The National Cancer Institute’s NCI-60 drug screening panel, comprised of 60 diverse human cancer cell lines, has been a cornerstone in advancing cancer research and drug discovery since its inception in the late 1980s. Developed in response to the need for more predictive and comprehensive preclinical models, the NCI-60 facilitates the screening of thousands of compounds annually, aiming to identify potential anti-cancer drugs across a broad spectrum of human cancers. This article traces the origins, development, and evolution of the NCI-60 panel, highlighting its significant role in advancing our understanding of cancer and therapeutic agents.
Continue reading “Decades of Discovery: How the NCI-60 Revolutionized Cancer Drug Screening”cancer drugs
Anti-Cancer Drugs Are Pro-Coral
With average sea surface temperatures increasing around the world, coral bleaching events are growing in extent and severity. More than two thirds of the corals in the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef, have already bleached. While the physiological consequences of coral bleaching are well-studied, we still don’t fully understand how bleaching happens on a cellular level.
Steve Palumbi at Stanford University is delving deeper into the mechanisms by which coral bleaching occurs. In 2018, Promega pledged $3 million over three years to the nonprofit Revive & Restore Catalyst Science Fund, to identify and develop advanced techniques for conservation, enhancing biodiversity, and genetic rescue. Palumbi was awarded the first grant from this fund to study the genomic stress trigger that causes corals to bleach in warming oceans.
Continue reading “Anti-Cancer Drugs Are Pro-Coral”