Launched in September 2018, the Human Tumor Atlas Network (HTAN) is a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-funded Cancer Moonshot^SM initiative. It brings together Research Centres and a central Data Coordinating Canter to create 3D atlases mapping the cellular and molecular features of human cancers as they evolve from precancerous lesions to advanced disease. The atlases aim to identify critical processes throughout the cancer lifecycle, including the transition to malignancy, metastasis, therapeutic responses, and resistance development, focusing on various cancer types, especially those affecting underserved populations and aggressive paediatric cancers.

HTAN comprises ten Research Centres investigating the conditions that lead healthy cells to become cancerous. It also includes two pilot projects, the Pre-Cancer Atlas Pilot Project (PCAPP) and the Human Tumor Atlas Pilot Project (HTAPP), which contribute data and resources. The HTAN Data Coordinating Centre supports these efforts by coordinating activities and providing centralized resources for data storage and sharing.