Cancer Prevention-Interception Targeted Agent Discovery Program (CAP-IT) was initiated by National Cancer Institute in 2021 in order to establish an agile and effective network infrastructure to undertake collaborative research focusing on precision cancer prevention and interception, with the overarching goal of discovering molecularly or immunologically targeted agents designed to prevent or intercept the oncogenic process in higher-risk populations.
CAP-IT seeks to establish a new discovery research paradigm in cancer prevention that leverages the potential oncotarget leads identified from precancer biology research and related databases and exploits their oncogenic characteristics and vulnerabilities to discover innovative cancer prevention-interception agents especially focusing on higher-risk populations.
Main Objectives:
To identify and functionally validate oncotargets that can be potentially exploited for cancer preventive or interceptive interventions specifically in higher-risk populations, by collaborating with the NCI and other programs with a research focus on molecular profiling of established precursor/precancer, early cancer, and/or oncogenic signaling pathways;
To functionally validate the critical roles of the high-value oncotargets in tumor initiation and/or progression to invasive cancer and select oncotargets suitable for targeted intervention strategies; and
To discover innovative targeted agents through in vitro and in vivo efficacy evaluation and advance promising efficacious agents to the NCI's existing R&D pipeline for further development.
