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- Posted Thursday September 14, 2006
TGen Awarded Significant Role in $10 million Breast Cancer Project
Department of Defense grant focuses on developing a new treatment model for breast cancer
Phoenix, AZ, September 14, 2006--The Translational Genomics
Research Institute (TGen) has been awarded a primary role in a
$10.7 million grant awarded to Fox Chase Cancer Center in
Philadelphia. TGen was chosen to accelerate a major objective in
the grant awarded by the Department of Defense (DoD) Breast Cancer
Research Program. In collaboration with principal investigators at
Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, the grant is focused on
developing a new treatment model for breast cancer to reverse
resistance to anti-estrogen therapy.
Dr. Heather Cunliffe, head of TGen's Breast and Ovarian Cancer
Research Unit, will collaborate with world-renown breast cancer
expert, Dr. V. Craig Jordan, Vice President and Scientific Director
of Medical Science at Fox Chase. Jordan is known for his seminal
work that led to the validation of tamoxifen as the first-ever drug
to prevent breast cancer. Used for breast cancer treatment since
the 1970s, tamoxifen is also the most widely used drug to treat the
disease.
Although considerable advances in the treatment of breast cancer have been made during the past 30 years, a significant proportion of patients who receive anti-estrogen therapies will eventually become resistant to this type of treatment.
"This grant is a first step in trying to figure out why breast tumors become resistant to anti-hormone therapy," said Dr. Heather Cunliffe, head of TGen's Breast and Ovarian Cancer Research Unit. "Genomic technology, which can measure the behavior of tumors at a very high resolution, will allow us to develop tests to predict ahead of time whether a patient will fail anti-hormone therapy or is likely to acquire resistance to this type of therapy. For a woman who unfortunately progresses and develops recurrent drug-resistant breast cancer, we are optimistic our discoveries will identify ways to reactivate therapeutic sensitivity."
The research conducted under the five-year DoD grant is supported by preliminary findings that suggest there may indeed be a way to re-trigger breast tumor cells to become responsive to therapy. The ultimate goal of the study is to leverage the knowledge of measurable similarities shared by drug-resistant breast cancers and translate that knowledge into more accurate prognostic tests and patient-tailored treatments.
TGen will collaborate with Fox Chase and Georgetown University in Washington, DC, to precisely map the genetic and biological events associated with breast tumor cells that may or may not be sensitive to anti-estrogen drugs. The results will be analyzed to identify patterns consistent with resistance to various anti-hormone therapies. A team at Johns Hopkins University will then conduct phase I and II clinical studies to evaluate these consistent patterns prospectively.
"Metastatic breast cancer remains a devastating disease, and TGen's focus on hormone resistance is a key place to focus our efforts. Dr. Cunliffe's opportunity to collaborate with Dr. Jordan and colleagues, could change the way we look at and treat breast cancer," said TGen President and Scientific Director, Dr. Jeffrey Trent.
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About TGen
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a
non-profit 501(c)(3) organization focused on developing earlier
diagnostics and smarter treatments. Translational genomics research
is a relatively new field employing innovative advances arising
from the Human Genome Project and applying them to the development
of diagnostics, prognostics and therapies for cancer, neurological
disorders, diabetes and other complex diseases. TGen's research is
based on personalized medicine. The institute plans to accomplish
its goals through robust and disease-focused research.
About Fox Chase
Fox Chase Cancer Center was founded in 1904 in Philadelphia as the
nation's first cancer hospital. In 1974, Fox Chase became one of
the first institutions designated as a National Cancer Institute
Comprehensive Cancer Center. Fox Chase conducts basic, clinical,
population and translational research; programs of prevention,
detection and treatment of cancer; and community outreach. For more
information about Fox Chase activities, visit the Center's web site
at www.fccc.edu or call
1-888-FOX CHASE.
Media Contacts:
Amy Erickson, TGen
602-343-8522
Karen Mallet, Fox Chase
215-728-2700
