Genomics center nears 10 years of cancer research within Moffitt

The majority of the funding will pay the salaries of NFGC employees, including the scientists who conduct gene expression experiments, manage genetic data and try to link it with patients and their outcomes.

Roughly 85 percent of funding to Moffitt goes to salaries and wages, said Michael Benedict, VP of research.

“When we talk about science and technology, it’s a people economy, it’s about the staff — the workers we have here that make the engine go,” Benedict said.

In addition to four full-time employees and one part-time employee working for NFGC directly, 49 Moffitt employees are involved in NFGC.

The funding also pays for equipment for research projects at NFGC, which comes from suppliers of medical equipment, health care products distributors and other vendors throughout the United States.

Moffitt does business with a diverse range of companies to support its broader research operation — from janitorial supply companies to marketing firms — many based in Tampa Bay.

A cause that crosses party lines

Congress established NFGC in 2001 to support nationally coordinated cancer research. NFGC today is at the hub of eight affiliate cancer institutions around the country.

NFGC stages annual meetings where affiliates discuss their specialized research areas and share updates on research projects. They attract representatives from other universities and the Department of Defense.

NFGC’s mission is to show how molecular signatures in cancerous tumors can predict cancer risk as well as diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of the disease, said John DeMuro, supervisor for government relations at Moffitt.

The continued funding will broaden of the investigation to look at larger samples of people.

“You give patients the best cure the first time through and spare them the side effects of a cure that won’t work for them,” DeMuro said. “That is how validation works.”

While it does not target veterans specifically, the genetic research to identify biomarkers for cancer benefits the entire community, which includes veterans, he said.

“The Department of Defense undertakes medical research that makes medical care more effective,” DeMuro said. “This does that exactly. ”

The funding came after a bipartisan request from Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., Rep. C.W. Bill Young, R-St. Petersburg, Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, and Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor.

The high incidence of cancer in Florida makes research toward detection and treatment a priority that transcends political affiliation, said David Peluso, communications director for Bilirakis. “It cut across party lines, working toward a cure and effective treatment.”

Castor supported the funding because she recognized Florida’s extremely high cancer rates, the fact that troops are hard-hit by cancer and Moffitt’s influence as an economic engine in the region, said Ellen Gedalius, spokeswoman for Castor. “Investing in research at Moffitt will help us come closer to finding cures for cancer and will help our regional economy at the same time,” Gedalius said.