# GI Cancer Genetics Research Program

> **NIH NIH P30** · CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $53,114

## Abstract

GASTROINTESTINAL CANCER GENETICS RESEARCH PROGRAM
PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The Gastrointestinal Cancer Genetics (GICG) Research Program is a basic discovery program with a strong
translational focus. The overarching goals of the GICG program are to discover genetic and epigenetic causes
of GI cancers and to translate these discoveries into development of novel therapeutic approaches and
biomarkers for early detection, prevention, diagnosis, prognosis and prediction of drug responses for GI
cancers. The program is organized around 3 scientific aims: (1) Discover and clinically translate genetic
alterations in GI cancers; (2) Discover and clinically translate epigenetic changes in GI cancers; and (3)
Develop novel methods and models to facilitate basic and translational GI cancer research. The aims reflect
the programs work to continue to: i) make groundbreaking discoveries in the genetic and epigenetic causes of
GI cancers, and ii) achieve major clinical impact by translating these discoveries into new approaches for
cancer detection, prevention, and treatment resulting in working groups and initiatives that coalesces program
members with other cancer center investigators through interprogrammatic collaborations that result in
preclinical and clinical research efforts, grants, and trial protocols. Extensive use of an array of shared
resources, in particular, Genomics, Biostatistics, and Tissue Resources facilitate all aspects of member
discoveries.
Under the leadership of Sanford Markowitz (Co-Leader) and Zhenghe (John) Wang (Co-Leader) the GICG
Program includes 18 full members and 3 associate members. Members represent 11 departments, and 83% of
members are funded by 64 projects that give rise to a total of $5.5M in research grant funding (annual direct
costs), of which $5.1M is peer-reviewed and $3.8M is NCI-funded. Between 2012 and 2016, GICG program
members published 534 publications. Cancer and program related publications included 28% inter-
programmatic, 18% intra-programmatic, 8% inter- and intra-programmatic and 8% that involved collaboration
with another Cancer Center. This highly effective program has made major practice-changing contributions
benefiting cancer patients. Examples include: i) an ongoing investigator-initiated (and Stand Up To Cancer
[SU2C] supported) clinical trial of a novel targeted therapy for PI3KCA mutant CRCs; ii) an ongoing
investigator-initiated clinical trial for biomarker driven detection of Barret’s esophagus; iii) FDA approval and
commercial adoption of stool DNA screening for CRC based on detecting methylated DNA, an approach
pioneered by GICG investigators and continued in an ongoing investigator-initiated clinical trial; iv) validation in
two iconic epidemiology cohorts – the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study – of
the discovery of a predictive biomarker of sensitivity or resistance to colon cancer chemoprevention by aspirin;
and v) adoption by the NCI NEXT program of clinica...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10135946
- **Project number:** 5P30CA043703-31
- **Recipient organization:** CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** SANFORD D. MARKOWITZ
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $53,114
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1997-08-01 → 2023-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10135946

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10135946, GI Cancer Genetics Research Program (5P30CA043703-31). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10135946. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*