# Molecular strategies for early detection and targeting of cancer

> **NIH NIH R35** · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2022 · $661,639

## Abstract

Summary
Cancer progression and relapse remain the reality of current cancer therapy. Our work is aimed at understanding
the root causes of this persistent problem. Since my lab’s inception we have probed the role of developmental
signals in cancer initiation and propagation, used imaging to discover new programs that control cancer
progression, and carried out preclinical work that has formed the basis of clinical trials testing new agents for
drug-resistant leukemias – leading to the recent approval of Glasdegib to treat aggressive leukemia – and
pancreatic cancer. The current work I describe shows that the paradigm we established for hematologic
malignancies is a remarkably general principle used repeatedly in the regulation of many deadly cancers
including pancreatic cancer. Our prior studies have collectively set the stage for new avenues of research we
will pursue over the course of the next few years. In particular we plan to: 1) Define how differentiated benign
lesions transition to aggressive undifferentiated malignancies and develop targeting strategies; 2) Understand
cancer heterogeneity and define intrinsic and micro-environmental mechanisms that support therapy resistant
cells; 3) Trace the origins and evolution of distinct subtypes of pancreatic cancer; and 4) Identify new strategies
for early detection and early interception in pancreatic cancer. Collectively, these studies will provide a deeper
understanding of key challenges in cancer biology, including early detection, drug resistance and disease
recurrence, and will identify new targets and approaches to therapy that may lead to significantly improved
patient outcomes.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10732694
- **Project number:** 7R35CA197699-09
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** Tannishtha Reya
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $661,639
- **Award type:** 7
- **Project period:** 2015-08-12 → 2028-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10732694

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10732694, Molecular strategies for early detection and targeting of cancer (7R35CA197699-09). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10732694. Licensed CC0.

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