A Systems Approach to Cancer Treatment

The Speaker

Joe Gray, PhD - Professor Emeritus, Oregon Health & Science

Dr. Joe Gray, a physicist and engineer by training, is currently Professor Emeritus of Laboratory Medicine at the University of California San Francisco and of Biomedical Engineering at Oregon Health & Science University and is a past President of ISAC. He and collaborators have developed flow cytometric techniques for cell and genome analysis including high-speed chromosome sorting, BrdUrd/DNA analysis; fluorescence in situ hybridization, comparative genomic hybridization; a genome sequencing-based approach to assessment of copy number and genome structure abnormalities; and he initiated the Serial Measurements of Molecular and Architectural Responses to Treatment (SMMART) Program. He is now a senior advisor to the US National Cancer Institute working to develop a national cancer systems therapeutics program. His is work is described in over 550 publications and 150 issued US patents. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a Fellow of the AAAS, the AIMBE, the AACR Academy. Major awards include the Radiation Research Society Research Award, the E.O. Lawrence Award (US DOE); Curt Stern Award (ASHG); Brinker Award for Scientific Distinction (Susan G. Komen® Foundation); the Fulwyler Award (ISAC), the Alfred G. Knudson Award (NCI), multiple Team Science awards (AACR), and the Warren K Sinclair Medal (NCRP). 

Summary

This presentation will outline the key lessons learned from Programs in Cancer Systems Biology and the Human Tumor Atlas Network at OHSU that focused on enhancing enhance outcomes for patients with metastatic cancer. The studies used imaging and omic analysis technologies to identify tumor vulnerabilities and deployed targeted therapies to attack these vulnerabilities that changes as the tumors evolve. The presentation will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the dynamic precision medicine approach and propose a new systems biology-based treatment strategy. This systems strategy aims to improve patient outcomes by simultaneously attacking tumor cells and adjusting aspects of both tumor microenvironment and macroenvironments to create strong antitumor effects. 

Learning Objectives:

This talk will teach that: (a) advanced omic and spatial analysis measurements can be deployed in clinical real-time and that the information can be used to guide selection of effective therapeutic agents, (b) (Epi)genomic instability and migration generate therapeutic response heterogeneity that increases with time and treatment. (c) It becomes increasingly difficult to find tolerable drug combinations that can control the heterogeneous lesions. (d) Cancer cell targeted drugs have profound impacts on nontumor microand macroenvironments can be pro- or anti-tumor depending on the drug. (e) Multiple, interacting components of the micro and macro
environments are important. (f) Treatment efficacy and tolerability can be increased by combining tumor-targeted drugs to increase the antitumor nature of nontumor micro and macroenvironments. 

Who Should Attend:

Clinical Cytometrists, Computational Biologists/Bioinformaticians, Data Analysts, Imaging Cytometrists, Industry Scientists (vendor-agnostic; tool developers; method innovators)

Keywords: Precision and systems-based cancer treatments

CMLE Credit: 1.0