# Molecular and Biochemical Etiology (MBE)

> **NIH NIH P30** · UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER · 2020 · $63,311

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract: Molecular and Biochemical Etiology Program (MBEP) 
 The overall goal of the Molecular and Biochemical Etioogy Program (MBEP) is to discover and validate 
novel mechanisms of cancer initiation and progression that could lead to new biomarkers and therapeutic 
targets, with an emphasis on breast, prostate, and ovarian cancers. The members of this program focus on the 
discovery of alterations in molecular mechanisms that maintain genome stability, intracellular signaling 
mechanisms, and tumor cell-microenvironment interactions, as well as the development and application of in 
vitro cell-based and whole animal-based models to validate cancer mechanisms, biomarkers, and targets. The 
MBEP has 26 members from seven departments across the University of Nebraska with multidisciplinary 
interests in DNA damage/repair processes, signaling mechanisms and cancer models. Eleven new members 
have been recruited to MBEP over the current funding period. The program membership has technical 
strengths in yeast genetics, X-ray crystallography, genomics, epigenetics, proteomics, molecular/biochemical 
approaches to signaling, imaging, stem cell biology, xenograft models, and sophisticated gene 
knockout/transgenic model development and application. The research interests of the program faculty are 
organized around three themes: Genome Instability and Cancer, Signaling Mechanisms in Cancer, and 
Cellular Basis of Cancer. Investigators within the Genome Instability and Cancer theme are focused on studies 
of genome replication, DNA damage responses and repair, and identification of new genomic alterations that 
drive hereditary or sporadic cancer. Investigators within the Signaling Mechanisms in Cancer theme focus on 
the alterations in intracellular signaling and tumor cell-microenvironment interactions involved in the cancer 
initiation, progression, and metastasis. Members within the Cellular Basis of Cancer theme focus on 
developing and applying cellular and animal models to understand the cellular origins of cancer, with an 
emphasis on stem cell biology and to validate mechanisms, biomarkers, and targets identified in other themes. 
The Co-Directors leverage their expertise to enhance inter- and intra-programmatic collaboration through the 
enhancement of shared resources, evaluation and funding of pilot projects supporting the MBEP mission, 
involvement in faculty recruitment efforts across the campus, the invitation of prominent scientists to speak at 
Cancer Center Grand Rounds and seminars, and the organization of regular programmatic meetings. These 
activities have led to a strongly collaborative group as demonstrated by inter- and intra-programmatic 
publications and grants, and the increased focus on clinical translation of discoveries from MBEP investigators. 
During the previous funding period, 386 manuscripts were published by MBEP investigators, of which 26.7% 
were intra-programmatic, 21.5% were inter-programmatic pub...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9981656
- **Project number:** 5P30CA036727-34
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Hamid Band
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $63,311
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1997-09-05 → 2021-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9981656

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9981656, Molecular and Biochemical Etiology (MBE) (5P30CA036727-34). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9981656. Licensed CC0.

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