Texas Center for Cancer Nanomedicine

德克萨斯大学休斯顿健康科学中心(UTHSC-H)、德克萨斯大学安德森癌症中心、莱斯大学和阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦医学院联手成立了德克萨斯癌症纳米医学中心(TCCN)。TCCN汇集了一个多学科、国际公认的研究团队，以开发和转化纳米技术支持的创新，以改善卵巢癌和胰腺癌传统上令人沮丧的结果。TCCN的主要研究重点领域是：多功能纳米治疗和治疗后监测工具(CCNE RFA第2区)，以及癌症预防和控制设备和技术(第3区)。通过底层纳米平台的天然协同作用，TCCN在重点领域2和3的调查自动为领域1：使用体外检测和设备以及体内成像技术进行早期诊断提供了一系列方法。TCCN有四个项目和三个核心。项目1和2直接涉及卵巢癌，项目3和4直接涉及胰腺癌。在每个肿瘤学重点领域，一个项目涉及将生物活性物质输送到肿瘤的多功能纳米平台(项目1--卵巢和项目3--胰腺)，另一个项目涉及针对癌症相关血管内皮细胞的方法(项目2--卵巢和项目4--胰腺)，用于成像和治疗。腺癌(方案3)和胰腺内分泌恶性肿瘤(方案4)都被考虑在TCCN中。所有项目都整合了癌症生物学、纳米技术平台开发和制药科学方面的基础研究，尽管程度不同。这些核心是生物数学核心，目标核心和纳米工程核心。所有项目和核心通过共享研究成果和纳米技术平台相互融合。这种整合使TCCN能够实现其研究突破的临床转化，并快速积极地管理与任何高度创新计划自然相关的风险。为了推动翻译到临床，TCCN的几名调查人员已经根据他们的研究成功地开发了衍生公司。总体而言，TCCN结合了由为每个项目提供服务的核心支持的协同项目，以及成功的从床到床的翻译记录，具有独特的地位，可以为卵巢癌和胰腺癌的预防、治疗和监测提供高效的纳米技术平台。 公共卫生相关性：TCCN的目标是利用创新的纳米技术制定新的治疗战略，可靠监测治疗效果的方法，从生物液中早期检测方法和成像技术的进展，以及卵巢癌和胰腺癌的癌症预防方案。TCCN将应用各种纳米平台来实现这些目标。虽然TCCN的主要重点是卵巢癌和胰腺癌，但新的治疗方法很可能也适用于许多其他恶性肿瘤。

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHSC-H), The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Rice University and Albert Einstein College of Medicine have joined forces to form the Texas Center for Cancer Nanomedicine (TCCN). The TCCN brings together a multi-disciplinary, internationally recognized team of investigators to develop and translate nanotechnology-enabled innovation for improving the traditionally dismal outcome of ovarian and pancreatic cancers. The main research focus areas of the TCCN are: Multifunctional Nano-Therapeutics and Post-Therapy Monitoring Tools (Area 2 of the CCNE RFA), and Devices and Techniques for Cancer Prevention and Control (Area 3). By natural synergies of the underlying nano-platforms, the TCCN's investigations in focus areas 2 and 3 automatically provide a cadre of approaches for Area 1: Early Diagnosis Using In-Vitro Assays and Devices and In-Vivo Imaging Techniques. The TCCN has four projects and three cores. Projects 1 and 2 directly address ovarian cancer, and Projects 3 and 4 directly address pancreatic cancer. In each oncology focus area, one project involves multifunctional nanoplatforms for the delivery of bioactive agents to the tumors (Project 1- ovarian and Project 3- pancreatic), and the other, targeting approaches to the cancer-associated vascular endothelia (Project 2- ovarian and Project 4- pancreatic), for imaging and therapy. Both adenocarcinoma (Project 3) and endocrine pancreatic malignancies (Project 4) are considered in the TCCN. All Projects integrate fundamental investigations in cancer biology, nanotechnology platform development, and pharmaceutical sciences, albeit to different degrees. The cores are the Biomathematics Core, Targeting Core and Nanoengineering Core. All projects and Cores integrate with each other through the sharing of research results and nanotechnology platforms. This integration allows the TCCN to achieve clinical translation of its research breakthroughs, and aggressively manage the risks that are naturally associated with any highly innovative program at a rapid pace. To fuel translation to the clinic, several TCCN investigators have successfully developed spin-off companies based upon their research. Collectively, with a combination of synergistic projects supported by cores that provide services to each project and a track record of successful bench-to-bedside translation, the TCCN is uniquely positioned to bring forth highly effective nanotechnology platforms for prevention, therapy and monitoring of ovarian and pancreatic cancers. Public Health Relevance: The TCCN aims to utilize innovative nanotechnologies for new therapeutic strategies, methodologies for reliable monitoring of therapeutic efficacy, early detection approaches from biological fluids and advances in imaging, and cancer-prevention protocols for ovarian and pancreatic cancers. The TCCN will apply a diverse array of nano-platforms to achieve these aims. While the primary emphasis In the TCCN is on ovarian and pancreatic cancers, it is likely that the new approaches will have applications for many other malignancies.