IN OLD DRUGS RESEARCHER LOOKS FOR NEW TREATMENTS
Jenny Chang
A few years ago he began working with Dr. Jenny Chang  medical director of the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center at Baylor College of Medicine.
 Chang had performed a number of biopsies on breast cancer patients  both on those whose cancers were confined to the breast and on those whose cancers had metastasized to the brain.
 From those biopsies  Chang said she had identified a number of genetic pathways ways in which gene mutations affected the ability of the cancer to spread unique to patients who developed metastatic breast cancer.
 "But I had a lot of trouble with the data and trying to translate it into clinical practice " she said. She couldn't find her way out from beneath the avalanche of data.
 So she turned to Wong.
 Using his mathematical modeling  Wong sifted through Chang's data and the large databases of genome and clinical trial data. Out of that  he identified several candidate drugs to impair the genetic pathways that helped the cancer spread.
Chang's data and the large databases of genome and clinical trial data. Out of that  he identified several candidate drugs to impair the genetic pathways that helped the cancer spread.
 One of them  a drug named sunitinib  which treats a kidney cancer called renal cell carcinoma  emerged as the best bet. Chang then tested the drug in mice  and the study showed it prevented breast cancer from spreading to the brain.
 She has already begun a Phase II clinical trial of the drug  enrolling nine patients with metastatic breast cancer  and she is looking for more.
 "The drug is very well-tolerated by patients  and so far the trial is going very well " Chang said.
 But by using an existing drug  Chang and Wong could skip the lengthy Phase I  during which a drug is checked for safety. If Chang's tests go well  sunitinib could be on the market within a few years for metastatic breast cancer.
A few years ago he began working with [TGT]medical director of the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center at Baylor College of Medicine.
 [TGT] had performed a number of biopsies on breast cancer patients  both on those whose cancers were confined to the breast and on those whose cancers had metastasized to the brain.
 From those biopsies  [TGT] said [TGT] had identified a number of genetic pathways ways in which gene mutations affected the ability of the cancer to spread unique to patients who developed metastatic breast cancer.
 "But I had a lot of trouble with the data and trying to translate it into clinical practice " [TGT] said. [TGT] couldn't find [TGT] way out from beneath the avalanche of data.
 So [TGT] turned to [TGT].
 Using his mathematical modeling  [TGT] sifted through [TGT]'s data and the large databases of genome and clinical trial data. Out of that  [TGT] identified several candidate drugs to impair the genetic pathways that helped the cancer spread.
[TGT]'s data and the large databases of genome and clinical trial data. Out of that  [TGT] identified several candidate drugs to impair the genetic pathways that helped the cancer spread.
 One of them  a drug named sunitinib  which treats a kidney cancer called renal cell carcinoma  emerged as the best bet. [TGT] then tested the drug in mice  and the study showed it prevented breast cancer from spreading to the brain.
 [TGT] has already begun a Phase II clinical trial of the drug  enrolling nine patients with metastatic breast cancer  and [TGT] is looking for more.
 "The drug is very well-tolerated by patients  and so far the trial is going very well [TGT] said.
 But by using an existing drug  [TGT] and Wong could skip the lengthy Phase I  during which a drug is checked for safety. If [TGT]'s tests go well  sunitinib could be on the market within a few years for metastatic breast cancer.