Articles Posted in ‘Biomarkers’

Imaging Agent Development and Early Phase Clinical Trials

July 9, 2010, 11:04AM

PET scans of lymph nodes with lymphoma in the groin and armpit (red areas).

NCI’s Cancer Imaging Program (CIP) is responsible for oversight and funding of oncology imaging research, such as the application of MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and PET (positron emission tomography) in clinical trials. However, the larger goal of CIP is the development of new imaging techniques and their application to the development of new therapies for the cancer patient.
In phase 0 trials (for imaging agents) the goal is the development of assays that are verified in preclinical models that can be applied to first in-human studies to evaluate relevant biomarkers related to the target of interest. These studies, as would be expected, precede the established phase I through III trials that are required to establish safety and efficacy. These first in human studies are performed on a very small number of eligible trial participants. One of the underlying rationales for phase 0 studies of imaging agents is the intrinsic shortcomings of some animal models, specifically, the transferability of animal model data to humans.

Scientists Use Mouse Models to Explore Cause and Origin of Cancer in Humans [Animation]

June 7, 2010, 12:40PM

Souce: Anthony Beal, NCI

Mouse models that mimic human disease play a vital role in understanding the etiology (cause and origin) of cancer. Results of mouse model studies lend evidence toward the next step in biomedical research that leads to early detection of cancer, new cancer drugs, new combinations of treatments, or new methods such as gene therapy.

Scientists use mouse models for investigating mutations in humans triggered by environmental agents, drugs, aging, and diet. Mutations cause a random change in a gene, or chromosome, that results in a new trait or characteristic that can be inherited. The genetic similarity of mice to humans accounts for mice being a good experimental model to study cancer. Also, human tumors can be grafted onto the mouse without rejection. This procedure allows for the study of specific human cancers, as well as the testing of various medical applications.

One particular area of interest in examining the impact of the external factors on cancer development is the field of epigenetics, which is the study of inherited changes in either physical appearance or in how genes are expressed, that are caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence.

Proteomics: Research for the 21st Century

February 7, 2002

Protein in cell membrane

A fast-tracked paper on a possible new ovarian cancer screening tool by Lance Liotta , M.D., Ph.D., National Cancer Institute (NCI), and Emanuel Petricoin, M.D., Food and Drug Administration (FDA), appeared electronically in The Lancet on February 7, 2002. BenchMarks interviewed the scientists about this new tool, which employs a technique called proteomics. The researchers talk about the tool, how it was developed, and its potential applicability to screening and treatment for ovarian and other cancers.