Intramural Research

What this funds

* Includes FTEs whose payroll obligations are supported by the NIH Common Fund. ** For FY 2026 Enacted, funding levels are displayed for statutory and report-directed PPAs. Amounts with an asterisk represent other PPAs as levels have not Program funds are allocated as follows: Competitive Grants/Cooperative Agreements; Contracts; Overall Budget Policy: The FY 2027 President's Budget request for the National Cancer Institute Cancer is a complex disease that requires an in-depth understanding of how genetic, physiological, behavioral, and environmental factors contribute to its development. Discoveries in basic scientific research on the initiation, growth, survival, and spread (metastasis) of cancer cells in the body have been, and continue to be, essential for progress. Research highlights Expanding our knowledge of tumor growth at the molecular and cellular level: Research teams funded by NCI's Human Tumor Atlas Network (HTAN) have studied tumors at the single- cell level and constructed three-dimensional maps of human tumors that capture their molecular features and surrounding microenvironments over time. Recently published studies explored the role of the tumor microenvironment and immune system in promoting the spread of cancer and its resistance to treatment. Researchers also mapped the trajectory of precancerous colorectal tissues toward cancer by measuring the contributions of multiple molecular and cellular events.3 A second phase of HTAN, which launched in 2024, aims to further build on these results with precancer and tumor atlases for expanded organ and tissue types. Identifying the mechanisms of cancer development and treatment: NCI-funded researchers recently found that disrupting fat metabolism may hinder pancreatic cancer.4 By targeting a specific enzyme in the fat-recycling process, pancreatic tumors were reduced in mouse and human models. The findings hint that interrupting fat-processing pathways could lead to new or enhanced approaches for treating this often-deadly cancer. Another NCI-supported study observed that feeding fructose to lab animals with cancer made their tumors grow faster.5 However, researchers discovered that the tumors were not directly consuming fructose. Instead, the liver converts fructose into a type of fat that cancer cells can use. These researchers also showed that a drug that blocks the relevant liver enzyme slowed fructose-fueled tumor growth in mice, opening a potential new avenue for cancer treatments. Budget Policy: The FY 2027 President's Budget request for Understanding How Cancer The risk of developing cancer is influenced by the interplay of a variety of factors. Understanding the interactions among genetic, environmental, and health factors will improve the ability of scientists to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancers. Research highlights include: Identifying genetic changes in pediatric cancer: NCI-funded scientists identified a group of genetic changes that are likely involved in the development of cancer in children.6 They found that genomic changes affecting large pieces of DNA, called structural variants, contribute to an estimated one to six percent of pediatric solid tumors. Structural variants occur when large chunks of the genome get deleted, added, duplicated, flipped around, or moved during cell division. The researchers focused on variants that are present at birth and typically inherited from a parent. They determined that children with cancer had more structural variants that were predicted to change the function of a gene than adults without cancer. These findings provided a better understanding of the earliest biology leading to childhood cancer. Decreasing cancer risk through physical activity: In a prospective cohort study of more than 85,000 adults, a research team, including NCI intramural investigators, found that individuals of cancer than individuals who were more sedentary.7 The findings are among the first to evaluate the cancer risk reduction associated with light-intensity activities such as doing errands Budget Policy: The FY 2027 President's Budget request for Understanding the Causes of Reducing mortality from cancer by accurately identifying cancer and precancerous lesions and assessing their severity is the primary goal of cancer detection and diagnosis research. While early detection can save lives, imprecise assessments can lead to overdiagnosis, overtreatment, and unnecessary physical, psychological, and financial harm. Research highlights include:

Extracted from NIH - National Cancer Institute, p. 11. Verbatim; nothing here is paraphrased.

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