# Quantitative top-down proteomics of human colorectal cancer cells and tumors

> **NIH NIH R01** · MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $422,165

## Abstract

Project Summary
It has been estimated that 145,600 people were diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC)
and 51,020 deaths were predicted due to this disease in 2019
(https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/colorect.html). A better understanding of CRC at
the molecular level will certainly lead to therapies that are more effective. The genome-
level and transcriptome-level information cannot accurately reflect the protein-level
information because post-transcriptional regulation can modulate protein expression and
because post-translational modifications (PTMs) can influence protein function.
Quantitative proteomic studies of CRC are vital.
Many bottom-up proteomics studies have been completed on CRC cells and tumors, but
limited information on proteoforms have been acquired due to low protein sequence
coverages typically obtained from bottom-up proteomics. Different proteoforms from the
same gene can have drastically different functions. We hypothesize that large-scale
and quantitative top-down proteomics of human CRC cells and tumors will provide
new insights into CRC, leading to better therapies. In this proposal, we will develop
new analytical tools to boost the sensitivity and scale of top-down proteomics. The new
tools will enable large-scale and quantitative top-down proteomics of CRC cells before
and after metastasis as well as CRC tumors from patients with Lynch Syndrome. Results
from this proposal are extremely important. The novel analytical tools will boost the
sensitivity of top-down proteomics by tenfold and will be particularly useful for the
proteomics community for large-scale top-down proteomics of mass-limited samples.
Quantitative top-down proteomics of CRC cells before and after metastasis will generate
an unprecedented resource for the cancer biology community to gain new insights into
CRC metastasis. Quantitative top-down proteomics of the Lynch Syndrome tissues will
elucidate the roles played by mutations and functions of DNA mismatch repair genes in
Lynch Syndrome at the proteoform level.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10771983
- **Project number:** 5R01CA247863-04
- **Recipient organization:** MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Amanda B. Hummon
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $422,165
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-02-10 → 2026-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10771983

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10771983, Quantitative top-down proteomics of human colorectal cancer cells and tumors (5R01CA247863-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10771983. Licensed CC0.

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