Since the 1970s, it has become clear that cancer is not one disease, but many, and that cancers arise from the gradual accumulation of genetic changes in single cells. Identifying the molecular alterations that distinguish any particular cancer cell from a normal cell ultimately helps define the nature and predict the pathologic behavior of that cancer cell, as well as its responsiveness to treatment.

Knowledge of molecular alterations also assists in the identification of new targets and approaches for more effective interventions. Understanding the profile of molecular changes in a cancer makes it possible to correlate the resulting phenotype of that cancer with molecular events and use those correlations to develop more effective strategies of detection, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

Realizing this goal will require the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to develop and apply new technologies that enable the identification of molecular changes that distinguish cancers from normal cells. New technologies will be needed to analyze the genes and gene products in isolated samples in vitro, in living cells, and in whole animals and the living body.

The Innovative Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT) Program supports research projects to develop and carry out pilot applications of novel technologies that will enable the molecular analysis of cancers and their host environment in support of basic, clinical, and epidemiological research.

Technologies supported through the IMAT program include those that:

• detect alterations and instabilities of genomic DNA
• measure the expression of genes and gene products
• analyze and detect gene and/or cellular products including post-translational modification and function of proteins
• identify and characterize exogenous infectious agents in cancer
• assay the function of major signal transduction networks involved in cancer

The program does not support resources such as databases and tissue repositories.

For more information on IMAT research activities, please click on links in the left navigation bar. To speak with a IMAT staff member, please contact us.