (DepMap)” project directly addresses this
challenge. This effort, which continues to generate and release pre-publication data on a quarterly basis
without restriction, currently encompasses over 1,000 genomically annotated cancer cell lines and organoid
models, over 750 genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 viability screens, and large scale drug repurposing screens
totaling over 1,000,000 data points. In addition, we have created a wide range of computational algorithms to
discover dependencies and to infer them from molecular features.
To ensure that the scientific community can easily use these data and tools to make scientific discoveries, we
launched the pilot of depmap.org on April 2018. This pilot aimed to learn how best to support the analysis
and visualization of such data (whether created at the Broad Institute or elsewhere) by researchers everywhere.
The pilot proved to be a success: currently, depmap.org has 62,000 users and is visited by >800 unique
researchers from >200 laboratories daily.
Here, we propose the advanced development of depmap.org to address the emerging needs of distinct user
communities:
 ● cancer biologists: use depmap.org to discover the function of genes and variants and how these
 induce network changes that result in vulnerabilities (users have limited programming experience, we will
 emphasize user experience, enabling the upload of researchers’ own data and the interoperability with
 other experimental research tools);
 ● translational cancer researchers: use depmap.org to prioritize new targets from CRISPR data and
 mechanism of action of existing drugs within specific tumor type contexts to advance drug discovery
 (users have limited programming experience, we will emphasize user experience and tumor-type
 functionality, connectivity with cBioPortal and patient data);
 ● computationalists: aim to develop new predictive modeling applications and data analysis tools
 that can be readily shared back with the depmap.org community (users have extensive programing
 experience, we will emphasize creating application programming interface (API) protocols and support
 sharing of new computational tools back with depmap.org)
Our revised proposal focuses on three complementary Specific Aims:
In Aim 1, we will develop new functionalities to support pre-defined scientific inquiries of cancer
biologists and translational researchers. Here, we will (a) enable users to prioritize cancer targets via the
integrated analysis of drug and CRISPR viability data, (b...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10058960
- **Project number:** 1U24CA248455-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** BROAD INSTITUTE, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Aviad Tsherniak
- **Activity code:** U24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $791,050
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-03 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10058960

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10058960, Advanced development of the Cancer Dependency Map portal (DepMap.org) (1U24CA248455-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10058960. Licensed CC0.

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