Baylor College of Medicine Cancer Center

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 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overarching goal of the Cancer Biology Program, CBP, is to increase our understanding of the basic genetic, molecular, and biological mechanisms of cancer development and progression and to facilitate the translation of these findings for improved diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventative measures. The CBP consists of 51 Research Members, 14 Clinical Members, and 2 Adjunct Members. The membership spans 14 departments, and 2 centers, with two members from other institutions. The membership has $4.5 million in NCI funded research support out of a total of $30.6 million in total research support. The CBP program is highly productive with a total of 685 publications with 15% of the publications being intra-programmatic and 19% inter-programmatic. The program has been subdivided into 4 interdependent themes: Computational Biology, Functional Genomics, Cell Signaling, and Translation. The Computational Theme uses bioinformatic analyses of genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic data to identify clinically relevant pathways for the development of therapeutic reagents or potential biomarkers to be moved to preclinical validation studies. The Functional Genomics Theme uses genetically engineered mouse models and patient-derived xenograft analysis to determine the significance of genetic alterations in human cancer as identified by the Computational Biology Theme. The Cell Signaling Theme functions to conduct in vitro mechanistic analysis of signaling pathways identified by the Computational and Functional Genomics Theme to determine how these pathways regulate cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis. The role of this group is to identify which pathways are targets for biomarkers or therapeutic development. Finally, the Translational Theme consists of clinical researchers and researchers involved in development of novel therapeutics. The goal of this Theme is to facilitate the translation of the basic science findings of the CBP to the patient. This group aids CBP researchers in determining how these findings can be translated to the development of therapies and biomarkers for the treatment of cancer.