Medical professionals in New York have partnered with a few others nationwide using new methods to study cancer treatments.
The Cancer Research Institute said its “Discovery Engine” will help generate new research findings about cancer immunotherapy. Its primary goals are eliminating barriers to cancer research, such as data gaps and challenges which keep fewer than half of high-impact studies from being replicated.
Alicia Zhou, CEO of the institute, said the work will examine questions about immunotherapy and its effects on cancer.
“For every particular disease type, what is the right type of immunotherapy to use and how does it work in combination with other therapies?” Zhou outlined. “Is there a specific order in which they should be used? Is there a specific timing between therapies that should be followed?”
She noted the goal is to be able to develop more effective cancer cures. The database work will be done in phases, with the first focusing on skin and colorectal cancers. Immunotherapies have already transformed patient care but research gaps continue.
Zhou added the database’s collaborative element has been a long time coming for the scientific community, and should ensure more research can be done.
The work comes after a year of major federal cuts to health research. The Trump administration cut cancer research funding in the first three months of 2025 by almost a third, compared to the previous year. In light of the level of uncertainty, Zhou argued now is the time to invest in cancer research.
“In this moment, where we are actually seeing this field on the cusp of some amazing breakthroughs – whether we’re talking about things like cancer vaccine work, CAR-T therapy, or novel combinations of immunotherapies – now is really the time to be doubling down rather than to be backing off,” Zhou asserted.
Along with the institute, partners in developing the database include Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and 10x Genomics.
Edwin is a reporter and producer in North Tonawanda, New York. He’s previously reported for the Niagara Gazette and the Ithaca Times. Edwin got an early start in radio interning for WBFO-88.7FM, NPR’s Buffalo affiliate. In 2018, he graduated from SUNY Buffalo State College with a B.A. in Journalism, and in 2022, graduated from Syracuse University with an M.S. in Communications.