Integrative Cancer Biology Program

A unique research program is designed to provide new insights into the development and progression of cancer through a systems-wide approach. Called the Integrative Cancer Biology Program (ICBP), the initiative has received funding of U.S.$14.9 million from the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI, Bethesda, MD, USA).

Scientists will use an integrative and multidisciplinary effort among all fields of cancer research, using new technologies such as genomics, proteomics, and molecular imaging to generate computer and mathematical models that could predict the cancer process. Nine U.S. biology centers will be involved, which will provide the nucleus for the design and validation of computational and mathematical cancer models. These models will simulate complex cancer processes and will be used to address all stages of cancer, from the basic cellular processes through tumor growth and metastasis.

"The key aspect that sets the ICBP effort apart from others is the focus on building predictive cancer models, and not just analyzing data,” explained Daniel Gallahan, Ph.D., associate director, Division of Cancer Biology, NCI.

The nine biology centers will comprise Massachusetts General Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (all in Boston, MA), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley, CA), Ohio State University (Columbus, OH), University Hospital of Cleveland (OH), Duke University (Durham, NC), Stanford University School of Medicine (Palo Alto, CA), and Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Nashville, TN).

The ICBP centers will also interact and collaborate with other NCI programs and groups. NCI's Cancer Biomedical Information Grid program will coordinate all the bioinformatics software needed by the ICBP as part of its ongoing effort to simplify and integrate the sharing and usage of data by providing access to NCI's research communities.




Related Links:
National Cancer Institute