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Scientists at the NCI developed a research tool, a murine cell line model (JygMC(A)) with a reporter construct, of spontaneous metastatic mammary carcinoma that resembles the human breast cancer metastatic process in a triple negative mammary tumor. The assay is useful for screening compounds that specifically inhibit pathways involved in mammary carcinoma and can improve clinical management of of triple negative breast cancer that are greatly refractory to conventional chemo and radiotherapy.

Pulmonary surfactant plays a critical role in preventing alveolar collapse by decreasing surface tension at the alveolar air-liquid interface. Surfactant deficiency contributes to the pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), common disorders that can afflict patients of all ages and carry a mortality rate greater than 25%. Excess surfactant leads to pulmonary alveolar proteinosis.

The National Cancer Institute Cancer Genetics Branch is seeking statements of capability or interest from parties interested in collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize mouse epithelial cancer cell lines.

GATA-3 is a transcription factor that is highly expressed in normal cells of the mammary luminal epithelium. GATA-3 plays a regulatory role in determining the fate of cells in the mammary gland. Disruption of GATA-3 expression leads to defects in the development of mammary cells, including an inability to differentiate properly into the correct cell type. GATA-3 function is also disrupted in various breast cancer models indicating that GATA-3 has tumor suppressive properties in normal cells.

The National Cancer Institute is seeking parties interested in collaborative research to co-develop, evaluate, or commercialize a new mouse model for monoclonal antibodies and immunoconjugates that target malignant mesotheliomas.  Applications of the technology include models for screening compounds as potential therapeutics for mesothelioma and for studying the pathology of mesothelioma.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been associated with the cause of several cancer types, including cervical, anal, and head and neck cancers. There has been great success in preventing HPV infections with the development of prophylactic HPV vaccines, Gardasil and Cervarix. However, these vaccines have only been shown to prevent HPV infection and not treat those already infected with HPV. These vaccines elicit antibody responses to late HPV genes, and thus would not be effective in treating established tumors.

BRAF is an oncogene that encodinges a serine-threonine kinase (B-Raf kinase) important in regulating cell growth and differentiation. Spontaneous mutations in the BRAF gene allow cells to continuously divide, leading to the development of cancer. A substitution of glutamic acid for valine at amino acid number 600 (designated V600E) accounts for 90% of BRAF mutations and is a driver of many cancers. The V600E mutation is present in ~3% of all cancer cases, representing a patient population of 540,000 patients per year.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer-enclosed particles that are released from cells. EVs may contain proteins derived from their cells of origin with the potential as diagnostic biomarkers indicating the state of the cells when released. However, due to their small size (50-1000nm), the methods currently used to phenotype EVs have limited sensitivity and scale. A need exists for development of novel technologies improving EV detection and phenotyping.

Aberrant function of the WNT-b-catenin pathway is a common underlying cause of tumorigenesis.  Despite the attractiveness of the WNT-b-catenin pathway as a therapeutic target, WNT dependent cell signaling is also crucial for normal tissue development, and is ubiquitous in all organs.  As a result, WNT-b-catenin pathway inhibitors cause many side effects and fail to meet FDA safety standards.  A more targeted approach is needed to develop safe and effective WNT signaling inhibitors.

Scientists at the National Cancer Institute developed a cell line designated A549 that was derived from explanted cultures of human lung cancer tissue. The A549 cell line has been tested under the guidance of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) so, under current Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), these cells may be suitable for use in manufacturing constructs for use in clinical trials.