The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today was awarded nearly $23 million from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) in support of 20 cancer research projects to advance new breakthroughs in discovery, translational, clinical and prevention science. In addition, CPRIT awarded $2 million for the recruitment of one first-time, tenure-track faculty member.

We sincerely appreciate CPRIT’s continued funding of impactful cancer research that will help us achieve our mission to end cancer. This critical support allows our world-class scientists and clinicians to enhance our understanding of cancer biology and to develop strategies to better prevent, diagnose and treat the disease, improving the lives of patients and their families.”

Giulio Draetta, M.D., Ph.D., chief scientific officer at MD Anderson

Since its inception, CPRIT has awarded over $3.7 billion in grants for cancer research. MD Anderson investigators have received more than $675 million all told, approximately 18% of the total awards. Programs supported by CPRIT funding have brought more than 324 distinguished cancer researchers to Texas, advanced the knowledge base for cancer treatment throughout the state and provided more than 10.1 million cancer prevention and early detection services reaching all 254 counties in Texas.

Academic research awards to MD Anderson include:

• Leveraging synthetic and collateral lethality in MTAP loss tumors (Jordi Rodon Ahnert, M.D., Ph.D., Investigational Cancer Therapeutics) – $1,599,783
• Randomized clinical trial evaluating fecal microbiota transplant in chimeric antigen receptor therapy for reversing antimicrobial-associated dysbiosis (Neeraj Saini, M.D., Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy) – $1,598,410
• Serum cell-free DNA methylation and radiomics signatures for the early detection of recurrence after initial treatment in HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer (Jia Wu, Ph.D., Imaging Physics) – $1,200,000
• Cancer-related fatigue and its biological contributors in adolescent and young adult brain tumor survivors: effects of a tele-exercise intervention (Maria Swartz, Ph.D., Pediatrics) – $1,199,756
• Development of a shared decision tool to facilitate uptake of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system for the primary prevention of endometrial cancer (Larissa Meyer, M.D., Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine) – $1,199,542
• Blood-based biomarkers to guide clinical decision-making with indeterminate pulmonary nodules (Edwin Ostrin, M.D., Ph.D., General Internal Medicine) – $1,169,776
• Dissecting mechanisms of resistance to immune checkpoint blockade in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) through the interplay of molecular and spatial architecture (Natalie Vokes, M.D., Thoracic-Head & Neck Medical Oncology) – $1,049,033
• MALAT1 protects against osteoporosis and bone metastasis (Li Ma, Ph.D., Experimental Radiation Oncology) – $900,000
• Mechanisms of resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in HER2-mutant NSCLC (John Heymach, M.D., Ph.D., Thoracic-Head & Neck Medical Oncology) – $900,000
• Innovative in vitro and in vivo patient-derived cancer models to advance precision medicine in G1/G2 GEP-NETs (James Yao, M.D., Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology) – $900,000
• Neoadjuvant combination anti-PD-L1 and anti-TIGIT immune checkpoint blockade in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (Maura Gillison, M.D., Ph.D., Thoracic-Head & Neck Medical Oncology) – $899,998
• KRAS inhibitor-induced adaptive resistance mechanisms and immune suppression in NSCLC (Don Gibbons, M.D., Ph.D., Thoracic-Head & Neck Medical Oncology) – $899,997
• Synthetic lethality of TRIP13 and Aurora A in Rb-deficient cancer (Faye Johnson, M.D., Ph.D., Thoracic – Head & Neck Medical Oncology) – $899,994
• Understanding and overcoming resistance of SMARCA4-mutant lung cancers to immunotherapy (Yonathan Lissanu, M.D., Ph.D., Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery ) – $899,991
• Deciphering and targeting age-related metastatic competence of the omentum (Honami Naora, Ph.D., Molecular and Cellular Oncology) – $899,984
• Clonal hematopoiesis and toxicity from radiation therapy (Kevin Nead, M.D., Epidemiology) – $899,885
• Improving detection of hepatocellular carcinoma in non-cirrhotic metabolic dysfunction associated steatohepatitis (MASLD) patients (David Fuentes, Ph.D., Imaging Physics) – $899,808
• Engineering second generation in vivo chimeric antigen receptor macrophages (CARMs) for glioblastoma therapy (Wen Jiang, M.D., Ph.D., Radiation Oncology) – $898,263
• Exploiting synthetic lethalities between HNRNPK loss and ribosomal dysfunction in del9q AML (Sean Post, Ph.D., Leukemia) – $896,322
• HSP90 capacitance: Discovery of a new mechanism driving evolution of drug resistance in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (Georgios Karras, Ph.D., Genetics) – $890,201