The CCR’s Commitment to Partnerships and Sharing of Scientific Information
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CCR is committed to developing and sharing molecular research tools and scientific
information within the NCI as well as the wider cancer research community. During
the past 2 years, the CCR’s Office of Science and Technology Partnerships
(OSTP) has developed new programs in collaboration with the private sector to
advance these goals. Several new CCR-wide initiatives are identifying and characterizing
cancer-relevant proteins and their binding partners. Many of these protein interactions
regulate important cellular processes, including proliferation, differentiation,
apoptosis, metastasis, cell cycle control, and angiogenesis, which are the key
areas of investigation within the Intramural Research Program.
The OSTP has forged partnerships with private-sector organizations, such as
Myriad Genetics, to facilitate the discovery of novel protein-protein interactions
and cell-signaling networks and to generate high-affinity reagents to serve
as research tools for functional characterization and molecular interrogation.
The partnership with Myriad also enables CCR investigators to access Myriad’s
automated process for identification of novel protein interactions based on
the yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) methodology. In the first year of the program, 60
cancer-relevant genes of interest to CCR investigators were analyzed by Myriad’s
unique, high-throughput system. To date, this large-scale effort between CCR
and Myriad has led to the identification of more than 1,000 novel protein interactions,
many of which are now being validated and confirmed as functionally relevant
in mammalian cell systems.
A partnership with Becton Dickinson PharMingen and Rockland Immunochemicals
was spearheaded to develop monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies against hundreds
of key cancer-related targets of interest to CCR—at no cost to the investigator.
As part of the partnership agreement, CCR investigators characterize the antibodies
using biological systems available in their laboratories and provide the data
to the companies for further development. The companies will market the antibodies
to the public and cite the CCR investigators who validate them. To date, the
program has accepted more than 200 targets for antibody development. Over 50
antibodies have been delivered to various groups, and the rest are at various
stages of development. This example illustrates how the CCR can leverage the
breadth and diversity of the Intramural Program to capitalize on relationships
with the private sector that ultimately benefit the entire research community.
The integration of protein modification and interaction data is critical for
the characterization of biochemical and genetic pathways, the elucidation of
functional relationships, and the identification of novel molecular targets
of cancer. The CCR is collaborating with the Advanced Biomedical Computing Center
in Frederick (ABCC) and the NCI Center for Bioinformatics (NCICB) to develop
a data-sharing, Web-based tool to integrate these data. This system will incorporate
data related to genes and proteins being studied within the CCR. For example,
it will integrate data generated from the Y2H and antibody partnerships, including
confirmation of novel protein interactions in mammalian systems, validation
of antibodies raised against newly identified targets, and protein interaction
and modification data generated by mass spectrometry or other analytical methods.
Future plans for this Web tool include links to a variety of CCR-generated and
publicly available databases, such as RNAi resources, gene expression profiles,
and pathways. The sharing of novel findings among CCR laboratories through the
database will facilitate both the establishment of new collaborations and the
exchange of technical expertise and resources. The resulting synergy and cooperation
between various NCI groups will expedite the translation of basic research findings
into new therapies, diagnostics, and preventative agents. Information related
to all of the programs managed by the OSTP can be found on the CCR
Web site.
Robert H. Wiltrout, PhD
Director
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