Integrative Research Centers
Center for Cancer Systems Biology
Marc Vidal, PhD (left), with Michael Cusik, PhD, and David Hill, PhD The Center for Cancer Systems Biology explores cancer-related
biological processes from a systems perspective. Proteins, RNA, and
DNA interact to form complex connections, the "interactome
network." The Center's strategy is to generate models of this human
interactome in order to answer such questions as how complex
cellular systems relate to biology and how perturbations of
cellular networks lead to cancer.
Systems analysis requires libraries of cloned open reading
frames (ORFs, the portions of genes that encode proteins),
implementation of protein-interaction analytical methods,
computational resources for data analysis, and integration of
disparate disciplines – biology, medicine, statistics, physics, and
engineering – to co-develop experimental and computational
solutions. Center members model the human interactome network with
systematic protein-interaction assays, aiming to understand complex
functional interactions and biological processes relevant to
cancer. The resources (molecular libraries, data set resources, and
reagents) and technology platforms (experimental methods and
bioinformatics tools) created for the human interactome project are
also used to transfer emerging systems biology technologies within
and outside Dana-Farber, which allows investigators to use
state-of-the-art systems biology in their study of particular
cancer-related processes.
The collaborative environment of the Center fosters discovery,
leverages advanced technologies, deploys resources across
Dana-Farber, and communicates novel science via seminars and
meetings. The Human Genetics Initiative/Center for Cancer Systems
Biology Seminar Series, which is offered with the Department of
Genetics at Harvard Medical School, further enhances
communication.