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- Posted Wednesday June 29, 2005
Mayo Clinic Collaborative Research Building Opens on Scottsdale Campus
Collaboration with TGen brings hope for cancer cures
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- A major milestone in the advancement of
cancer research for residents of Arizona and beyond will be
realized later this week with the dedication of a new biomedical
scientific facility that joins Mayo Clinic and the Translational
Genomics Research Institute (TGen) in a unique strategic
partnership. The partners' combined technological, academic,
research and clinical expertise will help bring innovative research
findings directly to the bedside of patients.
The physical manifestation of this ambitious research
collaboration is the new Mayo Clinic Collaborative Research
Building (MCCRB), a 110,000 square-foot facility that will
officially open on Thursday, June 30, on the Scottsdale campus of
Mayo Clinic. The $25 million facility was funded by Scottsdale
developer Tom Hornaday of Hornaday Development. The building is the
first of its kind for Mayo Clinic in that it brings multiple
strategic partners under one roof dedicated to scientific discovery
and therapeutics to ease the burden of disease for the people of
Arizona and around the world.
L-R) Scottsdale Mayor Mary Manross, Dr. Jeffrey Trent, Dr. Victor
Trastek, Dr. Dan Von Hoff, Dr. Laurence Miller and Tom Hornaday cut
the ribbon at the official opening ceremony of the new Mayo Clinic
Collaborative Research Building.
Ground was broken in February 2004 for the MCCRB, which is located
south of the main clinic facility and directly north of the S.C.
Johnson Research Building. The collaboration represents a
broadening of the scope of research between the Mayo Clinic and
TGen extending beyond it's initial focus on melanoma. Tenants of
the building thus far include:
* Mayo Clinic research business offices
* Mayo Clinic researchers, including
investigational labs for hematologic malignancies, multiple myeloma
and pancreatic cancer
* TGen's Cancer Drug Development Laboratory
(CDDL) and the TGen subsidiary, TGen Drug Development
Services(TD2)
Jeffrey M. Trent, Ph.D., is president and scientific director of
TGen. Dr. Daniel Von Hoff, TGen executive vice president, is also
director for TGen's Translational Research Division and the
director of TD2. In addition to leading TGen's clinical enterprise,
Von Hoff's team is involved in translating basic genetic, molecular
and biochemical observations to create therapies for patients with
pancreatic cancer.
The CDDL provides a centralized set of resources for investigators
interested in the recent explosion in molecular medicine and
genomics-based diagnostics and treatment methods. The combination
of world-class researchers and the latest technologies create a
highly collaborative multidisciplinary research environment. The
goal is to develop innovative preclinical research products based
on an individual's disease and associated molecular profiles that
are brought to bear on cancer as quickly as possible.
Mayo Clinic, headed by Dr. Victor F. Trastek, chair of the Board
of Governors, has research investigators who work closely with
clinicians to translate discoveries into therapies for patients.
Specifically, their work supports the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center,
one of only 38 U.S. medical centers named a National Cancer
Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Mayo's
clinical and research experts join forces to address the complex
needs of oncology patients.
The principal collaborative partners who will be housed at the
MCCRB partners share a passion for cooperation among institutions
and individuals to bring advances to cancer research. But they also
share something more -- compelling personal stories reflective of
their commitment to cancer research.
Developer Hornaday and his wife, Ruth Ann, lost their daughter,
Kristi, 26, to melanoma. Hornaday's mother died at age 52 of breast
cancer. "My hope, my prayer and my belief is that the research
conducted in this building will result in cures so others will not
experience these kinds of untimely losses," notes Hornaday.
Speakers at the opening will include Trastek, Trent, Von Hoff and
Hornaday, as well as Scottsdale Mayor Mary Manross and Dr. Laurence
Miller, deputy director of the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center. Both
Trent and Von Hoff share Hornaday's passion for finding a cure.
They experienced the loss of a close friend and mentor when
founding Arizona Cancer Center director, Dr. Sydney Salmon, passed
away in 2002.
Trastek is a thoracic surgeon who has witnessed more than his
share of cancer-related diseases. At one time in his practice he
chaired a committee of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons whose
charge was a high-profile public campaign to encourage smoking
cessation.
"Pursuing joint research strategies and building strong
partnerships with researchers at TGen helps advance Mayo Clinic's
mission of integrating research and education with clinical
medicine to provide optimal health care for our patients and
patients everywhere," said Trastek.
"The TGen-Mayo Clinic collaboration signifies a milestone, both in
terms of Arizona's leadership in bringing the best that biomedicine
has to offer to patients nationally and internationally and the
potential that research results between these two institutions will
have toward defeating cancer," said Sen. John McCain.
For Trent, it's the extension of a research vision that began with
TGen's formation in 2002.
"The collaboration signifies hope for those patients battling
cancer. All of us in this partnership understand their urgency, and
together we are committed to moving swiftly toward solutions that
will make a difference in our patients lives," said Trent.
About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a charitable, not-for-profit organization with
locations in Arizona, Minnesota and Florida. For more than a
century, Mayo has been an international leader in patient care,
health sciences research and medical education. Since opening in
Scottsdale in 1987, Mayo has evolved into an integrated,
multi-campus system that includes the clinic, the Samuel C. Johnson
Research Building and the Mayo Clinic Collaborative Research Center
in Scottsdale, and Mayo Clinic Hospital in northeast Phoenix.
About TGen
The mission of the Translational Genomics Research Institute
(TGen) is to make and translate genomic discoveries into advances
in human health. Translational genomics research is a relatively
new field employing innovative advances arising from the Human
Genome Project and applying them to the development of diagnostics,
prognostics and therapies for cancer, neurological disorders,
diabetes and other complex diseases. TGen is focused on
personalized medicine and plans to accomplish its goals through
robust and disease-focused research programs and its
state-of-the-art bioinformatics and computational biology
facilities.
Media Contacts:
Lynn Closway
Mayo Clinic
480-301-4337
[email protected]
Galen Perry
TGen
602-343-8423
[email protected]
