NOVEL THERAPEUTIC TRIALS

For additional information on cell signaling pathway research, see Current Projects.

Researchers in the program perform initial clinical studies of agents that target the pathways altered in cancer cells. These trials examine the efficacy and safety of the next generation of anticancer drugs. Laboratory investigations designed to confirm that the targeted pathway has been affected are also built into these studies.

Once novel agents or combinations of agents are developed and tested in the laboratory, members of the Developmental Therapeutics Program help translate promising findings into clinical practice. The Phase I Group of the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center consists of a dedicated cadre of physicians, nurses, laboratory scientists, research assistants and statisticians who collaborate to perform early clinical testing of novel chemotherapeutic strategies developed at Mayo and elsewhere.

These trials are designed to assess the safety and efficacy of new treatments. In conjunction with these trials, blood samples or tumor biopsies are often examined to determine the impact of the treatment on the targeted signaling pathway. In addition, patients enrolled in the trials are often asked to allow examination of blood samples so that the metabolism of the novel agent can be assessed and correlated with any side effects.

Treatments that appear promising after these initial clinical trials often undergo more extensive clinical testing in Phase II and Phase III trials conducted in other programs within the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, through the Mayo Clinic Phase 2 Consortium, or through the North Central Cancer Treatment Group.