GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Van Andel Institute has announced that Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Peter A. Jones has received a seven-year $7.9 million grant from the National Cancer Institute’s Outstanding Investigator Award program. The grant will be used by Jones for research into the epigenetic errors that drive cancer development.
Jones is a globally recognized cancer scientist. In the 1980s, his research helped launch the field of epigenetics, which explores factors that influence gene expression without changing the DNA sequence itself. Epigenetic errors are present in virtually all human cancers.
Jones’ research into the epigenetic modifier 5-azacytadine led to its later development and approval for treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), which is a precursor to blood cancer.
The grant is a renewal of an earlier seven-year, $7.8 million award, which was granted to Jones in 2017. It will be used to support his research into a molecule called DNMT3A, which is a key epigenetic player in cancer. DNMT3A is involved in brain development, regulation of body size, and formation of blood. Errors in DNMT3A are common features of leukemia. However, little is known about how exactly they drive cancer development.
Jones joined the Van Andel Institute as its chief scientific officer in 2013. He also co-chairs the Van Andel Institute-Stand Up to Cancer Epigenetics Dream Team.
“It is an absolute honor to receive a second Outstanding Investigator Award from the National Cancer Institute,” said Jones. “This vital funding will enable us to continue studying the intricate mechanisms that drive cancer – and explore strategies to translate our discoveries into potential new treatments.”
