Cancer Institute selects PU-IU team for research
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 09/29/2006
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The Purdue-IU Analytical Proteomics Team has been selected as one of five national centers for cancer research.
Selected by the National Cancer Institute, the team was chosen for inclusion in a conglomerate to look at proteomics technology and its usage for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
The grant NCI awarded to the team matches Purdue's experts of mass spectrometry and proteomics technology together with Indiana University's team of cancer researchers.
"This is the future of cancer detection in America," said Fred Regnier, a distinguished professor of chemistry and principal investigator for the team, in a press release. "Proteomics, the study of proteins, holds great promise for more precise diagnosis and tailored cancer therapies through the identification of proteins specific to cancer and other diseases, called 'biomarkers.'"
Tailored medicine will allow for a more personalized approach to cancer therapy. Charles Buck, director of operations at the Bindley Bioscience Center in Discovery Park, said this research will be beneficial to cancer treatment.
"The promise of personalized medicine is to obtain a signature of each person," said Buck. "Specific molecules and proteins implicated in cancer will help to enable us to identify patients who will benefit from one cancer therapy or the other."
The team will be based at the bioscience center in Discovery Park. It will develop protocols and standards for mass spectrometry-based cancer proteomics.
"One thing is that we will be collecting samples from cancer patients and focusing on two specific cancers: prostate and breast cancer," said Buck.
The goals of the program are to define existing technologies that will enable precise and reproducible measurement of cancer biomarkers in a clinic.
"There are a number of areas where Purdue will benefit," said Buck. "It positions us as a leader in proteomic research and making it applicable in the clinic."
"One key thing is that it is a calling card for our efforts. We're on the cutting edge and driving translational research."