NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – The Translational Genomics Research Institute and George Mason University today said that they will integrate genomics, proteomics, and molecular profiling in an alliance aimed at finding personalized treatments for patients.
The TGen-George Mason Molecular Medicine Alliance will pair TGen's genomics capabilities with research carried out at George Mason's Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine. Their goal is to apply and study personalized methods for treating patients with cancer and other life-threatening conditions.
The partners said that they have already submitted applications for more than $12 million in research grants for studies that harness their complementary capabilities and which each institution might not have pursued alone. They also said the alliance will expand each other's network of collaborators and clinical trials.
The partners will initially focus on four specific research areas, including developing new treatments for patients with breast cancer or melanoma; treatments for patients with breast cancers that have spread to the bone and brain; studying biomarkers that could help diagnose traumatic injuries; and developing knowledge of infectious diseases and the immune system that could lead to new vaccines.
"By joining forces, researchers can understand disease at a more refined level and more people can be helped," George Mason University President Ángel Cabrera said in a statement. "This is the level of research that all universities and companies strive to achieve."
As part of the alliance, students from Fairfax, Va.-based George Mason will have the opportunity to intern at TGen in Phoenix.