# BLRD Research Career Scientist Award Application

> **NIH VA IK6** · BIRMINGHAM VA MEDICAL CENTER · 2023 · —

## Abstract

Dr. Pran K. Datta is currently a Research Microbiologist at the Birmingham VA Medical Center
(BVAMC), AL, and a Professor at the VA-affiliated University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He has a
long-standing track record in the mechanistic studies of colorectal (CRC) and lung cancer. Since 2010, he has
been contributing significantly to VA research and services through training, mentoring, and collaboration with
VA investigators. His established expertise in basic and translational cancer research has also attracted
investigators from diverse disciplines at the VA Medical Centers in the US, Vanderbilt University, and UAB,
which has led to collaborative grants and high-impact publications.
 A seminal discovery from Dr. Datta's lab is the identification and cloning of a TGF-ß-receptor binding
protein STRAP (Serine Threonine Kinase Receptor Associated Protein) that inhibits TGF-ß signaling and
activates Wnt/ß-catenin and Notch signaling. The second seminal contribution of his study is to establish the
role of STRAP in activating the stemness of cancer stem-like cells. His third seminal contribution is to identify
a smoking-regulated miRNA signature that promotes NSCLC progression and chemoresistance. His high
impact research resulted in more than 70 papers and reviews in reputable top-tier scientific journals (some of
them with impact factor range 8.7-22.7). The fundamentals of the following projects are based on these high
impact and highly cited papers. Around 20 of his papers are cited more than 100 times each.
 Project I: Translational research on colorectal cancer (CRC) pathogenesis and targeting by
nanotherapy. During the last 40 years, the proportion of CRC has increased by about 15% in the veteran
population and thus constitutes a significant risk for all veterans and their family members, including women,
especially over 50 years of age. Consistent with this, there were more than 52,000 new cases of colorectal
cancer cases in VA during the last 5 years. To combat this problem, the PI's lab will therapeutically target the
pro-oncogenic functions of STRAP by siRNA-based nanoformulation in potential treatment of CRC patients as
well as by sensitizing 5-FU and/or Oxaliplatin based chemotherapy.
 Project II: Circulating microRNAs as predictive biomarkers for brain metastasis in non-small cell
lung cancer (NSCLC). Consistent with the fact that lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in
the US veteran population, there were 41,780 new lung cancer cases and 19,543 lung cancer deaths among
the VA population during the last 5 years. The percentage of active-duty military personnel who smoked was
highest during the Vietnam and Korean Wars (75%). Similarly, 60% of Afghanistan and Iraq War veterans
used tobacco. The death records of 52,000 veterans of Vietnam War showed that these veterans died of lung
cancer at a 58% higher rate than veterans who did not serve there. To this end, Dr. Datta's lab is trying to
identify a miRNA signature in...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10594005
- **Project number:** 5IK6BX006029-02
- **Recipient organization:** BIRMINGHAM VA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** PRAN K DATTA
- **Activity code:** IK6 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-04-01 → 2027-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10594005

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10594005, BLRD Research Career Scientist Award Application (5IK6BX006029-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10594005. Licensed CC0.

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