ASU Strengthens its Research Capabilities in the War against Cancer

Kimberly Ovitt, Director of Communication & Institutional Advancement
(480)727-8688 | kimberly.ovitt@asu.edu

Despite tangible progress in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, the toll from this devastating disease remains unacceptably high. Understanding the genetic changes that are the root cause of the abnormal and dangerous behavior of cancer cells is now center stage in the fight against cancer. The quest is to detect cancers before metastatic spread occurs, to find new treatments and, ideally, to prevent cancer from ever developing.

The establishment of The Biodesign Institute at ASU is creating a new dimension for cancer research in Arizona by applying diverse scientific approaches to this elusive area of medicine. Finding better cancer treatments, or a cure, will require innovation in biology, engineering and computing. Sophisticated bioinformatic tools will be needed to analyze data, new types of diagnostic systems may be required, and treatments may require novel delivery systems.  Calling on ASU’s strengths in computing and engineering, the Biodesign Institute is a leader in fusing these disciplines with the biological sciences to address complex challenges

The formation of the new Center for Innovations in Medicine within the Institute and the recruitment of Dr. Stephen Albert Johnston to lead the center expands ASU’s excellent cancer research portfolio. To further strengthen its cancer research capabilities, the Biodesign Institute has also launched a search for a world-class scientist to lead a new Center for Molecular Oncology that will identify new genetic targets for cancer diagnosis and treatment.

These strategic actions will reinforce the strength of ASU’s cancer research, which is already known for excellence in key areas. It also acknowledges the growing capabilities within the community to support such efforts through collaboration. The following summarizes the current cancer research efforts within the Biodesign Institute:

• The newly-launched Center for Innovations in Medicine led by Dr. Stephen Albert Johnston is pursuing development of vaccines and diagnostic systems against a wide range of cancers that would use immunizing proteins shared by different forms of cancer. By identifying what are called “frameshift mutations,” Dr. Johnston’s team has distinguished a unique set of proteins that are found in multiple cancers.  This research builds on Johnston’s previous pioneering genomics research in the identifying immunizing antigens from infectious microorganisms for vaccine development.
• New tests for improved diagnosis of cancer and better matching of drug treatments to a patient’s cancer are currently being explored by a team that includes bioinformatics experts in the Center for Evolutionary Functional Genomics led by Dr. Sudhir Kumar and engineers in the Center for Applied NanoBioscience led by Dr. Frederic Zenhausern in collaboration with the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen). 
• The Center for Single Molecule Biophysics led by Dr. Stuart Lindsay and Center for BioOptical Nanotechnology led by Dr. Neal Woodbury are working on advanced genomic technologies with potential to radically alter cancer diagnosis capabilities through faster and cheaper DNA profiling and novel imaging technologies. 
• In the Institute’s Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, Professor Bertram Jacobs is exploring the use of viruses to destroy chemotherapy-resistant cancer cells and Dr. Amanda Walmsley is developing a breast cancer vaccine. 
• The director of the Center for Protein Therapeutics, Dr. Lokesh Joshi, is using novel genetic tools to engineer the body’s own defense molecules to enhance their capacity to destroy cancer cells.
• With the emergence of cancer as a major therapeutic focus for the Biodesign Institute, the Cancer Research Institute at ASU, has become a new center within the Biodesign Institute. It is engaged in the search for new anticancer drugs from marine plants and animals. This research team, which was previously part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, has identified several potential anticancer drugs which are now in early clinical trials to assess their effectiveness against a variety of cancers.

 

The Biodesign Institute’s efforts to expand the attack on cancer through a comprehensive strategy will also benefit from the extensive experience of the Institute’s director, Dr George Poste in this arena. Before coming to ASU, his research was widely-recognized for revealing how cancers spread in the body (metastasis) and how cancer cells become resistant to chemotherapy.  In his previous role as president of research and development for SmithKline Beecham (now GlaxoSmithKline), one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, he supervised R&D programs in oncology that led to the successful registration and FDA approval of drugs for improved cancer treatment and care.

“I’m excited by the ability to build world class cancer research capabilities at ASU and to work closely with the many outstanding cancer research groups in Metro Phoenix,” said Poste. He said these include the University of Arizona Cancer Center, TGen and IGC, the Molecular Profiling Institute, the Mayo Clinic, the Barrow Neurological Institute, and new entrepreneurial initiatives such as Nanobiomics and TD2, which have arisen from the Biodesign Institute and TGen.