Translational Research in Oncology US
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Translation Research in Oncology (TRIO) is a unique organizations with researchers, scientists and clinicians, dedicated to bringing important and cutting-edge therapeutic oncology trials to participants around the world. TRIO is made of up three entities, Translational Oncology Research Laboratory (TORL) at UCLA and USC, the Translational Research in Oncology-US (TRIO-US) Network, a United States based site management organization (SMO), and Translational Research in Oncology (TRIO), an international CRO. These partnerships have allowed for academic faculty to take their research conducted in the UCLA laboratories out to the patients in the community. This bench to bedside research is called “translational research”. Additionally, this has allowed UCLA scientists to translate their research findings into clinical trials. The permits for true bench to bedside research or translational research. This relationship has been particularly effective at offering investigators access to the wider potential patient pool needed to conduct early phase clinical trials or proof of concept trials. Subsequently, these trials can grow into larger phase II and III registrational trials that TRIO, the global CRO can execute worldwide.
Translational Research
The path of translational research is iterative and collaborative. Scientists and clinical researchers identify areas of interest and work with the laboratory teams or directly conduct laboratory experiments themselves to develop a concept or hypothesis. The hypothesis becomes an early phase or “proof of concept” study that can be conducted at UCLA and possibly the TRIO-US Network. Based upon the results of the early study, two paths emerge. One path moves the concept into a larger study that may be to an expanded patient population or an iteration of the initial concept. This large trial may be executed by TRIO, the CRO, and include investigators from both the TRIO-US Network and around the globe. The study will provide critical data that may result in more trials or a concept going back to the laboratory for more study.
The other path takes the information learned in the small trial and reveals more scientific or laboratory work is needed to further develop the concept in order to bring it to a larger group of researchers.
For all studies, early phase and later phase, tissue samples are collected so that the scientists and researchers may better understand cancer, targeted approaches to treatment, resistance, and improved management.
TORL
The Translational Oncology Research Laboratories (TORL) are located at UCLA under the leadership of Dr. Dennis Slamon and at USC under the leadership of Dr. Michael Press. TORL has more than 600 characterize human cancer cell lines. This allows for interrogation of compounds to identify opportunities for treatment. At USC, Dr. Press oversees the large biobank of important human cancer specimens needed for research.
The UCLA-Translational Oncology Research Laboratory (UCLA-TORL) is the basic science laboratory where pre-clinical data is generated for translation into humans. The laboratory includes both laboratory scientists (basic scientists) and clinical researchers who help to develop studies and care for patients. They are united in their efforts to identify and develop novel treatments for cancer patients. TORL basic scientists generate data in the laboratory and in animal models (pre-clinical data) that demonstrate possible new therapies for patients. Together the laboratory and clinical scientists develop the promising pre-clinical data into early phase proof of concept clinical trials. These trials can be done at UCLA and the TRIO-US Network. Often the data in early phase clinical studies looks encouraging and it leads to expanding to later and larger phase trials that can be done at UCLA, the TRIO-US Network and internationally.
Site Management Organization
TRIO-US is a not-for-profit site management organization (SMO) founded by UCLA researchers, Dr. Dennis Slamon and Dr. John Glaspy and governed by a Board of Directors (BOD). There are no membership fees associated with participating as a TRIO-US site and it does not require exclusivity. Our participating sites are free to engage in any research projects they chose either through TRIO-US or external to the Network. Every site in the TRIO-US Network signs a master service agreement (MSA). This MSA serves to codify the centralized functions, expectations from TRIO-US central administration and site expectations. New sites are carefully selected and go through a process of assessment and review.
Clinical Research Organization
In addition to providing SMO services, TRIO-US offers certain clinical research organizational (CRO) support for industry and academic partners executing early phase clinical trials at UCLA, TRIO-US, or other oncology practices or institutions in the United States. The TRIO-US CRO division specializes in development, oversight, and management for pilot, first in human, window of opportunity, Phase 0, I and Ib studies and clinical research collaborations with academic medical centers.