Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( 🔒 ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Need Help

Understanding the Role of rRNA modifications in Colon Cancer

Award Number: F31CA310658
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/01/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2029

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Understanding the Role of rRNA modifications in Colon Cancer - PROJECT ABSTRACT: Colorectal cancer remains a devastating disease, representing the third most commonly diagnosed and fatal cancer worldwide. Despite advances in treatment, late-stage colorectal cancer continues to pose significant challenges, with limited therapeutic options and high metastasis rates. This research proposal investigates a novel mechanism of cancer progression that goes beyond traditional genetic studies by exploring how post-transcriptional gene regulation contributes to tumor development and survival. Post-transcriptional control represents a critical yet underexplored avenue for understanding cancer progression. While genetic mutations have long been the focus of cancer research, emerging evidence shows that the way cells produce proteins can be just as important as the genes themselves. Specifically, the process of translation—converting genetic information into functional proteins—can be dramatically altered in cancer cells, allowing them to survive and proliferate under challenging conditions. My preliminary data reveals a fascinating mechanism involving modifications to the ribosome, the cellular machine responsible for protein production. These modifications are guided by SNORA9, a small non-coding RNA. We discovered that SNORA9 is significantly upregulated in colorectal cancer and plays a crucial role in tumor progression. Remarkably, when we removed SNORA9 from cancer cells, tumor growth was reduced by approximately 75% in in vivo models. My research focuses on two key objectives: first, understanding how SNORA9 enables cancer cells to survive in stressful environments by supporting critical metabolic processes. In my preliminary ribosome profiling experiments, I discovered that when SNORA9 is removed, the translation of key metabolic transcripts is dramatically reduced. Metabolic rewiring is a hallmark of cancer, as tumors must constantly rewire their cellular metabolism to support rapid growth, survive nutrient-poor conditions, and maintain their aggressive nature. By regulating specific metabolic transcripts, SNORA9 appears to provide cancer cells with a unique advantage in adapting to challenging environments; and second, investigating how SNORA9 helps cancer cells overcome translation barriers. Many of these downregulated metabolic genes contain regulatory elements that normally block protein production, and without SNORA9, cancer cells cannot bypass these translation barriers. Specifically, I will explore how SNORA9 allows ribosomes to more effectively translate genes with complex regulatory elements that typically prevent protein synthesis. By uncovering these specialized translation mechanisms, this research aims to identify novel therapeutic vulnerabilities in colorectal cancer. My work has the potential to reveal new strategies for interrupting cancer cell survival and provide insights into why some tumors are particularly aggressive and difficult to treat.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $49,612 )
2026	2026	REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO, THE	1855 FOLSOM ST STE 425	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94103	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	Cancer Research Manpower	000	1	5/15/2026	NEW	$49,612
														Subtotal = $49,612

Grand Total All Awards = $49,612

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Understanding the Role of rRNA modifications in Colon Cancer

Award Number: F31CA310658

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/01/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2029

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer