Overview
Each cancer contains genetic alterations that lead to the production of abnormal proteins responsible for uncontrolled cell growth and survival. Many cancer therapies block the activity of these abnormal proteins by binding to them. However, there are cancer-driving proteins that have eluded all attempts to inhibit their function. These are often referred to as “undruggable” targets. Recent advances in AI algorithms, high performance computing, structural biology, and cancer biology have set the stage to target previously undruggable targets like transcription factors, intrinsically disordered proteins, and large macromolecular complexes.
This workshop will be held August 15 at the Hubert Humphrey building in Washington, DC and will include short talks and discussion sessions. The workshop is part of the Biden Cancer Moonshot and is jointly organized by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Department of Energy (DOE), Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The goal of the workshop is to bring together academic, industry, and government experts to identify key research opportunities and highlight areas where the community can collaborate across sectors to make important advances in using AI to target undruggable targets.
Workshop Chairs:
Regina Barzilay, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Olivier Elemento, Ph.D., Weill Cornell Medicine
Cancer Moonshot Planning Committee:
Jennifer Couch, NCI
Sean Hanlon, NCI
Andrew Kilianski, ARPA-H
Juli Klemm, NCI
Reena Philip, FDA
Ashley Predith, DOE