Science & Research

Mission & Vision
Cancer Research
Research Programs
Clinical Trials
Faculty
Core Resources & Facilities
Technology Transfer Office

Mission & Vision

Nevada Cancer Institute reduces the burden of cancer for Nevada, the nation and the world through innovative and collaborative research, education and patient care.

We are entering a new phase of our development as we position ourselves to become the first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in Nevada. Facilities awarded this designation not only must perform first-rate research and exceptional patient care, but they must also demonstrate that the close integration of research and clinical efforts fosters an environment that stimulates new discoveries, and translates these discoveries quickly into better care to patients. Research in the area of cancer control and programs in community outreach and education are also essential for comprehensive status.

Cancer Research

Over the last several decades, much of the research directed at new treatments for cancer was empirical and focused on interfering with the process of DNA replication. The last decade has seen an exponential increase in our understanding of the biology of cancer, with a corresponding increased realization that other targets, including apoptosis, kinases and other signaling compounds, neo-vascular growth, adjacent “normal” tissue and various epigenetic regulators are also relevant targets that can be successfully attacked. The older approach of testing a large battery of compounds empirically has fallen by the wayside and, instead, a focus on developing targets that are “druggable” has developed and actually led to the beginnings of the era of so-called “personalized medicine.”

Since its founding, NVCI has focused on the search for new anti-neoplastic targets and the study and development of new anti-cancer molecules. Most of this effort has been concentrated in the Department of Drug and Target Discovery, although other research areas, including Clinical-Preclinical Pharmacology, Research Imaging and the inter-divisional Phase I Program, have actively participated. Overall, clinical and pre-clinical investigators, as well as basic scientists, are involved in drug development and drug discovery. The tight interaction among the various programs and divisions at NVCI, and the collaborative environment of the Institute, have been and will continue to be critical for the identification of new targets and the development of new molecules, with the goal of shortening the process of drug discovery, development and implementation.

Research Programs

Building on our current research and clinical strengths, our strategic plan focuses on investing in and growing our existing research areas and clinical teams:

Research

Drug Development Program
Experimental Therapeutics
Biomarkers and Genetics Program
Population Science

Interdisciplinary Clinical Teams

Thoracic Oncology (Lung Cancer, Mesothelioma)
Genitourinary Oncology (Prostate, Testis, Bladder, Kidney)
Malignant Hematology (Leukemia, Lymphoma and Myeloma)
Breast Cancer
Melanoma

The faculty is organized in four divisions: Clinical Sciences, Translational Sciences, Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences and Biological Sciences. Dr. Giuseppe Pizzorno the Division of Translational Sciences. Dr. James Symanowski serves as interim Head of the Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences Division. Dr. Hong Sun serves as interim Head of the Biological Sciences Division. Each division is subdivided into departments that reflect the basic interdisciplinary nature of the center. All of the clinical departments are disease-focused and the basic science departments are theme-focused. NVCI’s departments are, therefore, not organized along traditional lines.

Research Divisions

Division of Translational Sciences

Presently, the most developed area of basic science research at NVCI is the Department of Drug and Target Discovery in the Division of Translational Sciences. It currently includes Clinical-preclinical Pharmacology, Experimental Therapeutics, Research Imaging, and the Inter-departmental Phase I Program. Led by Dr. Giuseppe Pizzorno, the scientists in the Department focus on identifying new druggable targets in the areas of brain cancers, breast carcinoma, and prostate and gastrointestinal tumors using several platforms that exemplify different stages of tumor progression. A team of physicists and structural biologists, utilizing techniques such as NMR and crystallography, have provided an important contribution to resolving the structure of some of the potential targets and identifying new chemical structures. Some of these projects have already reached the pre-clinical stage. Other members of the Department are involved in studies to develop improved methods to diagnose early-stage cancer, establish better tools to monitor disease progression, identify new biological targets for drug intervention and reduce the side effects of radiation and chemotherapy. Still other members investigate how to reprogram stem cells to better target cancer treatments. They are also studying the development of myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia so as to discover new inhibitors and treatments for these diseases.

Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences

The Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences, currently led by NVCI biostatistician Dr. James Symanowski, has access to the state’s Central Cancer Registry and population database at NVCI to develop databases for the identification and monitoring of specific populations of patients, an activity that is enhanced through the re-vitalization of the Nevada Cancer Coalition (the CDC-supported group charged with developing and maintaining the state’s cancer plan as well as monitoring its implementation). The CDC-funded project entitled Population Sciences Program to Reduce Incidence and Mortality of Cancers in Nevada involves in-depth analyses of the six most commonly diagnosed cancers in Nevada. For each cancer type, Program members are analyzing incidence, mortality, and behavioral risk factors, and examining disparities defined by demographic factors, poverty levels, access to health care, and behavioral characteristics. Initial projects utilizing behavioral interventions in Latina women receiving chemotherapy are underway at NVCI in conjunction with faculty at UNLV and the Moffitt Cancer Center.

Division of Clinical Sciences

The Division of Clinical Sciences at NVCI currently has 45 open clinical studies and is on track to accrue over 150 patients to clinical trials this year. NVCI has strong clinical research interests in GU, lung, and melanoma. In addition, it has full membership in the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group. The Clinical Investigations Program includes an active Phase I Program.

Division of Biological Sciences

The goals of the Division of Basic Sciences are to decipher the basic biology of cancer and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis are regulated by genetic and epigenetic alterations. The Division focuses on the genetics of cancer susceptibility, epigenetic regulation of cancer progenitor cells, genome stability, cell cycle regulation, cancer cell signaling pathways, cancer immunology, tumor-host interactions, and the development of cancer targets and biomarkers. The Division consists of several areas of research: Cancer Biology, Stem Cell Biology, Cancer Genetics, Epigenetic Regulation, Genomics and Proteomics, and Immunology.

Clinical Trials

As a result of NVCI’s Clinical Trials Program, patients often have access to the latest lifesaving medical advances years before they become widely available. NVCI offers the only interdisciplinary, investigator-initiated Phase I clinical trial program for oncology in Nevada with all parts of the treatment conducted on NVCI’s campus. In addition to NVCI-initiated clinical trials, the Institute is proud to participate in trials sponsored by the National Cancer Institute. To learn more, visit our Clinical Trials site.

Faculty

Nevada Cancer Institute has recruited world-renowned scientists and physicians from some of the most prestigious universities and cancer research institutions in the country (e.g., Johns Hopkins University, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Cornell University, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Center, Huntsman Cancer Institute, City of Hope, University of California, Los Angles, Stanford University School of Medicine, and Yale University). Most NVCI faculty serve on NIH peer-review committees and some have served NIH divisions through special appointments during their careers.

For a complete listing of NVCI Research and Clinical Faculty, click here.

Core Resources and Facilities

NVCI has existing Cores in Proteomics, Imaging, Flow Cytometry, Histology (INBRE funded), Biostatistics, Pharmacology, Pathology, Biospecimen Procurement and Repository, and Clinical Trials Administration.

For a listing of all NVCI Facilities and Core Resources, click here.

For more information on the research enterprise at NVCI, please contact Research Operations at (702) 822-5343.