The five-year Cancer Center Support Grant will support the La Jolla cancer center’s mission to innovate discovery and increase access to care.

The UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center has received a five-year, $25 million Cancer Center Support Grant from the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health. The award will continue the La Jolla cancer center’s mission to further clinic discoveries, increase access to regional cancer care and provide training for the next generation of cancer researchers.

The extensive grant covers about 25% of the Moores Cancer Center’s operating costs, helping the center maintain its status as one of the leading cancer treatment and research institutions in the country.

Funded by the NCI CCSG since 1978, Moores has been designated a Comprehensive Cancer Center, the highest recognition level.

The CCSG grant renewal “is testament to the far-reaching impact of Moores Cancer Center on the future of cancer care,” Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences John M Carethers, MD, said in a press release.

Discoveries by Moores Cancer Center researchers include a genetic signature of early‑onset colon cancer linked to Escherichia coli (E coli) bacteria exposure; decoding the mechanisms behind chromothripsis, a major driver of aggressive pancreatic cancers; novel immunotherapies for chronic lymphocytic leukemia; and identifying novel RNA‑based therapeutics for cancer.

Moores Cancer Center is the only Comprehensive Cancer Center in the greater San Diego region, serving approximately 3.5 million residents, offering equitable access to novel therapies not available at other local hospitals, partnering with Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego for pediatric oncology trials and leading community‑wide screening initiatives for early detection of cancer.

“We are committed to providing leading-edge therapies, clinical trials and a coordinated, compassionate care experience,” UCSD Health chief executive Patty Maysent said.