Cancer Therapeutics Program

Abstract: Cancer Therapeutics (CT)
The overarching goal of the Cancer Therapeutics (CT) Program is to develop innovative approaches to
discover, design, develop, and validate novel anticancer agents and combination regimens for the treatment of
human cancers. To achieve this mission, the Program focuses on three main themes: (1) discover and develop
in a pre-clinical setting, novel targets and assays to complement the innovative approaches to drug discovery,
novel agents, and combination regimens; (2) investigate the mechanisms of action of new and existing
anticancer agents; and (3) conduct early-phase (I/II) clinical trials with a focus on translation of UPMC Hillman
Cancer Center (HCC) science and discoveries of novel agents, as well as in partnership with the National
Cancer Institute (NCI), NCI cancer centers, other academic centers, cooperative groups, and industry. The
strategy for successfully carrying out this mission requires the involvement of the entire continuum of basic,
preclinical, and clinical/translational research. Under the leadership of Adam Brufsky, MD, PhD, Edward
Chu, MD and Peter Wipf, PhD, CT has 58 members representing 16 academic departments and 5 schools
within the University of Pittsburgh. CT members conduct cancer-focused research supported by $14.9M in total
annual direct costs funding, of which $2.8M is NCI funding, $2.0M is other peer-reviewed, and $10.1M is non-
peer reviewed. From 2015-August 2019, CT members published 1,116 cancer-related publications
representing 26% intra-programmatic, 41% inter-programmatic and 64% inter-institutional collaborations. HCC
support, including Clinical Protocol and Data Management and all Shared Resources, greatly facilitate and
enhance CTP research.

Grant Number: 4P30CA047904-37
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: ADAM BRUFSKY