Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center received a $692,368 Project Grant from the National Cancer Institute under the Cancer Cause and Prevention Research program (CFDA 93.393) effective June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2031. This award supports research focused on elucidating the MYC (Myc proto-oncogene) transcription factor network and its roles in oncogenic and tumor suppressive pathways. The research will utilize genetically engineered mouse models to investigate how perturbation of the MYC network—specifically through the MAX (MYC-associated factor X) and MGA (MAX gene-associated) proteins—influences cancer development, progression, and therapeutic resistance. The project aims to characterize how these network members function as tumor suppressors and how compensatory shifts in genome occupancy of other network factors can reconstitute MYC's proliferative expression signatures, with particular emphasis on neuroendocrine neoplasms and lung adenocarcinoma models.

The research deliverables will advance mechanistic understanding of cancer etiology and molecular carcinogenesis, consistent with the Cancer Cause and Prevention Research program's objectives to identify cancer risks and develop preventive interventions. Findings from this basic science research are expected to contribute to the discovery of novel cancer prevention and therapeutic targets by clarifying how dysregulated MYC network activity drives tumor initiation, immune escape, and chemoresistance across multiple cancer types. Research will be conducted at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center's facilities in Seattle, Washington.