CANCER COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY NETWORK

Engineering a more efficient way to diagnose prostate cancer

Computational models enable doctors to assess biomarkers more quickly and cheaply.

To diagnose prostate cancer, urologists, such as John Wei, and pathologists, such as Scott Tomlins, at the University of Michigan Health System, use biomarkers, which are biochemical signatures in blood, urine and tissue that suggest the disease may be present. Some biomarkers are genetic.

With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), University of Michigan engineer Brian Denton is working with a multidisciplinary team that includes Wei and Tomlins to develop a quicker and less expensive way to evaluate biomarkers, using computational models. The researchers sift through vast medical databases and then use Denton's engineering methods to assess the most effective predictors of prostate cancer.

Fighting to Beat Breast Cancer

In the United States, one in every eight women will face breast cancer at some point in her life. Courtney Rauch, a Notre Dame junior, learned upon her diagnosis at age 19 that, ultimately, the decisions concerning her treatment options were hers to make — a hard fact to handle at any age.Steven Buechler, chair of Notre Dame's Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, is working to help women like Courtney improve the accuracy of the information they receiveabout their diagnosis, allowing them to receive individualized, targeted therapy to combat the disease. Dr. Buechler's research is transforming the way we look at breast cancer. Today, Courtney is an applied mathematics major, and works in Dr. Buechler's lab in an effort to help women facing the same disease.

http://research.nd.edu

The Oncolytic Virus Fund - Uppsala University, Sweden

Professor Magnus Essand at Uppsala University has during six years developed and tested a new virus treatment against neuroendocrine tumours. The treatment consists of an oncolytic virus which has turned out to be remarkably efficient in destroying neuroendocrine tumours in mice. With enough funding we will be able to start the world's first human trials with a virus that specifically targets neuroendocrine cancer.

Information about The Oncolytic Virus Fund http://bit.ly/RAGqqv

Magnus Essand, professor at Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Sweden.

Engineering Biology: Mads Kaern

"Synthetic Biology is a leading-edge science and engineering discipline and will be one of the dominant industries of the 21st century. Based on advancements in DNA synthesis and manipulation technologies, Synthetic Biology is an evolution of genetic engineering towards the creation of new, artificial lifeforms that can be used to manufacture new materials, biofuels, medicines, vaccines, and many additional industrial and consumer products. Because Synthetic Biology at its core relies on extensive manipulation of DNA material, or even the use of entirely man-made genomes, the advancement of the field has ignited a fierce debate about whether its tremendous potential benefits can be realized in a safe and ethical manner."

Gene Therapy -- The time is now: Nick Leschly

"Forget the price. What's the value of that treatment?"What if we could fix a patient's own cells and cure their disease once and for all instead of treating a chronic illness over their lifetime? The solution exists, but it's expensive. Nick Leschly, chief bluebird, explains how biotechnology can deliver corrective genes into a patient's diseased cells and disrupt the medical and insurance industries along the way.