Moving toward treatments
Time is of the essence in translating results from these myriad experiments into treatments that will help patients. A new Center for Applied Cancer Science at Dana-Farber has been designed to do just this. According to DePinho, its director, the center brings efficiency and a more industry-like approach to confirming the value of genes that are candidates for drug targets, and it is beginning to test compounds that might end up as therapies.
"We'll be able to test them in our mouse models," he says. "With our capabilities in several disciplines and this translational approach to moving basic findings into treatments, we'll be able to go deep into the drug discovery process."
If all goes according to plan, the effort could both shorten the process and strengthen ties with pharmaceutical companies. "Instead of patenting potentially therapeutic molecules and licensing them to industry," DePinho adds, "we'll be in a position to be equal partners."
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