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TRANS-NIH

NIH Illuminating the Druggable Genome Program

The NIH Common Fund’s Illuminating the Druggable Genome (IDG) program aims to increase the understanding of the properties and functions of poorly understood proteins within four of the most commonly drug-targeted protein families, the G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), nuclear receptors (NRs), ion channels, and protein kinases. By Illuminating the Druggable Genome, a focus will be turned on the “dark matter” of the Druggable Genome through deep annotation to establish function and potential role in disease. Through expanding the scope of the potential druggable genome through deep understanding of underlying biology, the therapeutics discovery pipeline can be energized and new scientific pathways for understanding function and role in disease revealed. IDG seeks to begin by expanding the knowledge base of the Druggable Genome to allow for in silico discovery and prioritization of paths to follow with detailed annotation studies. Parallel efforts to adapt and scale assays for rapid and high throughput annotation will constitute a second arm of IDG. Together the two arms synergize and collaborate through formation of a consortium to bring investigators from different disciplines together and address these difficult but important problems. Ultimately, the goal of the program is to foster basic research by accumulating genomic data to inform our knowledge of the proteome enabling small businesses and the pharmaceutical industry with the ability to design novel therapeutics (IDG). NCI’s OCCPR serves as a NCI Representative/Project Scientist to this NIH Common Fund program. For more information about the Common Fund, visit http://commonfund.nih.gov.

NIH Protein Capture Reagents Program

The NIH Common Fund’s Protein Capture Reagents program develops affinity-based renewable resources to empower the research community. The affinity-based reagents enable researchers to better understand the critical role cellular proteins play in normal development and health as well as in disease (Protein Capture Reagents). NCI’s OCCPR serves as a NCI Representative/Project Team Leader to this NIH Common Fund program. For more information about the Common Fund, visit http://commonfund.nih.gov.

NIH Genotype-Tissue Expression Program

NIH’s Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) program aims to explore how human genes are expressed and regulated in different tissues, and the role that genomic variation plays in modulating that expression. The GTEx awards contribute to a resource database and tissue bank that researchers can use to study how inherited genomic variants may influence gene activity and lead to disease. Recent awards include a project which aims to characterize the many different ways in which proteins normally vary across multiple tissue types. Scientists catalog protein variants by mass spectrometry, which will help them understand the genetic basis for protein variation. This will be a valuable resource for researchers to understand the genetic basis of complex traits, and ultimately, in predicting individual disease susceptibility. These research results may also help clinicians design individual prevention and treatment strategies. NCI’s OCCPR and GTEx Common Fund Office coordinate their efforts to maximize deliverables of such projects (GTEx). For more information about the Common Fund, visit http://commonfund.nih.gov.