Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston received a $388,546 Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Biology Research program (CFDA 93.396) effective June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2031. The research initiative, titled "Targeting the Golgi Secretory Pathway in Chromosome 3Q-Amplified Human Cancer," addresses the critical gap in targeted therapies for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) lacking actionable mutations in KRAS or receptor tyrosine kinases. The project focuses on elucidating how chromosome 3Q (3Q) amplification, frequently occurring in NSCLC and other tumor types, activates a Golgi-dependent secretory program through proteins including Golgi Integral Membrane Protein 4 (GOLIM4) and ATPase Secretory Pathway Ca2+ Transporting 1 (ATP2C1).

The research deliverables include preclinical and mechanistic studies demonstrating that manganese induces selective apoptosis in 3Q-amplified NSCLC cells by causing GOLIM4 degradation and triggering a secretory blockade. The project will advance understanding of how somatic mutagenesis activates secretory vesicle biogenesis to drive NSCLC progression and will establish a molecular basis for future clinical investigation of manganese as a targeted metal-based therapy in genetically defined NSCLC subsets. This work is conducted at the awardee's New Orleans, Louisiana facility under the Cancer Biology Research program, which supports fundamental investigations into cancer mechanisms to improve prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment methodologies.