DoD Cancer Moonshot - Applied Proteogenomics Organizational Learning and Outcomes (APOLLO) Consortium (USUHS)
Abstract
DoD’s Cancer Moonshot at USU’s Murtha Cancer Center Research Program MCCRP) is a research program consisting of two overall projects, the first known as APOLLO (Applied Proteogenomics Organizational Learning and Outcomes), and the second as DoD Framingham. APOLLO is a novel high-throughput molecular analysis of every DNA (gene), RNA, and protein expression molecule in cancer patient tumors. Such analysis has never been done on a large scale across multiple cancer types, and small pilot studies demonstrate that the APOLLO project will result in unprecedented findings across all types of cancer (with specific focus on cancers of the greatest threat to ADSMs). These new findings will be identified by using state-of-the-art tissue collection procedures in the operating rooms of all patients undergoing cancer surgery at MCCRP collection protocol sites (e.g. Walter Reed, NMMC; NMC Portsmouth; NMC San Diego; Womack AMC; Keesler AFB) and, then, sequencing the entire DNA genome and RNA sequence at USUHS, while analyzing the entire protein expression profile of these same cancers in MCCRP’s Proteomics Laboratory, as well as other affiliated protein laboratories. The vast molecular data that will be derived from these analyses (in the terabyte and petabyte range and beyond) will be linked to clinical patient data as well as treatment outcomes data. These combined data sets will be housed in National Cancer Institute (NCI) secure cloud-based servers with restricted access for analytics by teams of bioinformatics experts (i.e., from government, university, and corporate entities) across the United States working on this endeavor. This complete bio molecular (global) expression profiling of thousands of cancers of all types seen in military treatment and other facilities will predictably result in a myriad of new discoveries regarding the way cancers develop, progress, respond to treatment, evade treatment, and spread. It also will result in new ways to combat cancers and minimize side effects of cancer treatment, as well as identify novel cancer screening and prevention opportunities, while focusing on militarily-relevant cancers and ADSMs with cancer, distinguishing it from any effort that might develop in the future in a civilian organization, as none of this scale exists today. There are now 8 specific APOLLO sub-projects, which are classified based on the organ type of cancer under study: APOLLO 1 = Lung cancer - 10th Highest Cause of Cancer in Active Duty; APOLLO 2 = Gynecological cancer - 12th Highest Cause of Cancer in Active Duty; APOLLO 3 = Prostate cancer - 3rd Highest Cause of Cancer in Active Duty; APOLLO 4 = Breast cancer - 5th Highest Cancer in Active Duty; and APOLLO 5 = prospectively-collected VA, DoD, and NCI specimens and data for all organ sites, APOLLO 6: Pancreatic Cancer - 13th Highest Cause of Cancer in Active Duty and APOLLO 7 : Testicular Germ Cell Tumors - Highest Cause of Cancer in Active Duty and APOLLO 8 Glioblastoma the 7th highest cause of Cancer in Active Duty. In addition to the primary achievement of research objectives, the program educates Federal employees as a benefit to the public they serve through Federal service, through support to civil authorities, and in non-Federal professional and academic collaborations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2024
- Source ID
- 57a016a90058303316eea73c7c352990