UCSD - University of California - San Diego

06/17/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/17/2026 11:18

UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center Receives Prestigious $25 Million Grant

Published Date

June 17, 2026

Article Content

Key Takeaways

  • The five-year grant strengthens the cancer center's role as a leading cancer care and research hub.
  • The funding expands clinical trial capacity, improving access to innovative therapies across the San Diego region.
  • The grant supports groundbreaking research and training for the next generation of cancer experts; recent discoveries range from early-onset colon cancer signatures to novel RNA-based therapeutics.

University of California San Diego Moores Cancer Center (MCC) has received a five-year, $25 million Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health. The prestigious award will continue to sustain the cancer center's mission to bring innovative discoveries into the clinic, increase access to cancer care across the region, and provide training for the next generation of cancer researchers.

The grant, which covers about 25 % of MCC's operating costs, solidifies its status as one of the leading cancer treatment and research institutions in the United States. Funded by the NCI CCSG since 1978, MCC has held Comprehensive Cancer Center status since 2001, the highest level of recognition - reflecting excellence in integrated research programs, a large and coordinated clinical trials program, nationally recognized faculty leadership and extensive community outreach and engagement.

Diane Simeone, MD, director of Moores Cancer Center and professor of surgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

"Being a Comprehensive Cancer Center represents a high level of performance across multiple domains, including the depth and strength of scientific discoveries that ultimately contribute to the understanding of cancer biology, the development of new therapeutics and diagnostics, and ways to study patients to improve the quality of their lives," said Diane Simeone, MD, director of Moores Cancer Center and professor of surgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

"The renewal of the Cancer Center Support Grant is testament to the far-reaching impact of Moores Cancer Center on the future of cancer care," said Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences John M. Carethers, MD. "The center is both a driver of medical innovation and a lifeline for our patients, a cornerstone of health for the entire San Diego community and beyond."

Thanks to ongoing funding from the CCSG, MCC is now among the fastest in the country to open clinical trials evaluating cutting-edge therapies for common and rare cancers, with multidisciplinary disease teams responsible for reviewing and bringing these trials to patients.

"We are the leading experts across a number of different cancer types in interventional clinical trials, including prostate cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, leukemias and brain cancers," said Simeone. "We've nearly tripled our interventional clinical trials over the past several years, bringing more promising therapies to patients quickly, and that's what we focus on day in and day out."

Moores Cancer Center conducts innovative research, driving the discoveries that expand cancer care access across San Diego (left) and gynelogic oncologist Ramez Eskander, MD, examines a clinical trial participant at Moores Cancer Center (right). (Kyle Dykes/UC San Diego Health Sciences)

Key discoveries by Moores Cancer Center researchers include:

  • A genetic signature of early-onset colon cancer linked to Escherichia coli (E. coli)bacteria exposure - research led by Ludmil Alexandrov, PhD, professor of cellular and molecular medicine at the School of Medicine and professor of bioengineering at Jacobs School of Engineering.
  • Decoding the mechanisms behind chromothripsis, the catastrophic shattering and scrambling of chromosomes, a major driver of aggressive pancreatic cancers - research led by Don Cleveland, PhD, professor of cellular and molecular medicine at the School of Medicine.
  • Novel immunotherapies for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a blood and bone marrow cancer - research led by Tom Kipps, MD, PhD, professor of medicine, Evelyn and Edwin Tasch Chair in Cancer Research.
  • Identifying novel RNA-based therapeutics for cancer - research led by Gene Yeo, PhD, professor of cellular and molecular medicine at the School of Medicine.

Surgical oncologist Andrew Lowy, MD, reviews tissue samples (left) and a student in the lab of Ludmil Alexandrov, PhD, utilizes AI tools to detect cancer (right) at Moores Cancer Center. (Kyle Dykes/UC San Diego Health Sciences)

MCC researchers also spearhead innovations in clinical trial design for advanced prostate cancer, lead major clinical trials targeting the previously "undruggable" RAS protein in pancreatic and other gastrointestinal cancers, and integrate artificial-intelligence tools into radiology to detect cancers earlier and match patients with personalized treatment regimens.

As the only Comprehensive Cancer Center in the greater San Diego region serving approximately 3.5 million residents, MCC offers equitable access to novel therapies not available at other local hospitals, partners with Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego for pediatric oncology trials, and leads community-wide screening initiatives for early detection of cancer.

"This funding strengthens our ability to deliver the most advanced cancer care to patients across our region," said Patty Maysent, CEO of UC San Diego Health. "We are committed to providing leading-edge therapies, clinical trials and a coordinated, compassionate care experience - bringing the latest discoveries forward to improve outcomes and lives."

One of fewer than 10 U.S. consortium cancer centers in the U.S., MCC collaborates with La Jolla Institute for Immunology and San Diego State University, which contribute expertise in immunology and population health, strengthening the center's ability to serve the broader community.

The grant expands access to cutting-edge clinical trials across the San Diego Region. (Kyle Dykes/UC San Diego Health Sciences)

MCC faculty have authored more than 12 policy statements that shape cancer screening and treatment guidelines at state, national and international levels. Recent research led by Samir Gupta, MD, professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology at the School of Medicine and co-leader of the Cancer Control Program at MCC, suggests that clinicians should reconsider when to stop surveillance colonoscopies in certain people, as adults over age 75 with precancerous polyps are more likely to die from other causes rather than colorectal cancer.

Central to MCC's mission is training future cancer researchers and clinicians.

"We have all kinds of innovative educational activities, from genomics modules to master classes in entrepreneurship and how to optimize interactions with the biotech and biopharma sector," said Simeone. "Our faculty teach medical students, residents and fellows. We have undergraduate students that rotate through labs. We have a post-baccalaureate program for students that have finished college but have aspirations to go to medical school where they can do some time in the lab and in the clinical trials office."

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