# Research Program - Molecular Oncology

> **NIH NIH P30** · GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $69,079

## Abstract

ABSTRACT 
The Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center (LCCC) Molecular Oncology Program (MO) 
brings together investigators whose mission is to identify and validate molecular pathways critical to the 
initiation, progression, maintenance and metastases of cancer. The overall goals of MO are to understand 
and develop biomarkers for the complex processes of cancer susceptibility, initiation and progression, plus 
identify novel targets and novel and repurposed anti-cancer agents that show promise because of reduced 
toxicity against normal cells. To accomplish this mission and goals, MO members perform research under 
two 2 aims: 1) Define and exploit unique genomic and epigenomic events that initiate and sustain cancer 
growth and 2) determine the biological mechanisms that underlie stem cell-like phenotypes, altered 
metabolism and the metastatic spread of cancer cells. A significant advances that reflects progress in Aim 1 
by Yi found that Yap modulates the immunosuppressive environment in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma 
(PDAC). For Aim 2, Chung identified theaphenon E treatment significantly decreased γ-OHPdG levels in the 
liver DNA of Xpa-/- mice that reduced HCC incidence in these mice to 14% from 100% in the controls. The 
LCCC Consortium is comprised of Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, based in 
Washington, DC (LCCC-DC) and the John Theurer Cancer Center of Hackensack Meridian Health, based 
in Hackensack, NJ (LCCC-NJ). Accordingly, the LCCC catchment area is defined by the LCCC-DC and 
LCCC0NJ catchment areas. Led by Jeffrey Toretsky, MD and Benjamin Tycko, MD, PhD, the program 
has 21 members and 23 associate members from 13 departments across LCCC Consortium institutions. In 
the current year, MO members are supported by $7.68M ($7.3M LCCC-DC, $385,226 LCCC-NJ) in 
research grant funding (annual direct costs) of which $2.3M ($1.92M LCCC-DC, $385,226 LCCC-NJ) is 
peer reviewed and $1.251M (at LCCC-DC) is funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). MO is home to 
four multi-investigator grants. Productivity is demonstrated by 214 cancer-related publications, 23 of which 
were in journals with an impact factor ≥ 8. Cancer and program-related publications included 23% inter- 
programmatic, 22% intra-programmatic, 11% inter- and intra-programmatic and 36% that involved 
collaborations with another cancer center. MO members collaborate with members of the other three LCCC 
Research Programs (Breast Cancer Program [BC], Cancer Prevention and Control Program [CPC], and 
Experimental Therapeutics Program [ET]) and use all nine Shared Resources. To support integrated 
thematic research, MO houses significant novel technical expertise, including conditionally reprogrammed 
cells (CRCs), Zevatars, and a BiaCore 4000.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10150787
- **Project number:** 5P30CA051008-28
- **Recipient organization:** GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Gary M Kupfer
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $69,079
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1997-08-15 → 2023-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10150787

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10150787, Research Program - Molecular Oncology (5P30CA051008-28). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10150787. Licensed CC0.

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