Teams of scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Washington are collaborating to identify the molecular genetic events that can cause colon polyps, which are small clumps of cells on the lining of the colon, to become cancerous. Approximately 5 percent of polyps ultimately progress to colorectal cancer.

Funding was awarded by the National Institutes of Health to a team including Richard Halberg, PhD (pictured at right), associate professor, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and collaborators Perry Pickhardt, MD, professor (CHS), Department of Radiology and William Grady, MD, professor, University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. 

The entire award provides $2.5M over five years (R01 award), of which $1.2M is provided to the Halberg laboratory as a sub-K contract. The title of the proposal is "Radiogenomics of colorectal polyps to assess benign proliferative vs. premalignant states."

Scientists will assess the genome-wide genetic alterations, gene expression patterns, and epigenetic alterations in polyp cells using a unique collection of human polyps that have been observed over time using CT colonography. 

Their goal is to see whether the changes that occur during polyp formation determine whether polyps will grow and progress to a deadly cancer, or remain in a stable, benign state.

Resources:

• "Radiogenomics of colorectal polyps to assess benign proliferative vs. premalignant states," NIH Grantome