The primary responsibility of the Natural Products Branch (NPB) is the acquisition of crude natural product materials from terrestrial and marine environments, usually via competitive contracts world-wide, for extraction and screening of extracts in the NCI cancer cell line screen both of which are located at the Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center [FCRDC] The responsibilities include the selection and evaluation of the materials to be tested, and the procurement of large quantities of raw materials necessary to produce sufficient quantities of those active agents selected for preclinical and clinical evaluation.
NPB is responsible for the NCI's Open Repository Program and Active Repository Program In the Open Repository Program, materials that have not met the current requirements of the NCI screens can be provided at a nominal charge [covering handling and shipping charges] to qualified organizations in the extramural and commercial communities worldwide, subject to the prior agreement of these entities to a Materials Transfer Agreement [MTA] that recognizes the rights of the source countries. The materials may be screened in any assay related to human diseases. In the Active Repository Program, materials judged to be active in the NCI 60-cell line cancer screen by program staff, can be provided to qualified U. S. extramural investigators, subject to the prior agreement to a modified Materials Transfer Agreement that also recognizes the potential role of NCI in discovery and development.
NPB is also establishing collaborative programs through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with qualified research organizations in source countries for the screening of natural product extracts for anti-tumor activity, and the pre-clinical and clinical development of active agents meeting NCI selection criteria.
In conjunction with members of the Grants and Contracts Operations Branch,NPB members serve as NCI representatives on the coordinating committees of National Cooperative Natural Product Drug Discovery Group [NCNPDDG] and International Cooperative Biodiversity Group [ICBG] consortia.
Other responsibilities are the oversight of operations of the Natural Products Repository and the Natural Products Extraction Laboratory operated by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) at FCRDC, under contract to NCI.