Notice Number: NOT-CA-17-041
Key Dates
Release Date: March 14, 2017
None
Issued by
National Cancer Institute (NCI))
Purpose
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Moonshot Implementation Team for Fusion Oncoproteins in Childhood Cancers is seeking broad input and feedback from sources of expertise and interest in these oncogenic drivers of childhood cancers. This input is requested so that the Implementation Team can develop potential state-of-the-science funding opportunities to accelerate progress in developing therapeutic strategies for successfully targeting these oncogenic proteins.
Background
Recurrent translocations are a hallmark of childhood cancer and are often pathognomonic of specific cancer types (e.g., EWS-FLI1 in Ewing Sarcoma or PAX-FOXO in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma). These translocations generate fusion oncoproteins that target developmental programs critical for the transformation of the unique cell of origin for each cancer. Fusion oncoproteins are oncogenic drivers that are often found in cancers with few other genetic lesions.
In the spring of 2016, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) established a Blue Ribbon Panel to assist the National Cancer Advisory Board in providing expert advice on the vision, proposed scientific goals, and implementation of the Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot. The Blue Ribbon Panel Pediatric Cancer Working Group identified fusion oncoproteins as one of the priority areas poised for acceleration. In their report, the Working Group recommended enhancing our understanding of the molecular and biochemical mechanisms of transformation driven by fusion oncoproteins, developing faithful models of these pediatric cancers, identifying their key dependencies, and using this information to develop novel therapeutic approaches that target these mechanisms. To achieve these goals, the panel recommended forming a highly dynamic and collaborative network of investigators with unique perspectives and expertise in the areas of proteomics, structural biology, genomics/epigenomics, chemistry, experimental therapeutics, and disease-specific biology.
Information Requested
All stakeholders with an interest in improving the outcomes of childhood cancers through the development of therapeutic strategies for targeting pediatric fusion oncoproteins are invited to provide information on how to implement the Blue Ribbon Panel Pediatric Cancer Working Group recommendation. Your response may mention your membership or affiliation within an industry, government, or academia.
NCI is seeking information that includes, but is not limited to, the following areas:
- The key rate-limiting areas of knowledge that are slowing the development of novel agents targeting pediatric fusion oncoproteins and for which additional focus is needed.
- The highest priority research areas for moving the field forward towards effective novel agents targeting pediatric fusion oncoproteins.
- The essential proficiencies that need to be included in collaborative research teams to better understand the biology of fusion oncoproteins and make progress in identifying effective novel agents to target specific pediatric fusion oncoproteins.
- New technologies not currently being applied in a significant manner to the study of pediatric fusion oncoproteins that may provide important leads in identifying novel ways of targeting these oncogenic drivers.
Submitting a Response
All responses must be submitted to pedfusiononcoprotein@mail.nih.gov by April 3, 2017. Please include the Notice number in the subject line. Response to this RFI is voluntary. Responders are free to address any or all of the categories listed above. The submitted information will be reviewed by NIH staff. Submitted information will be considered confidential.
Please do not include any proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information in your response. The NIH will use the information submitted in response to this RFI at its discretion and will not provide comments to any responder's submission. The collected information will be reviewed by NIH staff, may appear in reports, and may be shared publicly on an NIH website.
The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in summaries of the state of the science, and any resultant solicitation(s). The NIH may use the information gathered by this RFI to inform the development of future funding opportunity announcements.
This RFI is for information and planning purposes only and should not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the Federal Government, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), or individual NIH Institutes and Centers. No basis for claims against the U.S. Government shall arise as a result of a response to this request for information or from the Government’s use of such information.
NOTE: Persons responding to this RFI may be interested in PA-17-138: Administrative Supplements to Promote Research Collaborations on Fusion Oncoproteins as Drivers of Childhood Cancer (Admin Supp) https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-17-138.html. This FOA is for administrative supplements to existing NCI grants to support new interdisciplinary collaborations to perform research within the scientific scope of the parent grant that will lead to better understanding of the mechanisms of action of fusion oncoproteins as drivers of childhood sarcomas, brain cancers, and high risk leukemias.
Inquiries
Please direct all inquiries to:
Keren Witkin, Ph.D.
National Cancer Institute
Telephone: 240-276-6230
Email: witkinkeren@mail.nih.gov
and Human Services (HHS)
