Director's Message
A Japanese proverb says, "None of us is as smart as all of us." Solving the systemic and highly complex problems of translation will require that adage as a guiding principle.
Read more in the latest Director's Message.
Christopher P. Austin, M.D.
What's New at NCATS?
New 3-D Cell Model Enables Closer Look at Cancer Progression
NIH Intramural Researchers: Apply to Pfizer's Centers for Therapeutic Innovation by June 12
New Tissue Chip Video and Interactive Web Graphic Available
Michigan CTSA Supports Development of Blood Analysis Device
NCATS and Eli Lilly Make Drug Discovery Resource Data Available
NCATS Researchers Honored with HHS Green Champion Award
NCATS Aims to Connect CTSAs and Small Businesses
NCATS Director Testifies Before Congress
NCATS Seals New Collaborations with Industry to Advance Tissue Chip Program
NCATS and Patient-Centered Research Group Collaborate to Streamline Clinical Trial Efforts
Get to Know Our Scientists and Staff
Collaborate with NCATS Scientists
New 3-D Cell Model Enables Closer Look at Cancer Progression
For hundreds of years, scientists and physicians have struggled to fight cancer through approaches to better understand and model the disease process. To this end, NCATS and University of Chicago researchers recently developed an innovative 3-D cell model used to identify small molecules that can prevent ovarian cancer cells from spreading to new sites in the body. Read the full feature.
NIH Intramural Researchers: Apply to Pfizer's Centers for Therapeutic Innovation by June 12
NCATS is facilitating a collaboration with Pfizer's Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) program at NIH. The program is designed to pair NIH intramural researchers and clinicians with Pfizer resources to pursue scientific and medical advances through joint therapeutic development of biologic compounds. Now, CTI is now accepting pre-proposals to identify biologic compounds with an activity or pathway of interest to the NIH intramural researcher and to Pfizer. Visit the CTI Call for Proposals page to learn more about how to apply by the next deadline: June 12, 2015.
New Tissue Chip Video and Interactive Web Graphic Available
NCATS released a new video and interactive Web graphic for its Tissue Chip for Drug Screening program on April 30, 2015. The video provides an overview of the program, including how chip devices can serve as more predictive models of disease and how scientists are connecting them to create a human-on-a-chip. Watch the video to learn more.
The Center also rolled out an interactive Web graphic, named "Chip," that enables users to click on a specific organ in the body and see related tissue chip research advances, including research summaries, images and videos. Meet Chip and learn more about these NIH-supported projects.
Michigan CTSA Supports Development of Blood Analysis Device
A diagnostic device that can test extremely small blood samples has helped save the life of a young cancer patient whose organs were shutting down due to a catastrophic immune system reaction during treatment. The device was developed by a University of Michigan research team and funded in part by the Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research (MICHR) via NCATS' Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program and by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The device, which is still in the research phase, supplied critical information to support "just in time" adjustments to the treatment protocol that rapidly improved the patient's condition.
This successful emergency use — made possible because of the Food and Drug Administration's Expanded Access program — provided real-life proof of the device's potential. The MICHR team plans to continue development of the device and is exploring commercial and regulatory pathways that could lead to approval for use in the clinic. Read the MICHR news release.
NCATS and Eli Lilly Make Drug Discovery Resource Data Available
NCATS and Eli Lilly and Company researchers have generated drug discovery data that are now available to the public for download. This new resource is based on screening a selection of approved and investigational medicines from the NCATS Pharmaceutical Collection in assays (tests) relevant to cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, cancer and endocrine disorders, among others, from Lilly's Open Innovation Drug Discovery platform. The results may help scientists uncover new lead compounds for therapeutic development. Get more information and access the data.
NCATS Researchers Honored with HHS Green Champion Award
On May 6, 2015, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the winners of its annual Green Champions Awards, including one honoring several researchers from the NCATS Division of Pre-Clinical Innovation. The Green Champions Awards honor outstanding HHS employees and Native American tribal members involved in various sustainability projects. Samuel Michael, Kyle Brimacombe, Mohan Viswanathan, Ph.D., Anna Rossoshek and Cordelle Tanega received the award for their plate washing technology innovation, which has so far saved NCATS about $500,000 and prevented approximately 50,000 plastic well plates from ending up in landfills. Read the NCATS feature about the plate washer technology.
NCATS Aims to Connect CTSAs and Small Businesses
On May 13, 2015, NCATS held a webinar to familiarize investigators from the Center's Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program with NIH's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. These programs provide more than $750 million per year in grants and contracts. Approximately 100 webinar participants discovered how they could potentially benefit from these programs at NCATS; the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI); and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).
NCATS Director of Strategic Alliances Lili Portilla, M.P.A.; NINDS Director of Small Business Programs Stephanie Fertig, M.B.A.; and NHLBI SBIR Coordinator Jennifer Shieh, Ph.D., gave an overview of each program including eligibility, funding levels, application and review processes, and common application problems.
NCATS is interested in the following SBIR/STTR topics:
- Drug Discovery and Development (including interventions that target molecular pathways common to multiple diseases)
- Diagnostics and Devices (including small autonomous devices for real-time detection of metabolites involved in endocrine disorders)
- Clinical Research and Bioinformatics (including software development to integrate patient data collected from multiple devices and diverse clinical studies)
View the archived webinar. Learn more about NCATS' small business opportunities.
NCATS Director Testifies Before Congress
On April 28, 2015, NCATS Director Christopher P. Austin, M.D., joined colleagues from NIH's National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to testify before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions about the future of medical innovation. Sen. Lamar Alexander, chairman of the committee, said this was its third hearing "on examining how we can get safe drugs, medical devices and treatments from the discovery process through the regulatory process into medicine cabinets and into doctor's offices for patients who need them." The senators were interested in some of the agencies' current efforts in medical innovation, and Austin shared innovative tools and methods from NCATS' Tissue Chip for Drug Screening, Discovering New Therapeutic Uses for Existing Molecules and Clinical and Translational Science Awards programs. Roderic I. Pettigrew, Ph.D., M.D., NIBIB director; Janet Woodcock, M.D., director, FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research; and Jeffrey E. Shuren, M.D., J.D., director, FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health, also testified. Watch the archived hearing.
NCATS Seals New Collaborations with Industry to Advance Tissue Chip Program
NCATS recently finalized two new collaborations with industry to help advance microphysiological — "tissue chip" — systems research through the Tissue Chip for Drug Screening program. An agreement between NCATS and IQ Consortium (IQC) will enable NIH-funded tissue chip researchers and IQC participants to work together to further test, develop and market the devices.
Through another agreement with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), researchers funded via the Tissue Chip program will be able to use GSK compounds in certain device functionality tests. The compounds, which will remain the property of GSK, will be used for research purposes but will not be used in human subject studies.
NCATS and Patient-Centered Research Group Collaborate to Streamline Clinical Trial Efforts
Over the past year, NCATS and Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) staff have worked to better coordinate their respective efforts to improve clinical trial research. Both organizations support infrastructure and resources for conducting multisite clinical trials; NCATS' Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program supports research for earlier stage trials, and PCORI focuses on later stage trials. To synergize activities and avoid redundancies, CTSA and PCORI experts now are working together in pairs on three mutual areas of interest:
- Streamlining regulatory oversight through shared institutional review board agreements
- Building electronic health records/informatics tools to conduct trial feasibility assessments and enhance trial recruitment capabilities
- Improving the contracting process
The aim is to develop shared tools and resources that will be compatible with PCORI and CTSA clinical trial operations, moving one step closer to seamless trial infrastructure that can serve all CTSA hubs and beyond. The groups met together on May 27, 2015, and more details about collaboration plans are forthcoming.
NCATS Launches New Website
Last month, NCATS unveiled a new website designed to improve site navigation, organization and user experience. The Center plans to add more features in the coming months. Current features include a new design with more visuals and bulleted lists to speed access to specific information; easier access to NCATS' funding information and opportunities, programs and initiatives, and expertise and resources; and new interactive tools such as "Chip," which enables users to click on different parts of the body to learn about research on tissue chips now in development through the Tissue Chip for Drug Screening program. Learn more at ncats.nih.gov and share your feedback.
Get to Know Our Scientists and Staff
Meet Madhu Lal-Nag, Ph.D., an NCATS research biologist whose work focuses on high-throughput screening of disease models with multiple cell types. She is just one of many NCATS staff members featured on the new NCATS website. Each staff profile includes a photo, brief biography, research topics/professional interests and selected publications for those who have authored or contributed to research articles in scientific journals. Find out more on the NCATS Staff Profiles page, and check back often for updates.
Upcoming Events
June
Webinar: Funding Opportunities for Early-Stage Companies
Join NCATS and industry partners on June 11, 2015, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. ET for a free webinar about programs and funding that support small businesses and technology transfer organizations as they discover and develop new approaches to move laboratory research to clinical practice and commercialization. Webinar co-hosts include the Coalition of State Bioscience Institutes Entrepreneurship Committee, Arizona's AzBio, Northern California's BayBio Institute, the Colorado BioScience Association, CURE (Connecticut United for Research Excellence), Illinois' iBio Institute, the Indiana Health Industry Forum, Michigan's MichBio and the South Dakota Biotech Association. The webinar will feature an overview of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs at NCATS, along with helpful resources and tips. Register today!
NCATS Advisory Council/CAN Review Board
On June 18, 2015, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., NCATS will hold a joint meeting of the NCATS Advisory Council and Cures Acceleration Network (CAN) Review Board on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. The meeting will feature presentations by NCATS leadership, Council and CAN board members, and invited guests. Topics will include NCATS' Discovering New Therapeutic Uses for Existing Molecules and Clinical and Translational Science Awards programs as well as a report from the Council's Subcommittee on Partnerships with Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies and Venture Capital Firms. For more information, visit NCATS Advisory Council and CAN Review Board.
NCATS in the News
- "Breakthrough": Drug Trials Give New Hope on Cystic Fibrosis • Seattle Times • May 17, 2015
- SPARC Consortium Supports Research in Scleroderma • Scleroderma News • May 8, 2015
- Appetite for Apples? How Fruit Sugars May Not Suppress Hunger • NHS Choices • May 6, 2015
- NIH Rare Disease Day: Teamwork of Scientists and Community Brings Treatment to Fruition • NIH Catalyst • May 5, 2015
- Startup Austin Biotech Firm Nabs $19.5M for Drug Development • Austin Business Journal • May 1, 2015
- How to Improve Your Health in Two Minutes • CBS/HealthDay • May 5, 2015
- Team Developing 'Human-on-a-Chip' to Assess Drug Safety • Health Data Management • April 29, 2015
- Capitol Hill Looks Towards Health Care Innovation • National Law Review • April 27, 2015
- Donora Native at Forefront of Scientific Research • Trib LIVE • April 25, 2015
- HHS Innovation Ventures Fund Program Announces 2015 Projects • HHS • April 23, 2015
- New Pathway that Prevents Chronic Inflammation in the Gut • Health News Digest • April 23, 2015
Collaborate with NCATS Scientists
NCATS researchers are seeking collaborators in the following areas:
Bridging Interventional Development Gaps (BrIDGs)
The BrIDGs program assists researchers in advancing promising therapeutic agents through late-stage pre-clinical development toward an Investigational New Drug application and clinical testing. The 2015 project solicitation is coming soon — stay tuned to NCATS for more information.
NCATS Chemical Genomics Center (NCGC)
NCATS offers 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. For inquiries or to obtain NCGC probe molecules, contact Ajit Jadhav. NCATS researchers also seek collaborators for assay development and high-throughput screening, chemistry and chemistry technology, automation, and informatics.
NIH RNA Interference (RNAi) Initiative
Through the NIH RNAi initiative, NCATS provides state-of-the-art, high-throughput RNAi genome-wide screens for humans and mice. This resource is available only to NIH researchers. For more information, contact Madhu Lal-Nag, Ph.D.
Toxicology in the 21st Century (Tox21) Program
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. To suggest an assay, submit a nomination form (PDF - 44KB) to Menghang Xia, Ph.D. Proposed assays must be compatible with the high-throughput screening guidelines described in the assay guidance criteria.