Illustrating the increasingly global reach of West Michigan's life sciences industry, the Van Andel Research Institute will partner with the government of Singapore to better understand how to treat certain types of cancer in Asian patients. The three-year, $1.2 million research project will be led by VAI researcher Dr. Bin Tean Teh, who was first featured in Rapid Growth Media in July 2006.
“We’ve long known there to be significant differences in the prevalence of certain types of cancer and in the way those cancers behave among various ethnic groups,” Dr. Teh said in a press statement.
“We’ve more recently found considerable variation in the biology of those cancers and in patient response to treatment of specific cancers across various ethnic populations. Our focus will be those cancers that are rare and, therefore, difficult to study in the U.S., but disproportionately affect the Asian population.”
Dr. Teh and VAI staff will join forces with medical experts at the National Cancer Center of Singapore to study a variety of cancers - liver, head and neck, stomach, and bile duct - that tend to be more prevalent among asian populations. Singapore President Sellapan Rama Nathan also has invited Dr. Teh to present on biotech efforts underway in Grand Rapids and Singapore.
“The Van Andel Research Institute is known for its cutting edge technology and focus on translational research. This partnership is a natural outgrowth of our ongoing relationship,” stated Prof. Khee Chee Soo, director of the National Cancer Center of Singapore, which has patnered with such prestigious American institutions such as Duke and MIT in the past.
Source: Amy LeFebre, Wondergem Consulting
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