Research GoalsThe research goals of NCIS are to establish proof-of-concept and efficient treatment modalities in humans, especially in the Asian phenotype, and to implement health services research. In line with these goals, the Department of Haematology-Oncology is focussed on the development of novel drugs and conducting early phase clinical trials to test new drugs and treatment methods.
Research Achievements
NCIS was selected by a major international pharmaceutical company to conduct a "first-in-human" clinical trial for an experimental molecule that targets tyrosine kinase with the aim to inhibit key angiogenic signally pathways. Led by NCIS' Dr Goh Boon Cher, the team has embarked on Phase 2 of this trial after a successful Phase 1 trial.
Dr Yong Wei Peng of NCIS' Department of Haematology-Oncology leads the therapeutic arm (NUH module) of the Singapore Gastric Cancer Consortium (SGCC) to conduct early phase clinical trials for patients with stomach cancer. The Consortium received the prestigious five-year Translational Clinical Research Grant in 2007 for this work to optimise treatment with these drugs through the molecular biology of each patient's unique condition.
A recipient of the 2006 Clinician Scientist Award from the National Medical Research Council, Dr Lee Soo Chin had initiated six breast cancer therapeutic clinical trials since 2002 to identify predictive markers of treatment efficacy and toxicities through the analysis of these of molecular markers. These markers span the DNA, RNA and protein levels to offer a comprehensive picture of the effects of novel treatments for breast cancer.
Associate Professor Allen Yeoh Eng Juh of NCIS was awarded a five-year Senior Investigatorship Award under the Clinician Scientist Award to conduct research into childhood leukaemia. Specifically, he was trying to uncover how the genetic makeup of a paediatric patient affects the response to treatment so as to optimise treatment regimens for each patient.
Another NCIS faculty member, Associate Professor Chng Wee Joo, received a three-year Investigatorship Award under the Clinician Scientist Award to further his research into multiple myeloma. Working with researchers at A*STAR's Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Associate Professor Chng and his colleagues will use high-throughput techniques to screen genetic markers associated with myeloma cancer cells. He aims to eventually apply the knowledge gained to early diagnosis and treatments for this cancer.
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