From Biotech to Bedside: Bringing the Biotechnology Revolution to Children's Health

BY MARK SHWARTZ

WINTER 2003 - A child comes into a pediatrician's office with symptoms that could indicate anything from a stomachache to stomach cancer. The physician orders a routine blood draw, but what happens next is anything but routine. Instead of waiting days for the lab tests to come back, a diagnosis of cancer is made within minutes -- thanks to an amazing machine that instantly detects hundreds of diseases from a drop of blood.

Rather than treating the child with radiation and other debilitating therapies, the pediatrician simply prescribes an anti-cancer pill that tells the body to stop producing a specific, cancer-causing protein. After a few days of medication, the symptoms disappear and the child's health is fully restored.

Although this futuristic scenario sounds likescience fiction, the reality is that

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scientists today are developing remarkable new biotechnologies that could transform medicine by the end of the decade. To ensure that the health of children will fully benefit from the biotechnology revolution, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and the Stanford University School of Medicine are developing a Children's Biotechnology Core -- a groundbreaking program designed to generate an unimaginable array of new therapies and diagnostic devices that pediatricians will use for years to come.

"There are a phenomenal number of engineers, scientists, and clinicians collaborating in the field of biotechnology at Stanford," says Harvey Cohen, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Stanford Department of Pediatrics and chief of staff at Packard Children's Hospital. "The Biotechnology Core will give these researchers an opportunity to study the important role that genes and proteins play in childhood diseases. Through their efforts, we will see the development of better treatments for kids in the next five to 10 years, as well as new tools for making earlier diagnoses."

Stanford has long been a leader in biotechnology. In the 1970s, Stanley Cohen, M.D., a professor of genetics, helped pioneer gene splicing -- a technique often credited with launching the biotech industry in the Silicon Valley and worldwide. In the 1990s, Patrick Brown, M.D., a professor of biochemistry, developed the DNA microarray, or "gene chip" -- a revolutionary device that allows researchers to analyze and compare 30,000 human genes simultaneously. Brown and his colleagues now are working on protein microarrays to measure the abundance of different proteins in a human cell. Such measurements will help identify unique patterns of protein distribution that may signal the onset of disease.

"Stanford is a hotbed of biomedical research," says James W. Schilling, Ph.D., senior scientist and newly appointed director of the Biotech Core. "One of our goals is to connect researchers and practicing physicians so they can work together to create novel treatments."

Schilling says that research in the Biotechnology Core will focus on two main areas: genomics -- the role genes play in the development of disease; and proteomics -- the role played by proteins, the building blocks of life.

"A very central theme of the program is translational medicine -- developing new technologies that result in improved outcomes for patients," he adds. "If we can't achieve that, then it's all just an exercise."

In September, Packard Children's Hospital donated $700,000 to jump-start the Children's Biotechnology Core. Building the program also is a fundraising objective within the Campaign for Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.

"We want to make all scientific and medical research at Stanford available to children as well as adults," says Christopher G. Dawes, Packard Hospital's president and chief executive. "That's why we made this investment and are asking the philanthropic community to make an investment as well."

	The Campaign The biotechnology revolution brings with it many promising applications to children's health. A key objective in the Campaign for Lucile Packard Children's Hospital is to raise funds to develop a Children's Biotechnology Core. Investment in this area will facilitate a more rapid translation of innovative technologies from bench to bedside to ensure a healthier future for children. Children's Biotechnology Core Gift Opportunities: Endowed Director of Biotechnology Core: $4 million Pediatric Biotechnology Laboratory: $2 million Equipment and Technical Support: $2 million Endowed Biotechnology Research Fellows (2): $1 million each Endowed Biotechnology Innovation Funds (7): $1 million each Biotechnology Core Program Support: $1 million For more information about the imaging program and gift opportunities, please call 650-498-7641 or e-mail campaign@lpfch.org.