# Developmental Cancer Therapeutics

> **NIH NIH P30** · MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA · 2022 · $50,637

## Abstract

DEVELOPMENTAL CANCER THERAPEUTICS: SUMMARY
The Developmental Cancer Therapeutics (DCT) Program seeks to discover and characterize critical cancer-
specific metabolic pathways, identify novel therapeutic agents, and translate discoveries into effective cancer
therapies and chemoprevention strategies. Three common themes unite programmatic initiatives: 1) lipid
signaling and metabolism, 2) cancer stress response pathways, and 3) drug discovery and early-phase clinical
trials. Fundamental discoveries have been made in the identification and mechanistic understanding of
sphingolipids, prostaglandins, membrane receptors, and extra-cellular factors involved in cancer cell signaling.
Support from the Hollings Cancer Center (HCC) shared resources and collaborations within and across
programs has led to identification of natural and synthetic compounds that target cancer metabolism, including
inhibitors of sphingosine 1-phosphate and sphingosine kinase 2, which have moved to phase 1 and 2 trials in
refractory renal and liver cancers (NCT01488513, NCT0176203, and NCT02939807). New compounds and
biomarkers led to statewide opportunities for therapeutic intervention and prevention of human cancers
impacting the HCC catchment area, including in the socioeconomically and geographically underserved African
American communities. The program of 30 members is co-led by two exceptional scientists with distinct basic
and clinical backgrounds who collaboratively build a synergistic program: Besim Ogretmen, PhD, a basic
scientist pioneering discoveries in lipid biology and biomarker development, and Michael Lilly, MD, a practicing
physician-scientist translating fundamental discoveries into clinical trials. The total peer-reviewed direct funding
base, excluding career development and training grants is $4.8M, with 22 active NCI-funded projects ($3.5M),
and a growing number of multi-institutional and programmatic awards (P20 GM103542; P01 CA203628; U54
MD010706, U54 CA210962). Rich collaborative research opportunities in DCT laboratories have enhanced the
entire education and career development continuum, from undergraduates in minority colleges to graduate
students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior clinical members (K12 CA157688). These cancer-focused efforts
culminated in 238 publications since 2013, of which 34% represent intraprogrammatic, 37% interprogrammatic,
and 67% multi-institutional collaborations, including 33 seminal discoveries and translational breakthroughs
published in top-tier journals (IF >10) such as in N Engl J Med, Nature, Nat Comm, Sci Transl Med (2), Cell,
Cell Metab, Mol Cell, JAMA (2), JCI (3), JCO (8), and Lancet Oncol (3). With investments in cutting edge
technologies, targeted faculty recruitment, and new interprogrammatic team-based funding initiatives
supported by new HCC leadership, the DCT Program is poised to advance scientific discovery, target
identification and pre-clinical development, and clinical trials implementation in the HCC ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10377474
- **Project number:** 5P30CA138313-14
- **Recipient organization:** MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
- **Principal Investigator:** Besim Ogretmen
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $50,637
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2009-04-01 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10377474

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10377474, Developmental Cancer Therapeutics (5P30CA138313-14). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10377474. Licensed CC0.

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