The Role of Mobile Genetic Elements in Cancer (R21)

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The overall goal of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to encourage applications to investigate mechanisms regulating the expression and activity of mobile genetic elements, including long terminal repeat (LTR) and non-LTR retroelements, in cancer. For example, although long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1 or L1) retroelements are active in many cancers whether somatic L1 insertions lead to cancer cell heterogeneity and/or adaptive phenotypes that confer growth or survival advantages during cancer evolution or response to therapy is not clear. Similarly, how human endogenous viruses (HERVs) affect cancer processes is also not well understood. In an effort to address this knowledge gap, this FOA invites research proposals that specifically investigate mechanisms regulating the expression and activity of mobile genetic elements in the context of cell transformation and assess the impact of their activity on tumor heterogeneity, cancer evolution, and response to therapy.

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