We are part of a new NCI program to study the Origins of Gastroesophageal Cancers!
This NCI program (funded through RFA-CA-21-026/RFA-CA-21-027) is designed to examine and define the earliest biological changes in malignant transformation. It builds on recent molecular classifications of gastroesophageal cancers, understanding of their cancer genomics, and advances in stem cell research to decipher how these cancers initially evolve at the cellular level.
The initiative addresses the complex mechanisms and effectors that direct the growth of tumor-initiating and tumor-progenitor cells to originate gastroesophageal cancers. Additionally, the focus of the research projects is on gastric and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinomas.
An important goal of the program is to assess the biological mechanisms underlying increased prevalence of gastric and GEJ cancers in certain ethnic, racial, and gender populations. The initiative aims to tackle the evolution of deadly gastroesophageal cancers, generate a scientific platform that sustains this research field, and foster new and ongoing research collaborations in this area.
Program News
New grants for the Program on the Origins of Gastroesophageal Cancers were awarded in Fall 2022.
Dr. Julian Abrams, Dr. Michael Quante, and Dr. Harris Wang are examining the effects of circulating secondary bile acids produced by bacteria in the gut in gastroesophageal cancer development.
Using novel mouse models, organotypic cultures, single cell profiling, and spatial transcriptional analyses, Dr. Adam Bass, Dr. Silas Maniatis, and Dr. Karol Nowicki-Osuch are investigating how precursors to distinct classes of gastric cancer emerge in the stomach in response to underlying risk factors.
Dr. Eunyoung Choi and Dr. James Goldenring are studying mechanisms that control cell plasticity in the stomach leading to gastric carcinogenesis.
Using preclinical models, Dr. Frank McKeon, Dr. Jaffer Ajani, and Dr. Wa Xian are investigating the common stem cell of origin for GEJ cancer and gastric adenocarcinoma.
Dr. Anil Rustgi, Dr. Marcia Cruz-Correa, and Dr. James Wells are developing and characterizing model systems to to determine how precursors to gastric cancer form at different regions of the stomach and the mechanisms underlying ethnic disparities.
Using single-cell sequencing, mouse models, and organoid systems, Dr. Timothy Wang and Dr. Jianwen Que are examining the role of gastroesophageal junction stem cells in the origin of Barrett’s Esophagus and gastroesophageal cancer.
The Coordinating Center for the Program on the Origins of Gastroesophageal Cancers, led by Dr. Chin Hur, Dr. Jeanine Genkinger, Dr. Jianhua Hu, and Dr. Nicholas Tatonetti, is providing coordination, infrastructure, and oversight to support the consortium in achieving the goals of the program, contributing to collaborative and outreach activities, as well as enabling the resolution of technical research challenges and technology development.
” Program on the Origins of Gastroesophageal Cancers was originally published by the National Cancer Institute.”
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