Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) awarded a $637,473 Project Grant under the Cancer Cause and Prevention Research program (CFDA 93.393) to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center on June 22, 2026, with a completion date of May 31, 2031. This research initiative focuses on lineage plasticity in FGFR3-mutant bladder cancer, specifically investigating how the transition of cancer cells between differentiation states can be leveraged to enhance therapeutic sensitivity to fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitors. The research employs a multi-faceted approach combining genome-wide epigenetic and gene-specific functional assays to understand how CDK8 (cyclin-dependent kinase 8) inhibition and luminal lineage-specifying transcription factors regulate lineage plasticity, while utilizing cutting-edge single-cell-resolution spatial transcriptomics to analyze patient samples and developing patient-derived organoid models as therapeutic avatars.

The award supports preclinical translational research designed to establish the therapeutic value of combining FGFR and CDK8 inhibition for bladder cancer treatment, including studies in immunocompetent mouse models with or without additional PD-1 blockade. The ultimate objective is to generate comprehensive preclinical data to support advancement toward future clinical trials, with the goal of developing combination therapies that could benefit thousands of bladder cancer patients by fundamentally shifting the paradigm of how lineage plasticity is exploited in cancer therapy.