Colorado's top universities advance cancer research
Two of the nation's top cancer research centers recently celebrated a 20-year research collaboration that has resulted in breakthroughs in cancer treatment. For the past two decades, scientists from Colorado State University and the University of Colorado have partnered on human and animal cancer research, resulting in better diagnoses, better treatments, and better monitoring of the disease.
The University of Colorado Cancer Center is the Rocky Mountain region's National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, one of just 40 in the United States. UCCC, a consortium of six member institutions, including Colorado State University, and eight affiliated organizations, enables Colorado cancer scientists and clinicians to share equipment, faculty, technicians, and expertise, rather than duplicate efforts.
Critical mass
The University of Colorado's cancer research enterprise includes more than 325 scientists and clinicians. The Colorado State University Cancer Supercluster consists of more than 70 researchers from 12 CSU departments, including the Animal Cancer Center — the largest companion-animal cancer research center in the world.
CSU's Animal Cancer Center professionals provide treatment for animals with cancer, research cures and medical interventions for the disease, and offer clinical cancer trials for companion pets — research that ultimately benefits humans. The center has an international reputation for its collaborations with human cancer institutions such as the Mayo Clinic, the National Cancer Institute, and the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
Great strides together
"The collaboration between our institutions has led to some exciting discoveries," says Robert Ullrich, Ph.D., UCCC Carcinogenesis Program director, and chief research officer for the CSU Cancer Supercluster.
Such a partnership between human and animal cancer centers is unprecedented in the United States, notes Paul A. Bunn, Jr., M.D., director of the University of Colorado Cancer Center and professor of Medical Oncology at the University of Colorado Denver. "We are very distinct universities, located miles apart, who have decided that our cancer research collaboration will not only benefit the people of Colorado but all Americans."
Emily Brown is proof that such collaborations work. The Colorado Springs native was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma in her mid-spine when she was 10. At Sky High Hope Camp, a program for children with cancer, Brown met Dr. Stephen Withrow, a Sky Hope volunteer, director of the CSU Animal Cancer Center, and future chief scientific officer for the University's Cancer Supercluster.
"He knew of a study for dogs that involved implanting radioactive seeds near the tumor," says Brown, now 21. "It was the seeds that saved my life the first time." Later, physicians found a metastatic tumor in Brown's right lung, Brown says, and put her in a clinical trial at CSU. "They think that's a reason my metastasis went away," says Brown of her involvement in the trial.
Powerhouse partnership
The landmark partnership between Colorado State and the University of Colorado translates groundbreaking scientific research into practical solutions, explains CSU President Larry Edward Penley. "Ultimately, this commitment serves both families and individuals affected by cancer — and the state of Colorado, which benefits economically from the strength of its research universities in this area."
CU and CSU are charged with helping to make the lives of Colorado citizens better through teaching, research, and clinical care, notes Bruce Benson, University of Colorado president. "We are also charged with making discoveries that will benefit society in general. By working together, we are a powerhouse in the area of cancer research."
Building on more than 35 years of excellence in cancer research and biomedicine, Colorado State formally launched its Cancer Research and Treatment Supercluster last year, along with NeoTREX, the business enterprise dedicated to speeding the transition of life-saving cancer research from the academic world to the global marketplace.