One out of every two American men, and one out of three women, will be diagnosed with cancer in his or her lifetime. In 2012, the Broad Institute (see 2003 entry) announced one of its typically ambitious efforts to get at the root of this plague. They would build a public archive listing the genetic aspects and chemical susceptibilities of 947 different types of human cancer. Called the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia, this compendium of uncommon data on sadly common afflictions will help scientists understand cancer, predict its course, and design therapies and drugs. The encyclopedia is a philanthropy/industry collaboration involving the Broad Institute, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and research elements of the drug company Novartis.
- Story from the Broad Institute, broadinstitute.org/news/4048
- Harvard Gazette announcement, news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2012/03/writing-the-book-of-cancer-knowledge