We are all aware of the flat funding for cancer research and the downstream implications this may have on our ability to understand and fight this disease. Because of this, there are a growing number of states that are deciding to seize victory out of the jaws of federal defeat and dedicate their time and resources towards beating cancer. The LAF’s home state of Texas led such a charge this past November and was able to get $3 Billion dedicated to cancer research and prevention over the next ten years. And now momentum is gaining in Iowa to pursue a state-wide initiative for antibodies against cancer proteins.

This past weekend I had the pleasure of meeting with scientific, medical, and academic leaders in Iowa who are examining plans for a large, coordinated, state-wide initiative to develop a catalogue of antibodies against cancer proteins as a national resource. The goal of this project would be to build a standard collection of cost-effective, high-quality, and renewable antibodies against proteins known to be related to cancer. And while this project is only in its first stages of discussions, it is a bold concept that I encourage these individuals to pursue.

Dr. David Soll at the University of Iowa, who has a partnership with the National Cancer Institute to grow and store such antibodies, has initiated this project as a unique opportunity and has engaged the cancer clinics and research labs across the state in a dialogue to build a large-scale coordinated program. With researchers, academics, and clinicians all focused on a common goal, these antibodies could become tools for advanced diagnostics capable of catching cancer at its earliest state or indicate an appropriate course of treatment for a particular cancer based on its protein expression. We have already seen this work with Herceptin in breast cancer and there may be many other proteins waiting to be discovered for other cancers. But what we have lacked is a catalogue of standard antibodies to search for and validate these proteins. And now Iowa has recognized that the lack these antibodies is a missed opportunity and are taking steps to lead this change.

As a cancer biologist and former researcher and administrator at the NCI, I cannot begin to tell you how vital this resource would be for the scientific community. Scientists know how to make an antibody against a protein; it is a relatively standard approach. But no one has yet pursued a robust effort to create a centralized collection of antibodies against every known cancer-related protein. A one-stop shop for low-cost, reliable, and renewable antibodies against every known cancer protein is a holy grail for scientists and clinicians. These antibodies would be a key resource for mapping the “cancer proteome” by identifying what proteins are increased or decreased in particular cancers and translating scientific discoveries into clinical application.

I know that this concept in Iowa is still in its earliest stages of discussion, but I applaud Dr. Soll and the other clinicians and researchers who had the foresight to recognize this opportunity. It is those individuals who are willing to both think big and act big that will be the instruments for change in cancer. Iowans should be proud of the individuals who are putting this together and they should support future efforts to advance this as it continues to mature – it is another example of how states can lead in the fight against cancer. And I hope that the state government officials will recognize that this is a bold initiative and an opportunity for leadership, for national prominence, and, most importantly, for fighting cancer.