SYSTEM TO ANALYZE AND SUPPORT BIOMARKER RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES

During the past two decades growing volumes of experimental biomarker data have accumulated within massive databases dispersed worldwide. Today, there is no single, well maintained and up-to-date repository containing all clinically relevant biomarker information that translates into accelerated drug discovery and the work toward personalized medicine. Scientists and physicians face the daunting, tedious task of searching increasing numbers of databases that often provide, inaccurate, incomplete, out of date, one-dimensional information. In Phase I, the team will review a sample of biomarker databases to determine the quality of the data, identify common data elements, and design a "biomarker object" model that can be integrated into a Biomarker KnowledgBase (IBK). We will add end-user query, mining, modeling and visualization tools that allow scientists and physicians to find and use up-to-date biomarker information. Knowledge management tools will provide with "lateral integration" of "biomarker objects" to explore the semantic and clinical relationships between clusters of biomarkers for a specific type of cancer. The IBK and tools will support researchers, oncologists and program mangers. IBK will be commercialized by adding the product to the existing portfolio of Sophic products and services for the cancer community and expanded to support biomarker research for other complex diseases.