Hannon Group joins global team to decode cancer’s dark proteome

Prof Greg Hannon and his group joins global Cancer Grand Challenges team taking on the dark proteome challenge.

The team, which is led from the Netherlands Cancer Institute by Reuven Agami, will receive up to $25m over five years to take on the challenge of the dark proteome.  

A global, interdisciplinary team of researchers has been selected to receive a Cancer Grand Challenges award of up to $25m over five years to tackle the dark proteome challenge.

Cancer Grand Challenges is a global research initiative, co-founded by Cancer Research UK and the National Cancer Institute in the US, that identifies the toughest challenges in cancer research. With awards of up to $25 million, it empowers a global community of world-class, interdisciplinary research teams to come together and take them on.

The Cancer Grand Challenges ILLUMINE team, led by the Netherlands Cancer Institute’s Reuven Agami, will take on the dark proteome challenge.

Recent data indicate that cancer cells express proteins that are not derived from known open reading frames as well as proteins with alterations in amino acid sequences without corresponding DNA mutations. The origins of this ‘dark proteome’ remain elusive.

Team ILLUMINE aims to unlock the potential of the cancer dark proteome by comprehensively mapping and characterising its function to uncover novel, potentially universal tumour antigens and develop innovative immunotherapies for hard-to-treat cancers. The project will use the Hannon Group’s expertise in mouse models, tumour diversity and spatial profiling.

The ILLUMINE team unites clinicians, advocates and scientists with expertise in immunology, paediatrics, therapeutic development and more, across 8 institutions across 4 countries. This team is funded by Cancer Research UK, the National Cancer Institute, the Cancer Research Institute and KiKa (Children Cancer Free Foundation) through Cancer Grand Challenges. It is one of five new teams that was announced today, representing a total investment of $125m to tackle some of the toughest challenges in cancer research.

The funded teams span 9 countries, 34 institutions and unite more than 42 investigators and researchers.