Understanding how multiple genetic changes drive cancer growth
Official title: Defining the universal genomic language of hallmarks in tumor development
Funded at Boston Children's Hospital · NIH-11457481 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A bold NIH project aims to map how many genetic changes work together to fuel cancer, with insights that could lead to new, less-drug-focused ways to treat many patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston Children's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,068,000 |
| NIH project number | 4DP2CA290196-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11457481 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with complex tumors that harbor many somatic mutations and lack a single driving mutation.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with cancers driven by well-understood single mutations may have limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project looks beyond single cancer drivers to uncover genomic programs that rely on many coordinated mutations. It will blend unsupervised machine learning with statistical methods and integrate data from genomics, epigenomics, radiology, pathology, pharmacology, transcriptomics, proteomics, CRISPR, and cell biology. By identifying how these programs activate cancer hallmarks like uncontrolled growth, metabolism changes, genome instability, blood vessel growth, immune escape, and spread, researchers hope to reveal new therapeutic targets. The work is designed to accelerate genome-inspired drug discoveries that could benefit millions of cancer patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could reveal new ways to treat cancers that don’t have a single druggable driver by targeting broader genomic programs.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown success with driver-targeted approaches, but this project explores novel genomic programs not yet targeted in the clinic.
Where this research is happening
-
Boston Children's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dietlein, Felix — Boston Children's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Dietlein, Felix
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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.