Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Cancer Institute awarded a $661,721 Project Grant to the University of California, San Diego, under the Cancer Biology Research program (CFDA 93.396), effective April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2031. The award supports fundamental research focused on systematic functional mapping and interrogation of intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) in oncogenic proteins. The research employs high-throughput functional screening technologies and computational frameworks to comprehensively map IDRs across approximately 1,000 human and viral-derived cancer driver proteins. The study will be conducted across clinically relevant melanoma cancer cell lines with varying NRAS mutations and in the presence and absence of BRAF inhibitors to identify cancer cell vulnerabilities and mechanisms of drug resistance.

The project deliverables include systematic domain and residue-level perturbation screening data, interpretable maps of oncogenic dependencies, and mechanistic dissection of IDR-driven oncogenic networks and their rewiring across different cellular states. By integrating large-scale IDR perturbation data with protein interaction information and novel computational analyses, the research aims to provide critical insights into protein-protein interactions and post-translational modifications that promote oncogenic signaling, potentially enabling the development of targeted therapies and improved understanding of cancer progression mechanisms.