Research

The research agenda within Discovery to Cure focuses on translational scientific investigation, which forms a bridge between the laboratory and the clinic and continually delivers the most up-to-date treatment options available to patients.

In collaboration with the Yale Gynecologic Oncology Group, the Discovery to Cure Program identifies novel treatments for ovarian cancer, which includes the development of early detection screening tests that enable physicians to detect ovarian cancer in its early stages when it is highly curable, and developing disease markers that can predict the response to chemotherapy and therefore help determine the best method of treatment of women diagnosed with the disease.

Participating laboratories in the Discovery to Cure Program:

• Ovarian Cancer Translational Research Laboratory - Reproductive Immunology Unit
  
• Santin Lab
  

Ongoing research initiatives include:

• novel therapeutics
• new targeted therapies
• identification of disease markers
• new methods of prevention

• The Ovarian Cancer Early Detection Blood Test, developed in the Discovery to Cure labs is currently being reviewed by the FDA.  The test is commercially available throughout Europe, China and Israel.  We are presently testing new markers to be added to the existing panel to further increase sensitivity and specificity.  At this time the test can be ordered in the US through ArchiMedical USA Inc. 
• Ovarian Cancer Stem Cell (OCSC) research.  Researches at the DTC program have identified the Ovarian Cancer stem cells as the potential source of recurrence and metastasis.  Studies seek to identify markers within the OCSCs that predict recurrence using proteins extracted from biopsy samples.  Ovarian cancer stem cells (OCSCs) have the capacity to self-renew (keep their stemness) and repair the tumor.  Understanding what causes these chemo-resistant cells to maintain their stemness and self-renew promises to provide a tool for controlling future tumor growth.  One key to this solution may lie in studying the protein p53, whose function, in essence, controls the "fate" of the cell.
• New Therapies: Working in conjunction with pharmaceutical companies and Yale Chemistry Department we have recently screened more than 100 potential new therapies by isolating and characterizing ovarian cancer stem cells.  At present three drugs are in the final phase of pre-clinical trials.
• Anti-tumoral Vaccine: A clinical trial based on an immunotherapy vaccine containing the patient's immune cells to deliver biodegradable nanoparticles (loaded with proteins from the patient's original tumor), effecting an anti-tumor response, is currently being designed.  This novel approach will be used as maintenance therapy to prevent recurrence.
• Tissue Bank and Data Base: Our extensive, state-of-the-art ovarian cancer database, which enhances communication between research and clinicians, combines electronic clinical records, research and clinical samples form more the 2,000 patients to facilitate current and future clinical studies.