# Defining diverse roles of p53 in pancreatic cancer

> **NIH NIH K08** · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR · 2020 · $170,640

## Abstract

Project summary/Abstract
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an almost uniformly fatal disease that is most commonly diagnosed
after the development of metastases. The tumor suppressor gene, p53, is the most commonly altered gene in
human cancer and has been recognized as a genetic driver of PDAC in up to 75% of patients with direct roles
in metastasis. While the effects of p53 mutations within cancer cells continue to be studied, the effects of such
driver mutations on constituents of the tumor microenvironment (TME), and how these contribute to
metastasis, remain limited. The ultimate goal of my work is to therapeutically exploit targets that arise in PDAC
tumor cells and in the TME as a consequence of p53 mutation and the associated loss of p53-mediated tumor
suppression. To this end, the Principal Investigator will utilize PDAC genetically engineered mouse models
(GEMMs) and derived model systems to identify genes that partner with mutant p53 to generate invasive
phenotypes and to determine genes that are synthetic lethal to mutant p53. The enclosed K08 award
application is a comprehensive research, training, and career development plan designed to provide the
Principal Investigator with the skill sets and expertise to establish an independent pancreatic cancer research
program. As a fully trained surgical oncologist, the Principal Investigator possesses a unique clinical
perspective of pancreatic cancer that may be leveraged with additional research training to contribute
knowledge and therapeutic options to the field. Under the mentorship of Dr. Gigi Lozano, an international
expert in p53 regulation and mutant p53 gain-of-function, the Principal Investigator will be immersed in a
stimulating research environment at MD Anderson Cancer Center that will enable the completion of the
research strategy. In parallel, the Principal Investigator will fulfill all training and career development goals
through formal coursework and scheduled meetings with his mentor, advisors, and collaborators. To oversee
the execution of the research strategy and the development of the Principal Investigator's expertise, an
external advisory committee comprised of prominent scientists has been assembled, each with expertise that
overlaps with the Principal Investigator's fields of study. Dr. Nancy Jenkins, a senior scientist and member of
the National Academy of Sciences, has extensive experience with mouse models of cancer including specific
experience in defining drivers of pancreatic cancer metastasis in transgenic mice. Dr. Michelle Barton, Dean of
the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at MD Anderson and a NIH-funded Investigator, has rich
experience in p53 biology, epigenetics, and mouse models of cancer. Both advisors have decades of
experience educating and preparing trainees for the rigors of establishing independent research programs.
Collectively, over the course of the 5-year K08 award period, the PI will utilize the environment, resources, and
mentor...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9972867
- **Project number:** 5K08CA218690-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** Michael Paul Kim
- **Activity code:** K08 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $170,640
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-08-01 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9972867

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9972867, Defining diverse roles of p53 in pancreatic cancer (5K08CA218690-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9972867. Licensed CC0.

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