University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI)

Overview

The Molecular Therapeutics and Drug Discovery Program (MTDD) promotes interactions of basic, preclinical, and clinical research to develop innovative approaches to drug treatment of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. The program comprises a multidisciplinary group of scientists committed to making basic laboratory observations about therapeutic targets and potential strategies, exploring their feasibility in preclinical models, and translating the most promising approaches and molecules into the clinical setting.

The Program enhances cancer treatment by fostering a highly interactive and vertically integrated drug discovery and development program in which information moves bi-directionally between basic and clinical scientists. Members interact extensively and have established four research interest groups (RIGs) to foster effective communication and exchange of ideas among members. The RIGs include: Chemical Diversity, Molecular Targets, Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics, and Clinical Trials.

Central to the Program’s mission is the acquisition of sufficient laboratory derived data to develop more efficacious clinical therapies against human solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. Critical to the goals of the Program are interactions with other UPCI basic science programs and translational/clinical disease site research. These collaborations allow effective assimilation of the most exciting insights for drug discovery and development and for translation of important and applicable laboratory studies into clinical trials.

The MTDD Program has focused on establishing both a strong basic science foundation for the development of small molecule anticancer agents and novel therapeutic approaches to malignancy, and a robust capability to perform clinical trials with the most promising agents and approaches.