Building Bridges Link Science and Technology

More than ever before, biomedical science is dependent on the use of advanced technologies to maximize scientific discovery and the delivery of cancer interventions. Working together across communities of scientists and technology experts is a new paradigm for cancer research and development. It increasingly requires new kinds of collaborations and a melding of cultures to achieve an environment friendly to the development, validation, and practical application of promising technologies in cancer discovery, development, and delivery of care.

Technological advances in bioinformatics, imaging, nanotechnology, genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and high throughput screening have set the stage for unprecedented progress in our efforts to reduce the burden of disease. Integrating technologies with cancer science promises to improve precision, reduce harmful side effects, and reduce costs of medical procedures. The National Advanced Technology Initiative for Cancer (PDF) (NATIc) provides the infrastructure for integrating science and technology for the practical development and dissemination of evidenced-based, advanced technology applications to reduce the cancer burden. Through a virtual network of "hubs" and "nodes," innovative, interdisciplinary teams of scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and others will be linked in cutting-edge collaborations for technology development. NCI's cancer Bioinformatics Grid (caBIG^TM) will also be essential to the integration of science and technology. This resource will help optimize data accessibility, widely distribute effective best practices, and conserve resources by preventing duplication of effort.

Proposed New Investments

NCI will provide the leadership to leverage and coordinate NATIc, caBIG^TM, and other resources to optimally integrate technological advances with cancer science. We will cultivate teams of biological scientists, engineers, physicists, and others through innovative funding approaches and by working across public and private settings and with the cancer advocate communities. We will continue to leverage resources and build partnerships with other Federal agencies–including the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration – to integrate a broad spectrum of technological and scientific resources. Partnerships among academic and research institutes, the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, and government agencies will accelerate translational application and commercialization of advanced technologies and help bridge the gap between discovery and delivery. We will use new investments in Fiscal Year 2007 to increase our support to science and technology in four critical areas.

• Cancer Imaging
  NCI will support new cancer imaging technologies to enhance understanding of cancer biology and facilitate the preemption and clinical management of cancer and cancer risk. Imaging technologies will be optimized for data sharing; biomarker identification; minimally invasive image-guided prevention, treatment, and palliative therapies; and early detection and assessment of the effectiveness of therapy involving imaging in combination with nanotechnology, proteomics, and high throughput screening.
  
  
• Nanotechnology
  We will foster the development of nanotechnology interventions to enhance cancer diagnosis and treatment. We will support the development of multifunctional, targeted devices capable of bypassing biological barriers to deliver multiple therapeutic agents at high local concentrations directly to cancer cells and tissues that play a critical role in the growth and metastasis of cancer. We will support research to design and test nanotechnologies to monitor predictive molecular changes and prevent precancerous cells from becoming malignant, manage symptoms of cancer that adversely impact quality of life, predict drug resistance, and enable investigators to quickly identify new drug targets for clinical development.
  
  
• Genomics, Proteomics, and Biomarker Discovery
  NCI will accelerate the potential of personalized medicine through genomic, proteomic, and other biomarker discovery. Collaboration between cancer scientists and technology experts will accelerate the development of techniques to detect minute quantities of biomarkers susceptibility of pre-cancer, or malignancy in tumor tissue, blood, saliva, or urine. These efforts will lead to more precise prevention interventions, diagnostic testing, prediction of patient response to specific treatments, and use of individualized treatment plans. Advanced preventives, diagnostics, and "designer" therapies will preempt cancer at its earliest stages and deliver minimally invasive and well tolerated individualized care.
  
  • Genomics
  • NCI Research Resources: Genomic resources
  • Proteomics
  • Clinical Proteomic: Technologies for Cancer
  • Biomarker Discovery
  • Advice and Resources for Cancer Diagnostics Researchers
  
  
• Computational Modeling
  NCI will support interdisciplinary collaboration among computer scientists, physicists, and cancer scientists to create multi-scale computational models for computerized prediction of outcomes, including patient response to treatment. Computer programs that incorporate complex, interactive calculations will analyze massive amounts of data about cancer cells and their micro- and macroenvironments. Once refined and validated, these models will not only yield insights and knowledge about cancer, but will also provide a tool to improve patient diagnosis and the planning and monitoring of treatment.

Required Resources

New investments in linking advanced imaging, nanotechnology, proteomics and biomarker discovery, and computational modeling into cancer applications will dramatically accelerate our ability to reduce the adverse effects of cancer. We propose a budget increase of $194.8 million to continue these efforts in Fiscal Year 2007.