The University of Vermont Cancer Center – Cancer Translational Research Laboratory (CTRL) was established in January of 2014 to support a component of the UVM Cancer Center mission; to improve the development of collaborative transdisciplinary partnerships between scientists and physician investigators.

The CTRL is a shared resource that provides services to members of the University of Vermont Cancer Center to support the initiation and development of translational research projects in early phases of the cancer translational research continuum; projects that encompass basic, clinical, and population health science research.

Purpose

The NCI has made the maximization of translational impact a top priority for funded research, as this represents the most expeditious manner to transform and improve current standards of care for cancer patients.  The UVM Cancer Center has made strident efforts and investitures to assist its members in answering this call, including the formation of the CTRL.

It is the duty of the CTRL to minimize the barriers that have traditionally impeded translation. We provide a mentored laboratory research environment complete with highly trained personnel and needed research resources otherwise unavailable to clinicians eager to participate in early phase studies, and the delivery of human subject resources to basic scientists interested in determining the clinical relevance of their laboratory findings. 

Typical transdisciplinary translational research projects supported by the CTRL include:

• Biomarker discovery and validation
• Clinical correlative research
• Preclinical treatment testing & development
• Mechanistic studies

Services

The services provided by the CTRL are completely customized to meet the needs of each clinical investigator. We provide:

• A BSL-2 certified laboratory equipped to perform specimen processing, cryopreservation & sample management for Biomarker discovery, detection and validation - including assay development for circulating tumor and associated cell types, cell-free nucleic acids, and proteins
• A contemporary tissue culture suite for tumor model-based mechanistic studies, therapeutic target discovery, novel therapeutic evaluation, production of virus-base vectors, and gene expression analysis.
• A wet-lab equipped for multiparametric characterization of tumors and tumor models including cloning, gene expression and protein level assessment.

Additional services can be tailored and provided based on individual need. The CTRL strives to maximize the cost benefit of each project by partnering with the other shared resources on campus so as to avoid service redundancies within the shared resource network.

Consultation services are free and encouraged for discussion of study design, budgetary considerations, and realistic expectations. Please do not hesitate to contact us regarding prospective future projects.