The National Cancer Institute’s Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) is a national effort to accelerate the understanding of the molecular basis of cancer through the application of large-scale proteome and genome analysis, or proteogenomics.
Launched in 2011, CPTAC pioneered the integrated proteogenomic analysis of colorectal, breast and ovarian cancer to reveal new insights into these cancer types, such as identification of proteomic-centric subtypes, prioritization of driver mutations by correlative analysis of copy number alterations and protein abundance, and understanding cancer-relevant pathways through posttranslational modifications.
CPTAC is currently leveraging its investment in cancer proteogenomics by characterizing additional cancer types, expanding its application through open-source community resources, and accelerating precision oncology by applying proteogenomics to questions of toxicity and resistance in clinical trials. This is being achieved through a coordinated effort by CPTAC-affiliated Proteome Characterization Centers, Proteogenomic Translational Research Centers, and Proteogenomic Data Analysis Centers located throughout the country.
CPTAC’s progress in proteogenomics enabled the creation of two programs in 2016 aimed at deepening our understanding of this emerging field. The Applied Proteogenomics OrganizationaL Learning and Outcomes (APOLLO) network seeks to effectively bridge oncology research and care by partnering with the health care systems of the Department of Defense and Veterans Administration to study ways to make proteogenomic analysis of a patient’s tumor part of routine cancer care. Similarly, the International Cancer Proteogenome Consortium (ICPC) facilitates the cooperation of more than 10 countries to study commonly diagnosed cancers in their unique populations with the goal of enhancing precision oncology and sharing data collected with scientists and physicians throughout the world.
Data (genomics, proteomics, imaging), assays, and reagents are made available to the public as a Community Resource to accelerate cancer research and advance patient care.