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Gastrointestinal Cancer Diagnostics Center of Economic Excellence
Inception: About the Center: The Gastrointestinal Cancer Diagnostics Center researches state-of-the-art translational medicine for gastrointestinal cancer patients, with hopes of decreasing the overall impact of cancer mortality and morbidity and closing disparity gaps throughout the state. Areas of research include molecular profiling, therapeutic targets, screening technologies, therapy, environmental interactions and population studies, with particular emphasis on esophageal cancer, which is highly prevalent in South Carolina. Center faculty were instrumental in the awarding of a 2009 National Cancer Institute Cancer Center designation to the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. In June 2009, the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) also received a $20 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical and Translational Science Award. Center faculty are conducting clinical trials in pancreatic, colon, kidney, liver and esophageal cancers. SmartState Chair Dr. Melanie Thomas is collaborating on a clinical trial with Cancer Drug Discovery SmartState Chair Charles Smith to test the success of a new drug for pancreatic cancer developed in Dr. Smith’s Center laboratory. In 2010, Dr. Thomas organized the first Gastrointesinal Cancer Research Retreat in order to chart a unified vision for the
growth of gastrointestinal cancer research. As an outcome of the retreat, two NIH grant submissions were created. Partners for this Center include Roche Carolina and Bank of America. This Center has more than $6 million in research funding. Funding level: SmartState Endowed Chair:
Endowed Chair Dr. Melanie Thomas with Summerville, SC, resident and cancer survivor Bobby Potter.
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