Mapping protein shapes to improve cancer treatments
Official title: Structural Bioinformatics of Proteins and Protein Complexes and Applications to Cancer Biology
Funded at Research Inst of Fox Chase Can Ctr · NIH-11312724 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are using advanced computer models and lab imaging to map 3D protein shapes linked to cancer so future therapies can be better targeted for people with cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Research Inst of Fox Chase Can Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2017 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $744,480 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM122517-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11312724 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with cancers driven by mutated kinases or other proteins targeted by cancer drugs, or those willing to donate tumor samples for research, are most relevant to this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients needing immediate changes in clinical care or those with cancers that are not linked to protein-targeted therapies may not see direct benefits from this project.
What this research studies
This project uses advanced computer programs (like AlphaFold2 and RosettaFold), cryo-electron microscopy data, and molecular simulations to map the 3D shapes and movements of proteins connected to cancer. The team will classify protein loop shapes and apply new deep learning methods to find patterns across protein families that are cancer-related or are drug targets. They will predict active and inactive forms of kinases, including nearby tails and domains that affect function, and combine predicted complexes with known interface databases to identify likely functional interactions. The results will generate testable ideas about how cancer-related proteins interact and may guide the design of improved cancer drugs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help scientists design more effective, targeted cancer drugs and improve understanding of how cancer-related proteins behave.
How similar studies have gone: Recent tools like AlphaFold2 have successfully predicted many protein structures, but applying these advances directly to design cancer therapies is promising and still emerging.
Where this research is happening
-
Research Inst of Fox Chase Can Ctr
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dunbrack, Roland L — Research Inst of Fox Chase Can Ctr
- Study coordinator: Dunbrack, Roland L
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.