$172mil Research Centre of Excellence Grant over 7 years, by National Research Foundation and Ministry of Education
Director: Prof Daniel Tenen
Program Leaders:
Contact Details:
Ms Selena Gan
Administrative Director
Cancer Science Institute of Singapore
National University of Singapore
Centre for Life Sciences, #02-07
28 Medical Drive, Singapore 117456
Tel : 6516 1873
Fax : 6873 9664
Email : csigans@nus.edu.sg
The Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI Singapore) at the NUS will conduct a multifaceted and coordinated approach to cancer research, extending from basic cancer studies all the way to experimental therapeutics. The vision is to build on NUS's existing cancer research capabilities to establish CSI Singapore as one of the top cancer research centres in the world. With highly interrelated programmes, the CSI Singapore will forge an integrated approach to better understand and treat cancer.
Established with a total funding of $172 million from the National Research Foundation and the Ministry of Education over a period of 7 years, CSI Singapore will focus on 5 key areas - cancer stem cells, cancer biology, cancer epigenetics, cancer genomics and experimental therapeutics. Although the CSI Singapore will focus on cancers endemic to Asian populations such as gastric, colorectal, leukaemia and breast cancers, the insights gleaned will be applicable to cancers around the world, thereby providing an opportunity for Singapore to be a world leader in cancer biology and treatment.
In addition, the CSI Singapore will play a critical role in linking the National University Health System (NUHS), National Cancer Centre (NCC), Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), the Institute of Molecular & Cell Biology (IMCB), the Experimental Therapeutics Centre (ETC), the Johns Hopkins Singapore International Medical Centre and the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School (GMS). CSI Singapore will also play a significant role in education at NUS.
Research Focus:
1. Cancer Stem Cells Program
Focusing on cancers of particular importance to Singaporeans, including lung cancer and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), the research team will study the role of transcription factors and related genes involved in self-renewal of normal and cancer stem cells. Understanding cancer stem cells will contribute towards improving treatment outcomes, especially in preventing a relapse of cancer (which is the result of cancer cells being resistant to chemotherapy and radiation therapy).
2. Cancer Biology Program
This team of researchers aims to better understand the shared pathways of transformation among the divergent group of tumours that are endemic in Asian population. Understanding the shared features of transformation will enable development of therapeutics that has potential for treatment of a spectrum of human tumours.
3. Genomic Oncology Program
Current methods of treating cancer patients are largely based on conventional clinical criteria, such as tumour stage and histologic subtype, which often do not take into account the tremendous biological variation associated with individual cancers in either the malignant tumour or in patient physiology. This research team aims to apply molecular phenotyping strategies to cancers relevant to Asia for the purposes of: (1) guiding the use of existing cancer therapies, (2) accelerating the evaluation of early-phase clinical compounds and (3) identifying novel targets and cellular pathways for development of new therapeutics.
4. Experimental Therapeutics Program
A key component of this programme is the clinical trial engine that provides the research infrastructure to support the other programmes in defining novel therapeutic targets and examining the behaviour of novel therapeutics in humans. The programme will serve as a vital bridge between drug discovery and development in the laboratories and the needs of patient populations.
5. Cancer Epigenetics Program
Growing evidence suggests that epigenetic changes play a critical role in normal development, self-renewal of stem cells, and carcinogenesis. This research team will evaluate, among many factors, the role of STAT (Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription) factors, inflammation and the development of cancer.
