NCRI INFORMATICS INITIATIVE
e-Cancer Research
A position statement by Abi Ajose-Adeogun, NCRI Informatics Initiative
The huge developments, and increasing capabilities, of IT have meant that scientific research
can take on a new face with extensive possibilities. The concept of e-Research means that
different types of data and geographically disparate data can be integrated and more tools
can then be developed for analysing, viewing and storing scientific information. This has the
potential to add immense value to scientific research by giving us more information to
accurately interpret data.
Progress has been made in identifying what would be needed to facilitate a shift to eResearch. This includes a cultural change amongst the research community to adapt to new
technology, productive working relationships between computer scientists and biological
researchers (to allow the development of the relevant tools, infrastructure and software to
facilitate e-Research) and a training programme to equip scientists with the knowledge they
need to take full advantage of e-Research.
In oncology, e-Research has the potential of opening the doors to an increased understanding
of all aspects of the disease by facilitating a more efficient method of managing the deluge of
cancer research data that is generated each year, and through data integration allowing more
meaningful links to be made between data from different disciplines. The National Cancer
Research Institute (NCRI) Informatics Initiative aims to utilise e-Research to improve the
efficiency of cancer research and so accelerate the generation of new knowledge which can
be applied to the understanding, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
Currently there are a number of projects underway in the cancer community that are
exploring e-Research via GRID based technology and demonstrating the power of what an
amalgamation of computer science, biomedical and clinical science can have on the data that
is being generated in cancer research. Each of these projects are focusing on specific steps
from research to treatment and exploring how integrating information through the
exploitation of IT can improve the efficiency of a particular step.
The Clinical e-Science Framework (CLEF) project is focused on improving a clinician’s
ability to diagnose cancer and truly understand the clinical relevance of the huge amounts of
different types of data available for a cancer patient. It aims to do this by developing a
framework that will allow the integration of clinical, pathological, radiological and genomic
information while linking this information to patients’ medical records as well as relevant
research literature and web resources.
The CancerGrid project on the other hand is exploring better ways of managing clinical
trials by developing an e-clinical trial environment that will merge clinical trial and genetic
epidemiology data with molecular profiling information. This will quickly allow clear
connections to be made between the masses of different types of data that are generated
Informatics Unit, National Cancer Research Institute
PO Box 123, Lincoln’s Inn Field, London, WC2A 3PX Tel: 020 7061 8573 Fax: 020 7061 8580
Website: www.cancerinformatics.org.uk Email: info@cancerinformatics.org.uk
NCRI INFORMATICS INITIATIVE
during clinical trials, faster access to data from multiple locations and quicker comparisons
between patient groups.
The Integrative Biology project is looking at the early research stage and is developing
models of tumours that cover every biological hierarchal level from genes through to the
whole organism. It will then integrate these models using GRID based technology and enable
simulations that will provide a greater understanding of the complexities of tumours.
At the protein level of cancer research the ProteomeGRID project is exploring ways of
analysing and integrating all the information necessary to research the structure and function
of proteins that may contribute to cancer development. The major work of this project
involves developing an infrastructure that will facilitate the processing, archiving,
standardisation and retrieval of proteomic data and metadata.
At the genomic level the ComparaGRID project aims to combine genomic data from
different species to allow comparisons of genetic information to be made within and between
those species.
These projects have great potential and if their goals are achieved will demonstrate the power
that e-Research possesses in making cancer research more efficient, innovative and
synergistic.
In addition to the above projects, the NCRI Informatics Initiative is currently in the process
of developing an Informatics Platform. The Platform will be a geographically distributed but
centrally directed integrated environment with a consistent user interface. This integrated
environment will allow resources in the form of data sources, data services or data tools to be
accessible through the common user interface, called the Oncology Information Exchange
(ONIX). The Platform will physically consist of connected nodes representing multiple
cancer community projects, such as those mentioned above. Access to ONIX will be as
universal possible to ensure that as many as possible can reap the benefits of an integrated
research environment. To expand this integrated environment across international borders,
the NCRI Informatics Initiative have teamed up with the National Cancer Institute’s cancer
Bioinformatics Grid (caBIG) Initiative in the US. caBIG is a powerful infrastructure that
connects cancer data, research tools, resources, scientists, clinicians and organisations with
the aim of encouraging a truly collaborative approach to cancer research that will ultimately
lead to an improved efficiency in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. The aim
for the future is that the Platform and caBIG will be interoperable thus extending the
geographical radius and variety of work of each infrastructure across international lines and
increasing the accessibility to the latest cancer research.
The power of e-Research is enormous and will truly revolutionise the way that research is
performed and data is managed. It will allow for an integrated environment that will increase
the impact of research, reduce waste and accelerate the generation of new knowledge which
can be applied to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer worldwide.
Informatics Unit, National Cancer Research Institute
PO Box 123, Lincoln’s Inn Field, London, WC2A 3PX Tel: 020 7061 8573 Fax: 020 7061 8580
Website: www.cancerinformatics.org.uk Email: info@cancerinformatics.org.uk