Notice of Intent to Publish Request for Applications for the Clinical Proteomic Technologies for Cancer Initiative (CPTC): Proteome Characterization Centers

Notice Number: NOT-CA-10-027

Key Dates
Release Date:  May 13, 2010

Issued by
National Cancer Institute (NCI) (http://www.cancer.gov/)

PURPOSE OF THE NOTICE:

The Center for Strategic Scientific Initiatives of the National Cancer Institute announces the intent to publish a new Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for a network of Proteome Characterization Centers (PCCs) in the Clinical Proteomic Technologies for Cancer initiative (CPTC; http://proteomics.cancer.gov).  PCCs will foster multi-institutional and transdisciplinary interactions using data and selected biospecimens from cancer genomics programs (e.g., The Cancer Genome Atlas [TCGA; http://cancergenome.nih.gov] and others) with the goal of applying these foundational biological elements to systematically define the functional cancer proteome, discover and verify protein biomarkers, and support the further development of proteomic technologies.  The network will consist of up to eight PCCs.

Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for the PCCs is expected to be published in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts in Summer of 2010.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOT BEING SOLICITED AT THIS TIME. However, this Notice is to encourage investigators with appropriate backgrounds and capabilities to proactively plan to submit applications in response to the forthcoming FOA.

OVERVIEW OF THE INITIATIVE
The goal of the Clinical Proteomic Technologies for Cancer initiative (CPTC) is to utilize robust, quantitative, proteomic technologies and systematic workflows that engage a network of centers to create a pipeline approach to discover and verify protein biomarkers of cancer, and in doing so, drive the development of proteomic technologies.  The network of milestone-driven Proteome Characterization Centers (PCCs) will have expertise in proteomics, genomics, clinical chemistry, medical oncology, technology development, and bioinformatics that will focus on the following outcomes:

  1. Biomarker Discovery: PCCs will identify and characterize proteins from tumor and normal biospecimens.  Within the context of hypothesis-driven cancer biology and potential clinical applications, biomarkers will be prioritized for verification assay development.
  2. Biomarker Verification: PCCs will develop analytically validated, multiplex, quantitative assays for credentialing the prioritized biomarkers in blood (and tissue/proximal fluids when appropriate). These assays will be run using statistically-powered numbers of clinically relevant biospecimens to verify selected biomarkers.  These biomarkers will be made publicly available, as will the unbiased discovery data and assay details.
  3. Technology/Platform Development: PCCs will be expected to work within their centers and through the network environment to improve proposed technologies for protein detection, identification, and quantification.

Ultimately, PCCs will develop functional translational knowledge (proteomics) to support the development of new clinically meaningful protein biomarkers.

Inquiries and Further Information

Complete information on PCCs will be provided in the forthcoming FOA.

For additional inquiries, please contact:

Henry Rodriguez, PhD, MBA
Director, Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research
Center for Strategic Scientific Initiatives
National Cancer Institute
31 Center Drive, MSC 2580
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 451-8883
FAX: (301) 496-7807
Email: rodriguezh@mail.nih.gov

or

Chris Kinsinger, PhD
Program Manager, Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research
Center for Strategic Scientific Initiatives
National Cancer Institute
31 Center Drive, MSC 2580
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: 301-451-8883
Email: kinsingc@mail.nih.gov


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