Advancing precision medicine for cancer
Making cancer precision medicine real: bottlenecks and opportunities
This work aims to make personalized cancer treatments, guided by a tumor's unique features, a reality for more patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Broad Institute, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cambridge, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11187132 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Currently, only a small number of patients truly benefit from precision medicine in cancer care. This project focuses on overcoming the scientific hurdles that prevent personalized treatments from reaching everyone. Researchers are developing new ways to understand a tumor's molecular makeup, especially by looking at gene activity rather than just DNA changes, which may better predict how a tumor will respond to medicine. They are also creating better lab models, like organoids and tumor cultures, to test drug responses more accurately and understand how a tumor's environment affects its survival and resistance to treatment. The goal is to create new tools and information that will speed up the development of truly personalized cancer care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients with various types of cancer who are seeking more personalized and effective treatment options may ultimately benefit from this research.
Not a fit: Patients whose cancer does not rely on molecular features for treatment guidance, or those not seeking advanced diagnostic approaches, may not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to more effective, personalized treatments for a wider range of cancer patients by better matching therapies to their specific tumor characteristics.
How similar studies have performed: While the concept of precision medicine has shown success for some patients, this work addresses current limitations and aims to expand its reach, building on existing knowledge but exploring novel approaches.
Where this research is happening
Cambridge, United States
- Broad Institute, INC. — Cambridge, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Golub, Todd R. — Broad Institute, INC.
- Study coordinator: Golub, Todd R.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.