Translational Research
Improving Care Quality Through Research
The Translational Research Program at Lahey Clinic is designed to create a personalized treatment plan for each patient based on their unique circumstances and individual molecular profile. The goal is to reduce costs, improve outcomes and create a new standard of care.
What Is Translational Research?
Translational research focuses on applying the findings of fundamental research in the laboratory (bench) and in pre-clinical studies into practical clinical (bedside) applications for patients.
Translational research is sometimes called “bench-to-bedside” work because it involves innovative research at the molecular or cellular level with the goal of finding new ways to ultimately treat patients at the bedside. New biologic discoveries are made through translational research resulting in improved patient care: drug therapies, state-of-the-art medical devices and advanced diagnostics are just a few examples of the symbiotic work from bench to bedside.
Collaborative Efforts
At Lahey, scientists and physicians collaborate on clinical translational research, paving the way for future health care treatments. The Translational Research Program fosters collaborations between 'bench' scientists and clinicians to promote our mission to:
- Understand the cellular and molecular biology of diseases
- Translate laboratory discoveries into clinical applications for patients in areas of diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutics
Translational Research Labs
Translational Research encompasses several areas and consists of:
The Ian C. Summerhayes Cell and Molecular Biology (ICSCMB) Lab at Lahey performs translational research primarily focused on molecular oncology, and collaborates with high tech corporations pioneering methods of earlier detection of cancer.
ICSCMB Focus
The ICSCMB lab focuses on the discovery of new genes and cellular pathways implicated in cancer, enhancing understanding of how genetic variations affect the development and progression of cancer. A major focus of the research is to characterize the molecular changes in cancer patients’ tumors by analyzing DNA, RNA and proteins in the tumors and other bodily fluid. The molecular changes can be used as biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and prediction of response/resistance to treatment.
The lab seeks to facilitate translational application of these findings, first to clinical research in oncology, then to patient care. Of course, the ultimate goal is for physicians to use these markers to select the best treatment with the fewest side effects for each patient.
Urologic Oncology
One of the focuses of our lab is the molecular basis of genitourinary cancers and improved treatments for patients with prostate, kidney and bladder cancer. Current laboratory research focuses on microRNA (miRNA), a small 22-27 nucleotide RNA species that serves as an mRNA regulator.
Two recent studies have investigated the use of miRNAs as biomarkers for urologic cancer staging. One study identified miRNAs in T1 TURBT specimens that correlate with upstaging at cystectomy. These miRNA have the potential to serve as biomarkers indicative of more aggressive disease. In the second study differential miRNA expression levels were investigated in TRUS biopsies with prostate cancer utilizing a tissue printing method. These samples demonstrated different miRNA expression levels between Gleason Sum (GS) groups (6 vs 7 vs >8).
These distinct patterns suggest that certain miRNAs are important at specific stages of prostate cancer progression and holds promise to improve diagnosis, prognosis and characterization of prostate cancer.
Research: Be a Part of It
Ongoing studies in the ICSCMB Lab also focus on the utility of miRNAs as biomarkers of cancer staging:
- Another study is screening miRNAs to determine their potential in discriminating bladder cancer patients with occult metastasis.
- A third study is profiling kidney tumors in an effort to identify those individuals who are likely to progress to metastatic disease.
Biospecimen Banking
Biospecimen banking is storing excess human sample that has been removed during a medical procedure such as an operation, biopsy or blood test. This extra material is not needed for your diagnosis or treatment. With your written consent, this material is placed in our biospecimen bank, where it is carefully preserved and protected. We use samples from these banks to study disease and find better ways to diagnose, prevent and treat cancer in the future.
Rescue Lung/Rescue Life
Lung cancer kills more men and women in the United States than breast, colorectal and prostate cancers combined with approximately 450 deaths from lung cancer every day. Starting in January 2012, Lahey began offering Low Dose CT (LDCT) lung screening to individuals who meet the established high-risk criteria and to date, has evaluated more than 10,000 patients.
Biomarkers have the potential to further stratify lung cancer risk in the subgroup of high risk patients, as well as confirming the presence of cancer in patients with suspicious findings. The biomarker-aided diagnosis then could prompt a more aggressive intervention including surgical resection. The current design of the lung screening is based on detecting morphological changes, which usually follow molecular traits with a delay of months to years. Adding biomarker-based testing to the work-up of patients with initial negative scan could increase the accuracy of diagnosis, influence the frequency of follow-up screening visits, improve outcomes and ultimately reduce costs.
The ICSCMB lab is establishing a unique high quality biological sample collection from patients in Lahey’s LDCT screening program. The acquired biosamples will be kept in biorepositories to support current studies on mRNA and miRNA as well as future correlative studies. Combining biomarkers and imaging may allow clinicians to eliminate patients from further diagnostic or therapeutic intervention who are at low risk of disease and to increase intervention for patients who are at increased risk.
Lung Cancer in Those Who Never Smoked Study (LuCNess)
While the ability to detect lung cancer in at-risk patients has improved, cases of lung cancer among those with no history of smoking is on the rise. This is a significant problem for clinicians as there are currently no effective screening methods for those without known risk factors. The result is that lung cancer in this population is detected later, meaning treatment is more complex.
In her laboratory, Dr. Kimberly Rieger-Christ is working with thoracic oncologists Paul J Hesketh, MD, FASCO and AJ Piper-Vallillo, MD, to develop new methods for detecting cancer in this group.
Specifically, Dr. Rieger-Christ is overseeing the development of a biorepository by collecting biospecimens from two groups: patients who have never smoked and do not have lung cancer and those who never smoked and do have lung cancer. As part of this research, Dr. Rieger-Christ’s team will also collect demographic and other clinical data, including exposure to environmental toxins, to gain a deeper understanding of the various factors that contribute to lung cancer risk.
Dr. Rieger-Christ’s team is also working with epidemiologist Martin Tammemägi, PhD, senior scientist for Ontario Health and professor emeritus at Brock University and Andrea Borondy Kitts, MS, MPH, a lung cancer and patient advocate consultant, to identify a combined risk prediction model utilizing our genomic and clinical data to identify patients likely to benefit from Low Dose CT screening in those who never smoked.
Kimberly Rieger-Christ, PhD
Director of Cancer Research
For many years the Infectious Disease lab has worked on β-lactamases, the enzymes that allow bacteria to inactivate penicillins, cephalosporins, carbapenems and related antibiotics. For the database to which investigators could submit potentially novel β-lactamase sequences for validation and naming (formerly at lahey.org/studies), please visit the National Institute for Biotechnology Information.
Lahey's Laboratory of Tissue Regeneration focuses on the most significant problems in reconstructive surgery, motivated by many of our cancer and trauma patients. Whether developing new strategies to treat serious wounds, coming up with innovative ways of connecting small blood vessels or studying methods to re-grow nervous tissue, the Laboratory of Tissue Regeneration staff is dedicated to improving patient outcomes. These efforts provide the foundation for further advancement in healing technologies, targeting patients with major reconstructive needs.
As one of the leading laboratories in wound-healing research, the Laboratory of Tissue Regeneration uses a unique mouse model to study the various aspects of the wound healing process, finding new and better ways to improve the quality and time of healing. With the growth of complicated surgeries, wound healing research is an essential aspect of reconstructive surgery.
The laboratory is also working towards improving the efficiency, safety and reliability of microvascular anastomosis: a technically demanding and time-consuming surgery to reconnect the blood vessels to allow transfer of tissues for coverage of large defects. The goal of Lahey's Laboratory of Tissue Regeneration is to benefit cancer, trauma and transplant patients by making such free tissue transfer a routine surgery.
In addition, the lab is working in collaboration with another lab to develop a new method of gene transfer in neuronal tissue that they expect will enhance peripheral nerve regeneration. Advancements in this research will help patients regain function and sensation in their bodies after major cancer and trauma procedures.
What Are the Benefits?
We are encouraged by the results of these studies so far; we hope they will eventually contribute to a better understanding and more effective management of patients in the future.
