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| 8058 | NCATS-Supported Researchers Recruit Citizen Scientists to Help Mine Biomedical Literature | Biomedical scientists are publishing new discoveries at a rapid rate. Currently, PubMed, the primary database for biomedical literature housed by NIH’s National Center for Biotechnology Information, contains more than 26 million articles and is expanding by more than 1 million articles per year — that’s two articles per minute. The research boom is great news for biomedical science, but it is challenging for humans to keep up with such massive amounts of information. Enter a team of bioinformatics scientists from the Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI) at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) in La Jolla, California, an NCATS Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program hub. Led by Andrew Su, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine at TSRI and director of computational biology at STSI, the group invented a web-based technology platform to arrange biomedical literature into a format that is easier for computers to organize and analyze. Because of the size of such a task, the platform, called Mark2Cure, is designed to employ crowdsourcing. Crowdsourcing is the practice of recruiting large numbers of people to help solve a complex problem—in this case, sorting and organizing thousands of biomedical papers. Su and his bioinformatics colleagues Max Nanis, Ginger Tsueng, Ph.D., and Benjamin Good, Ph.D., hope that Mark2Cure can make the biomedical literature more manageable and useful by enabling scientists to rediscover buried knowledge that can spur new research hypotheses. “The Mark2Cure platform exemplifies the CTSA Program’s mission to develop innovative solutions that will improve the efficiency, quality and impact of the process for turning observations in the laboratory, clinic and community into interventions that improve the health of individuals and the public,” said NCATS Director Christopher P. Austin, M.D. Citizen Scientists as Research Partners Citizen scientists Judy and A.J. Eckhart share their motivations for contributing to the project. Citizen scientists contribute much more than data, offering valuable insight, suggestions and feedback on how to improve a project. The Eckharts and many other participants provided feedback on how to improve Mark2Cure’s tutorials and interface. (Su Lab, The Scripps Research Institute) Humans are better than computers at certain tasks, such as scanning text and recognizing keywords and the relationships between them. “Computers have trouble interpreting the free text in a scientific article very well. We call this an information extraction problem,” Su explained. “On the other hand, humans have a well-developed sense of how to parse language, understand grammar and infer meaning, even when the language is technical and jargon-filled.” With this knowledge, the team set out to build a platform by which volunteers from the general public, whom they call “citizen scientists,” help solve the information extraction problem. After logging onto the web-based platform and undergoing a brief training exercise to become comfortable with scientific language and concept identification, the citizen scientists complete a two-step process. First they identify relevant concepts, such as genes, proteins, drugs or diseases, in the text, and then they define the relationships between concepts. For example, a relationship may be expressed by stating that a particular drug treats a certain disease; for example, insulin (drug) treats diabetes (disease). “If we carried out those two steps for every article published, we would have a powerful knowledge base that computers could mine very effectively,” Su said. In an initial experiment, Su and his team tested the effectiveness of the Mark2Cure approach by comparing the citizen scientists’ efforts with those of experts performing the same task. The Scripps researchers found that, in the aggregate, the citizen scientists performed the task of highlighting disease mentions within biomedical text with very high accuracy, comparable to that of the experts. The researchers also found, through survey responses, that the citizen scientists had high levels of desire and motivation to volunteer for Mark2Cure; most respondents cited advancing science or learning as their motivation for participating. The Scripps scientists are publishing these findings in Citizen Science: Theory and Practice. Using Mark2Cure to Study a Rare Disease A knowledge network constructed from concepts identified by citizen scientists within months after Mark2Cure’s launch. Blue text indicates disease-related terms, green text indicates gene-related terms, and pink text indicates treatment-related terms. Many highly motivated citizen scientists were concerned about the quality of their work and were reassured to see that high-quality annotations dominated knowledge networks generated from their work. (Su Lab, The Scripps Research Institute) Su and his group now have turned to testing Mark2Cure in the context of an actual disease. To start, they are focusing on N-glycanase 1 (NGLY1) deficiency, an extremely rare inherited disorder that affects multiple organs, causing developmental delays, movement problems and seizures, among other symptoms. According to Su, rare diseases are an ideal starting point, because the literature base is relatively small and members of patient groups are often well-informed and highly motivated to help with research. Indeed, one of the ways NCATS seeks to improve the process of developing interventions is by engaging patient communities and advocacy groups and partnering with them to carry out research. Already, the citizen scientists have identified a potential treatment for NGLY1 deficiency that is not typically associated with the condition: adrenocorticotropic hormone. The hormone improved some of the symptoms in one patient, and while it ultimately was not a viable treatment option, the discovery points to the potential of the Mark2Cure approach. Beyond NGLY1 Deficiency Mark2Cure is designed to help explore virtually any disease, rare or common, and the Scripps team plans to expand beyond NGLY1 deficiency in future projects. It is open-source, meaning that the software and data are available for anyone to access, but the researchers caution that the technology remains experimental. Still, the hope is that Mark2Cure will enable researchers to make unexpected connections between various diseases, their underlying mechanisms and potential treatments. “By looking for commonalities across diseases, scientists have the potential to accelerate the development and demonstration of treatments for multiple diseases at once,” Austin said. “Mark2Cure’s use of crowdsourcing, engaging citizens and the rare diseases community, and identifying unexpected biological connections are all shared aspects of NCATS’ approach to speed translation to get more treatments to more patients more quickly.” The work was supported in equal parts by the Scripps CTSA and NIH’s Big Data to Knowledge program. Posted December 2016 | A team of bioinformatics scientists invented a web-based technology platform to arrange biomedical literature into a format that is easier for computers to organize and analyze. | Researchers Recruit Citizen Scientists to Mine Biomedical Literature | A team of bioinformatics scientists invented a web-based technology platform to arrange biomedical literature into a format that is easier for computers to organize and analyze. | Researchers Recruit Citizen Scientists to Mine Biomedical Literature | ||||
| 8057 | NIH I-Corps Training Helps NCATS-Supported Companies Find Their Way | In 2015, physician-bioengineer and entrepreneur Thomas Neumann, M.D., suspected he had a solution to a long-term problem in the stem cell research field: the need for a fast, accurate test that could gauge the quality of stem cells. According to many scientists, the ability of stem cells to transform into practically any type of cell may hold the key to treating a range of diseases, including cancer and Parkinson’s disease. Researchers at Nortis, Inc., are developing a tissue chip to grow stem cell-derived kidney cells to study kidney function. (Nortis, Inc.) A few years earlier, Neumann, along with some of his University of Washington (UW) colleagues, had founded the Seattle-based biotechnology company, Nortis, Inc., and had then been awarded support through NCATS’ Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, which fosters the growth and development of small companies. As the Nortis chief executive officer, Neumann also participated in an NIH SBIR Innovation Corps (I-Corps) training program to help company leaders navigate the challenges of product development. I-Corps is supported by a $50,000 supplement to existing SBIR or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) support. The NIH I-Corps program is a collaborative effort with the National Science Foundation to support the development and commercialization of biomedical technologies. In August 2015, the White House announced that NIH would expand its I-Corps program to focus on moving technologies developed through SBIR/STTR funding to the marketplace. NCATS is among 17 participating Institutes and Centers from NIH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “In many cases, scientists in academic laboratories lack the experience and know-how to take their discoveries to the marketplace,” said Lili Portilla, M.P.A., director of strategic alliances at NCATS. “I-Corps helps train them to think more like businesspeople, such as to ask, ‘Does my product or technology really solve a problem?’; engage with and learn from potential customers; and ultimately make decisions that will help deliver biomedical innovations to the market more efficiently.” Participants are asked to interview a minimum of 100 potential customers for their product and have the opportunity to speak with regulatory agencies, insurance companies and others. Experienced trainers, who are often entrepreneurs themselves, provide advice and guidance on what the participants can learn from customer interviews. The NIH SBIR I-Corps training curriculum consists of three separate tracks: diagnostics, therapeutics and devices. Companies commit to eight weeks of training and assemble a three-person team, including a principal investigator, a company officer and a key opinion leader who knows the company and the field. Every team member must spend 20 hours a week on the program. Learning what customers want I-Corps has been a perfect fit for Nortis and for another NCATS SBIR-supported company, CrossLife Technologies, a six-year-old biotechnology company in Carlsbad, California. Scientists at CrossLife are developing a quick and easy bedside test to determine whether a person has dengue fever, a potentially life-threatening mosquito-borne illness caused by a virus. Detecting the virus early can lead to more effective treatment. Dengue fever is found primarily in tropical climates in Southeast Asia, Africa and Central and South America. CrossLife founder and chief executive officer HyunDae Cho, Ph.D., a biochemist, said that current tests — often unavailable in areas affected by dengue virus — do not always provide an accurate diagnosis. CrossLife researchers are developing a simpler technology that uses a paper dipstick probe to detect the virus in the blood, enabling a diagnosis in 30 minutes. Cho and his colleagues originally thought their customers would be the companies developing dengue fever vaccines. But after interviewing more than 110 potential customers — including village hospital doctors in Southeast Asia, Central America, and South America, as well as vaccine developers and distributors — they quickly realized they had made a mistake. Vaccine companies weren’t interested, but nongovernmental organizations and physicians in those regions wanted a test to diagnose and treat patients as quickly as possible. Cho and his team had to rethink their product idea and focus on a new customer base. Cho said the company learned a great deal from I-Corps training, including the complexities of taking a product from the lab to the marketplace, and how markets and regulatory landscapes can differ from country to country. “The I-Corps program helped us discover who our customers are and what they want. It also provided a better understanding of the translational path for our product,” he said. Cho has already applied for a second SBIR grant, which would enable CrossLife scientists to develop and evaluate the test further. Switching tracks Neumann and his Nortis colleagues were also surprised to discover that they needed to adjust their product plan to meet customer needs because there was little interest in the product they were proposing. Nortis researchers, who develop microchips with three-dimensional chambers to grow miniature human tissues, organs and systems — including the liver, kidney, brain and immune system — have collaborated with UW as part of the NCATS Tissue Chip for Drug Screening program to develop the kidney-on-a-chip project. The program supports the development of tissue chips to better predict the safety and effectiveness of candidate drugs. The Nortis scientists planned to use the tissue chip technology to create a human tissue environment that allowed them to study stem cell quality. Scientists typically measure the quality of stem cells by injecting them into animals and watching for the development of different cell types that come from three embryonic cell layers, while making sure the stem cells don’t have cancer-forming effects. But the current test can be expensive and requires a large number of animals, and it may not always be accurate. Neumann and his team developed a business plan and received state funding to replicate the animal test on a tissue chip, which they said would be faster and less expensive. However, when they interviewed more than 100 potential customers, including academic researchers and industry experts, Nortis researchers were disappointed to learn that few people were interested in a new test. “Most people said that while the current test wasn’t perfect, it was good enough for now,” Neumann said. But in conversations with their I-Corps mentors and with colleagues at NCATS and in the tissue chip field, Nortis researchers discovered that there was a need for a tissue chip with a stem cell-based model to study kidney function. “If successful, stem cells transformed into kidney cells could replace the current source of kidney cells in Nortis’s chips, which is cells harvested from patients,” Neumann said. These cells vary from patient to patient. In contrast, stem cell-derived kidney cells offer a more uniform and renewable supply. When they polled potential customers again, Neumann and his team found a very different response: 99 percent of those interviewed said they would use such a tissue chip. The new product is aimed at providing a steady source of stem cell-derived kidney cells and allowing researchers to test the effects of various concentrations of drugs on the kidneys. Portilla sees the I-Corps program as a win-win situation for NCATS and NIH more broadly, as well as participating SBIR- and STTR-supported companies. “It’s great because our agency has opportunities to fund projects that truly have a customer base,” she said. “What’s more, the I-Corps program also supports an NCATS goal to train translational investigators who ultimately will lead the way in translating great science more efficiently to patients.” Posted December 2016 | The NIH I-Corps program expanded to focus on moving technologies developed through SBIR/STTR funding to the marketplace, and NCATS is a participating Center. | /sites/default/files/Nortis_900px.jpg | NIH I-Corps Training Helps NCATS-Supported Companies Find Their Way | The NIH I-Corps program expanded to focus on moving technologies developed through SBIR/STTR funding to the marketplace, and NCATS is a participating Center. | /sites/default/files/Nortis_900px.jpg | NIH I-Corps Training Helps NCATS-Supported Companies Find Their Way | ||
| 8056 | CTSA Program Supports New Ultrasensitive Diagnostic Test Development | Stanford University researchers have developed a new assay (test) for diagnosing diseases, including thyroid cancer, HIV and type 1 diabetes. The method appears to be many times more sensitive than some traditional diagnostic tests, meaning that it potentially can detect illnesses earlier, enabling clinicians to treat patients sooner and possibly slow disease progression. Jason Tsai and Peter Robinson, two of three co-founders of Enable Biosciences, are investigating the synthesis of reagents for their ultrasensitive antibody detection platform. Enable is developing tests for HIV and type 1 diabetes that are 1,000 times more sensitive than current methods. (Stanford University News Photo/L.A. Cicero) The research, led by recent Ph.D. graduate Peter Robinson and Ph.D. candidate Jason Tsai under the guidance of Carolyn Bertozzi, Ph.D., professor of chemistry, radiology and chemical and systems biology, was supported in part by a Stanford Predictives and Diagnostics Accelerator (SPADA) pilot grant. The SPADA program is part of the Stanford Center for Clinical and Translational Research and Education (also referred to as Spectrum), an NCATS Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program hub. SPADA pilot grants support research to translate discoveries into novel predictive and diagnostic products that address unmet medical needs. The emphasis is on technologies that have the potential to advance rapidly into clinical care through commercialization or other pathways. “CTSA Program hubs promote excellence and innovation in research resources and training as well as fund opportunities such as the Stanford SPADA program to foster the translation of research discoveries into health benefits,” said Petra Kaufmann, M.D., M.Sc., director, NCATS Division of Clinical Innovation and Office of Rare Diseases Research. Improving the Status Quo The Stanford team designed a test to detect antibodies, which are proteins the body produces in response to and for the purpose of counteracting a specific antigen — a toxin or other foreign substance that generates a response from the body’s immune system. Clinicians commonly diagnose abnormal health conditions by testing for specific antibodies that indicate the presence of a particular disease. Current tests detect antibodies using radioactive tags, meaning these tests must be conducted in specially equipped laboratories. Many hospitals lack these facilities, so staff must send samples to outside laboratories, which can be costly and time-consuming. The new test uses small DNA fragments to identify and “tag” antibodies. Standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology is then used to quickly amplify small segments of DNA, which enables clinicians and researchers to analyze and measure the tagged antibodies. PCR is a decades-old, relatively inexpensive technology that can be deployed easily in most standard laboratories. An advantage of the new assay, called antibody detection by agglutination-PCR (ADAP), is that the lack of radioactivity and easy access to PCR technology mean ADAP can be performed in most hospitals, enabling more clinicians to receive diagnostic results sooner. ADAP also appears to be more sensitive than some traditional tests. Robinson explained that it can detect antibodies at much lower levels than standard techniques, meaning it could help clinicians diagnose and treat diseases at earlier stages. The researchers demonstrated that ADAP detected thyroid cancer antibodies with 1,000 times the sensitivity of the current test approved by the Food and Drug Administration. They published this work in the Feb. 16, 2016, issue of ACS Central Science. After establishing the assay’s validity, Robinson and Tsai began adapting it to detect early-stage HIV infection by testing saliva, which is ideal for large-scale public health screening because it is cheap and noninvasive. HIV is most infectious during the first several weeks after exposure; however, current saliva tests lack the sensitivity to detect the virus at this stage. Using preliminary data showing that ADAP could detect HIV antibodies accurately in patients’ oral fluid samples, Robinson and Tsai secured the SPADA pilot grant from the Stanford CTSA/Spectrum Pilot Grant Program in spring 2016. The team is using the funding to collect and analyze additional samples to validate initial findings. The next step will be to determine if ADAP can outperform current saliva tests by accurately detecting HIV antibodies at early stages of infection. The team envisions expanding the technology to diagnose a wide range of other diseases. Additionally, the test could be adapted for use in basic science research to discover new antibodies, which could lead to diagnostic tests for diseases that are currently difficult to diagnose. For now, the researchers are focused on further validating and optimizing the assay to generate marketable products for early detection of thyroid cancer and HIV as well as type 1 diabetes. A Path to Commercialization The co-founders and advisory board members of Enable Biosciences: Dr. Peter Robinson, Co-Founder and CSO of Enable Bioscience; Stephanie Marrus, Director of the Entrepreneurship Center at UCSF; Prof. Carolyn Bertozzi, Department of Chemistry and HHMI, Stanford University, Co-Founder and consultant to Enable Bioscience; Jason Tsai, co-Founder and CTO of Enable Bioscience; Dr. David Seftel, Co-Founder and CEO of Enable Bioscience; Dr. Mark Pandori, Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine, UCSF, and Director, Alameda County Public Health Laboratory. (Stanford University Photo/Peter Robinson) (Stanford University Photo/Peter Robinson) Within the SPADA framework, young investigators receive advice during quarterly project review meetings with faculty, industry volunteers and peers. This approach helps keep projects on schedule and following a translational path that is more likely to lead to products that can be used in the clinic. The research team’s early data enabled Bertozzi, Robinson and Tsai to establish a company called Enable Biosciences in late 2015. They also enlisted the services of biotech entrepreneur David Seftel, M.D., M.B.A., who now serves as the chief executive officer of the company. Enable received a Small Business Innovation Research award from NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to develop the test to diagnose type 1 diabetes. Enable researchers also received a technology development award from the National Science Foundation that they will use to adapt the diagnostic platform to detect many types of antibodies at once. This step is essential because for many conditions, clinicians can confirm a diagnosis only if several different disease-specific antibodies are present. “SPADA is a fantastic program that helps Stanford faculty and trainees collect important datasets that serve as a foundation for the development of marketable diagnostic products,” Bertozzi said. “It is quite difficult to find funds for those kinds of activities, so having a program explicitly focused on seeding entrepreneurship and start-up companies is immensely valuable.” “Our goal,” Bertozzi added, “is to deliver a world-class technology that ultimately will improve the lives of patients.” Posted September 2016 | The new test uses small DNA fragments to identify and “tag” antibodies. | CTSA Program Supports New Ultrasensitive Diagnostic Test Development | The new test uses small DNA fragments to identify and “tag” antibodies. | CTSA Program Supports New Ultrasensitive Diagnostic Test Development | ||||
| 8055 | NCATS Introduces Plans for New Single IRB Reliance Platform | On May 2, 2016, NCATS held a workshop for Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program representatives and other innovators in clinical research management to educate them about using its new single institutional review board (IRB) reliance platform for multisite clinical studies. The NCATS Streamlined, Multisite, Accelerated Resources for Trials (SMART) IRB Reliance Platform is based on the successful experiences of NIH single IRB initiatives and on CTSA Program demonstration projects using a model called IRBrely. Designed to be a flexible platform that will enable harmonization and streamlining of processes, the NCATS SMART IRB Reliance Platform will be a key component of NCATS’ Trial Innovation Network. In addition, NCATS intends for the platform to serve as a roadmap for the nation to help implement NIH’s policy on single IRB use in multisite studies and as a resource for clinical researchers who conduct these studies. Nearly 300 people participated in the workshop on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. The workshop’s goals were to: Educate participants about the concept of a single IRB reliance approach; Update participants on the progress made on the NCATS SMART IRB Reliance Platform; Describe future plans to develop the NCATS SMART IRB Reliance Platform; and Define expectations for CTSA Program participants to use the platform. During the event, NIH staff and CTSA Program collaborators discussed single IRB implementation and some of the draft resources for the NCATS SMART IRB Reliance Platform, including authorization and joinder agreements, standard operating procedures, and best practices for implementing the resources. Participants included representatives from each CTSA Program hub, including investigators who will lead the Trial Innovation Network at each hub, IRB administrators, project managers and study coordinators, as well as individuals from other NIH Institutes, Centers and Offices. One key outcome was that stakeholders were able to discuss and address challenges and opportunities for the platform. Updated May 2016 | NCATS Introduces Plans for New Single IRB Reliance Platform | NCATS Introduces Plans for New Single IRB Reliance Platform | ||||||
| 8054 | News Brief: Tox21 Researchers Publish Analysis of 10,000 Potentially Toxic Chemicals | In the January 26 issue of Nature Communications, researchers from the Toxicology in the 21st Century (Tox21) program published their first comprehensive analysis from screening a library of more than 10,000 chemicals for toxicity in 30 different human cell–based assays (tests). Evaluated substances included pesticides, industrial chemicals, food additives and drugs. Using NCATS’ laboratory robots, researchers generated nearly 50 million publicly available data points that can be used to predict the potential effects of chemicals on human biological functions and to enable chemicals to be prioritized for further testing. Posted February 2016 | asdfasfdasdf | asdfasfdasdf | ||||||
| 8052 | News Brief: Former CTSA Program Scholar Develops Interactive End-of-Life Decision Tool | Ronald L. Hickman Jr., Ph.D., R.N., ACNP-BC, FAAN NCATS’ Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program training initiatives provide researchers with access to interdisciplinary teams led by experienced mentors. Ronald L. Hickman Jr., Ph.D., R.N., ACNP-BC, FAAN, an associate professor at Case Western Reserve University’s Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing and an acute care nurse, is applying the knowledge and guidance he gained as a CTSA Program Clinical Research Scholar (KL2) to help develop a new tool called Interactive Virtual Decision Support for End of Life and Palliative Care (INVOLVE). Hickman has gone on to obtain a prestigious research project grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research. With these funds, Hickman and his Case Western Reserve colleagues are testing and refining the effectiveness of INVOLVE, which helps users make end-of-life decisions well in advance of an emergency in the intensive care unit. Through the CTSA KL2 Scholar Program, Hickman had access to accomplished NCATS- and NIH-funded investigators with in-depth knowledge in decision, behavioral and psychological sciences. “Their support and guidance shaped the development of my research on decision support technology,” Hickman said. “They provided the skills needed to assemble a team of multidisciplinary scientists to tackle the challenge of putting decision-making resources in the hands of families when most needed.” The INVOLVE prototype will be tested with 270 patients at University Hospitals Case Medical Center. Learn more about Hickman’s research and INVOLVE. Posted January 2016 | asdfasdf | asdfasdf | ||||||
| 8050 | News Brief: NCATS Presents Early Plans for Trial Innovation Network, Solicits Project Proposals | Efforts to align and harmonize three Trial Innovation Centers (TICs) and the Recruitment Innovation Center (RIC) are underway within the NCATS Trial Innovation Network, a new collaborative initiative made possible through the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program. The initial framework was shared with CTSA Program hub, TIC, and RIC representatives at the Trial Innovation Network kickoff meeting held on Oct. 26, 2016, in Chicago. Key goals of the meeting were to: Engage the CTSA hubs as full stakeholders and partners; Communicate the Network’s vision, goals and organization; Provide information on key elements of the Network and an initial timeline for progress; and Describe the guiding principles of operational innovation, operational excellence and collaboration. Monica R. Shah, M.D., M.H.S., M.S.J., NCATS Trial Innovation Network director, opened the meeting with an overview of the early goals and vision for the Network. TIC and RIC principal investigators also led presentations and discussions. Breakout session topics included (1) organizing the Trial Innovation Network liaison teams at the CTSA Program hubs, (2) operationalizing the Network single institutional review board system and master contract agreements, and (3) leveraging the Network by submitting project proposals. With the key organizational partners engaged, Trial Innovation Network representatives have opened an intake process for Network project proposals and will launch early projects designed to build the major elements of the Network, provide key performance metrics and develop a pipeline of future clinical trials and studies. The early-stage projects will focus on specific, defined consultations and services and on building partnerships with NIH Institutes and Centers, the scientific community and other stakeholders. Investigators can leverage the Trial Innovation Network by submitting Level 1 or Level 2 Network project proposals (PDF - 598KB). Level 1 proposals include requests for basic services and consultations, and Level 2 proposals include comprehensive consultations and potential study implementation. Visit the Trial Innovation Network website to learn more and submit proposals. Posted December 2016 | Efforts to align and harmonize three Trial Innovation Centers (TICs) and the Recruitment Innovation Center (RIC) are underway within the NCATS Trial Innovation Network. | NCATS Presents Plans for Trial Innovation Network | Efforts to align and harmonize three Trial Innovation Centers (TICs) and the Recruitment Innovation Center (RIC) are underway within the NCATS Trial Innovation Network. | NCATS Presents Plans for Trial Innovation Network | ||||
| 8049 | NCATS Hosts Assay Guidance Workshop | On Feb. 4, 2017, NCATS hosted another Assay Guidance Workshop for High-Throughput Screening and Lead Discovery. The session took place at the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening’s annual international conference, held this year in Washington, D.C. More than 30 industry and academic researchers from nine countries and 12 U.S. states participated in the workshop, and nine Assay Guidance Manual editors covered a range of concepts critical for preclinical drug discovery. Open discussion featured topics including reproducible and robust methodologies, reagent validation, and statistical concepts for data analysis and assay interpretation. Plans for the next workshop are underway. | On Feb. 4, 2017, NCATS hosted an Assay Guidance Workshop for High-Throughput Screening and Lead Discovery. | /sites/default/files/agm-workshop.jpg | NCATS Hosts Assay Guidance Workshop | On Feb. 4, 2017, NCATS hosted an Assay Guidance Workshop for High-Throughput Screening and Lead Discovery. | NCATS Hosts Assay Guidance Workshop | |||
| 8048 | Program Videos | NCATS Overview Description Preview NCATS, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences Learn more about the mission and scientific focuses of the Center. Runtime: 5:16 Date: November 2013 Right-click to download this video (MP4 - 304MB) YouTube embed video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nISQ_9zm5X0 Inside the NCATS Laboratories Description Preview Take a video tour of our labs and see firsthand how our researchers work to get more treatments to more patients more quickly. Runtime: 7:12 Date: August 2015 YouTube embed video: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/FOp-lX3NY6E | Program Videos | Program Videos | ||||||
| 8047 | Collaborate with NCATS Scientists (February 2016) | Bridging Interventional Development Gaps (BrIDGs) Through its BrIDGs program, NCATS assists researchers in advancing promising therapeutic agents through late-stage preclinical development toward an Investigational New Drug application and clinical testing. NCATS is accepting proposals on an ongoing basis to collaborate with BrIDGs scientists. For more information, contact BrIDGs@mail.nih.gov. NCATS Chemical Genomics Center (NCGC) NCATS’ NCGC program staff offer biomedical researchers access to large-scale screening capacity and medicinal chemistry and informatics expertise to develop chemical probe molecules. These resources can help scientists study the functions of genes, cells and biochemical pathways. The program also features assay development and high-throughput screening, chemistry and chemistry technology, automation, and informatics. To learn more and to obtain NCGC probe molecules, contact Ajit Jadhav. NIH RNA Interference (RNAi) Initiative Through the NIH RNAi initiative, NCATS provides NIH intramural researchers with state-of-the-art, high-throughput RNAi genome-wide screens for humans and mice. Contact Anna Rossoshek to learn more. Pfizer's Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) for NIH Researchers NCATS is facilitating Pfizer's CTI program at NIH, which pairs NIH intramural researchers and clinicians with Pfizer resources to pursue scientific and medical advances through joint therapeutic development of biologic compounds. To apply, submit a completed pre-proposal brief to your NIH Institute or Center's technology transfer office by June 17, 2016. For more information, contact NIH-PfizerCTI@mail.nih.gov. Therapeutics for Rare and Neglected Diseases (TRND) The TRND program provides collaborators with access to significant in-kind resources and expertise to develop new therapeutics for rare and neglected diseases. NCATS is accepting proposals on an ongoing basis through the TRND program for collaborative projects that focus on preclinical and early clinical development of new drugs for rare and neglected tropical diseases. Email TRND@mail.nih.gov to learn more. Toxicology in the 21st Century (Tox21) The goal of the Tox21 program is to test 10,000 chemicals and evaluate their potential to cause health problems. Any investigator may propose the development of biological assays for high-throughput screening. Proposed assays must be compatible with the high-throughput screening guidelines described in the assay guidance criteria. To suggest an assay, submit a nomination form (PDF - 44KB) to Menghang Xia, Ph.D. Collaborate on Other Intramural Projects Explore other potential project collaborations with NCATS scientists by visiting the NIH Intramural Database and selecting “NCATS - National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences” in the “Select IC or Center” drop-down menu. | Collaborate with NCATS Scientists (February 2016) | Collaborate with NCATS Scientists (February 2016) |
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