Research

A better Understanding of Cancer

Research is leading the way to a better understanding of the biology of cancer. Over time, knowing what a cancer will do, but has not yet done, will allow us to alter the natural course of the illness and eventually cure it.

The recent completion of the Human Genome Project offers an unprecedented opportunity to advance our understanding of disease mechanism. The goals of the Human Genome Project include the identification of all 100,000 human genes, and the complete sequence of all 3 billion base pairs of human DNA. These technologies will lead to a ten fold increase in the number of new drug targets, and to a dramatic increase in the number of novel medications in development.

Clinical trials

The San Diego Cancer Center will support, promote, and participate in a wide variety of clinical trials, for nearly all types and stages of cancer. From the scientific point of view, clinical trials are designed to find safer, more effective treatments for cancer patients. From the patient’s viewpoint, clinical trials offer high quality, state-of the-art technology and treatment options.

Access to these trials adds promise and hope to those challenged with disease and contributes to the rapidly evolving progress toward definitive, low toxicity solutions to cancer.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy plays a very important role in the treatment of cancer. Different treatments or therapies to enhance the immune system have been used for decades. Strategies for the immunotherapy of cancer can be divided into active and passive approaches. Until a few years ago, most of the treatments were non-specific. Through research and clinical studies more specific treatments for cancer are presently available. The development of monoclonal antibodies with relatively unique anti-tumor specificity and little or no toxic side effects have made this approach more and more popular. They are used as ‘magic bullets’ against lymphoma cells, breast cancer cells, colon cancer cells and other forms of cancer. Newer therapies over the next several years will result in finding better cytokines, chemicals that will boost the immune cells, known as cytotoxic T cells, which destroy cancer cells.
The San Diego Cancer Center will participate in the research on these new approaches and help find answers on how to teach the immune system to coach cancer cells to become normal again.

Anti-angiogenesis

Frequently clinical trials utilize novel, low toxicity drugs to augment the effect of conventional chemotherapy. Strategies involving molecules which interfere with tumor blood supply (anti-angiogenesis) are becoming more popular in clinical trials. We are all well familiar with Thalidomide. Due to its anti-angiogenesis effect, it caused serious congenital disorders. This drug is currently used to treat some cancers and hematological malignancies such as multiple myeloma. Many other newer molecules are being investigated as anti-cancer agents, and they are used alone or in combination with chemotherapy.

Genetherapy

This approach has been investigated for several years. Many Research Centers throughout the world are looking into finding potential cures using this technology. Our Institute will be collaborating with some of these centers. The idea of genetherapy is adding to cancer cells the normal gene that the cell lacks or has mutated.