When scientists sequenced and mapped nearly all the DNA in humans — our genome — a new era dawned. It seemed that we’d have an easy-to-follow roadmap to better health, including better cancer therapeutics.
But scientists learned that often, the link between tumor genetics and tumor behavior is difficult to trace. To make precision oncology, or tailored treatments, a reality for most cancer patients, scientists are developing new tools to help them better understand how a tumor’s genetic alterations underpin its behavior and potential vulnerabilities.
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center’s Christopher Kemp, PhD, recently received a five-year, $5.4 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to use leading-edge functional genomics approaches to uncover new cancer therapy targets in tumor tissues donated by patients. The team has developed a method to grow patient-derived tumor cells in tumor-like 3D structures called organoids, which better capture tumor behavior and enable them to uncover promising new vulnerabilities.
