Centers of Research
Centers of focused research provide structured environments where researchers and clinicians can work together on projects that are both clinically relevant and fundamentally important. These currently include the following:

Center for Hematology and Oncology Molecular Therapeutics (CHOMT)

The Center for Hematology and Oncology Molecular Therapeutics (CHOMT) aims to develop novel and effective therapeutic options for cancer patients. Our intent is to discover and develop therapeutics with particular focus on biological agents targeted at genes or gene products that determine the course of cancer development. We strive to design innovative approaches to stem the growth and metastasis of tumors, and our efforts are geared to translate our findings into rigorous clinical trials that test the efficacy of molecular medical cancer treatments. CHOMT provides a focus for investigation of new molecules in preclinical screening systems and to translate the information about novel cancer related molecules to clinical trials. By using the principles of pharmacology and the knowledge of cancer biology, we design and develop new compounds or combinations of new compounds that reduce morbidity from the complications of cancer. The research community has developed a wealth of findings on important cellular processes critical in the regulation of normal proliferation and the initiation, progression and metastasis of cancer cells. CHOMT aims to integrate information from these data and use it to develop new approaches to the treatment of cancer. The expertise of CHOMT investigators is on understanding of the perturbed molecular processes in malignant cells and the immune and angiogenic components of the host response to cancer. Their approaches build upon the remarkable progress in molecular biological techniques of the last 30 years. This progress has resulted in remarkable progress in understanding of cellular abnormalities that lead to cancer. These can then be applied to new pharmacological, immunological, biological and cellular approaches to therapeutics and diagnostics. This has led to designing of new therapeutic and diagnostic approaches based on targeting of specific genes and gene products.

From inception, the strategic approach of research programs of the Taussig Cancer Center (TCC) laboratories have focussed on translation of research findings from bench to clinic and to pursuit of clinical observations at the bench. An example of the former is the finding of Ram Ganapathi and his laboratory on a key biochemical change of phosphorylation of topoisomerase II for therapeutic activity of doxorubicin or etoposide. This may lead to development of an antibody that might be predictive of therapeutic response to topoisomerase II inhibitors. An example of the latter is an observation made regarding therapeutic activity of CSF-GM in metastatic disease by Rob Dreicer, M.D. The clinical mechanism for this will now be assessed in treated patients by a new staff member recruited from the University of Alabama Comprehensive Cancer Center, Pierre Triozzi, M.D. The Triozzi laboratory will utilize a novel assay that they have developed to identify activated circulating dendritic cells, a cellular target for CSF-GM function that leads to enhanced immune recognition.

In addition to the above individuals, CHOMT includes laboratories under the direction of Julian Kim, M.D., Daniel Lindner, M.D., Ph.D., Jaroslaw Maciejewski, M.D., Ph.D., and Ernest Borden, M.D. In addition to the interaction with each other, the personnel in these laboratories benefit daily from collaborations with our colleagues on the other floors of TCC, LRI, and at Case. This research on new drugs and diagnostics targeted at defined molecular structures will continue to increase both quality of life and length of life of patients.