Cancer is complicated. Understanding cancer cell behavior, developing cancer therapies and preventive measures, and bringing those products from lab to market are all complicated. But all are essential for saving lives and improving quality of life among cancer survivors.
One of the best ways to approach a complicated problem is by pooling expertise and resources. That's where technology transfer comes into play. Federal laboratories who partner with industry, academia, or other labs have a much better chance of making an impact on cancer patients than those who go it alone.
“A scientific and organizational challenge this complex cannot be addressed effectively by any one organization acting alone,” said Maria C. Freire, PhD, President and Executive Director of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, in reference to the Partnership for Accelerating Cancer Therapies. “Instead, it requires the energies and resources of public and private partners working in close collaboration.”
This FLC Spotlight provides a sampling of the cancer research being done by federal labs and the partnerships that will help that research have a positive impact.