GREENVILLE, S.C., Oct. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Greenville
Hospital System University Medical Center (GHS) unveiled details of
its new Institute for Translational Oncology Research, a visionary
cancer initiative that will help pave the way for new breakthroughs
in rapid drug development, diagnostic discovery and advanced cancer
care. ITOR is part of the GHS Cancer Center, a recognized regional
multi-disciplinary center.
ITOR partners will include leading pharmaceutical companies,
research universities, private industry and the government. GHS
made the announcement today (Oct. 12).
The new institute, known as ITOR, builds on the success of GHS’
Clinical Research Unit and its rapidly-developing biorepository
tissue-banking service, which helped make GHS one of the country’s
prominent players in the development of promising new oncology
drugs. Numerous first-in-human studies have been conducted through
the CRU, which began in 2004 as part of GHS’ long-standing
relationship with Cancer Centers of the Carolinas.
The evolving institute is steadily moving into the arena of
personalized gene-based cancer therapies, which match the treatment
to tumor-specific genetic abnormalities and patient-specific
predictors of toxicity. Such translational research helps bring
discovery directly from the lab to practical applications in
patients. Part of ITOR’s strength is its focus on using innovative
public and private sector partnerships and initiatives to advance
leading-edge cancer care.
“Through ITOR, we will be able to make new therapies accessible
to patients far more quickly than traditional models have allowed,”
said Joe Stephenson, M.D., who serves as the institute’s medical
director.
To accomplish the goal of speeding-up the delivery of
patient-specific therapies, ITOR strives to identify new
ways to achieve earlier prediction of drug success, find new
applications and patients for existing drugs and integr
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