Preclinical Core (+Chemical Biology Core)

Overview

The EDGE Preclinical Core at the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center serves as a vital bridge between laboratory discoveries and real-world patient care. By partnering with academic investigators, clinicians, and industry collaborators, our Core supports early-stage research that transforms innovative ideas into new cancer therapies.

Our mission is to advance promising treatments through preclinical research—especially those targeting aggressive or hard-to-treat cancers—while ensuring that these therapies are developed with our island communities in mind.

From evaluating new drug compounds to exploring natural products from Hawaiʻi’s unique biodiversity and testing immunotherapies in cancer models that reflect our local populations, we are dedicated to moving the most promising treatments toward clinical trials—and, ultimately, to the patients who need them.

Looking ahead, our vision is to generate intellectual property that will have a positive economic impact on the State of Hawaiʻi. At the same time, we aim to support clinical trials led by our investigators. Together, these efforts will not only benefit cancer patients but also foster a new and sustainable area of industry growth for Hawaiʻi.

We aim to generate robust, translatable data that lays the foundation for patent applications, industry collaborations, and early-phase trials.

Why It Matters

Cancers such as advanced liver cancer—which has a markedly higher incidence and mortality in Hawaiʻi—disproportionately affect patients here and often lack effective treatments. Hawaiʻi also sees elevated rates of stomach cancer, particularly among Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and certain Asian populations. In addition, triple-negative breast cancer, inflammatory breast cancer, and lung cancer tend to behave more aggressively in our islands.

Our Core plays a critical role in tailoring therapeutic strategies to the genetic and environmental characteristics of our communities—including Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Asian populations. By focusing on the translational gap—the space between discovery and the clinic—we are uniquely positioned to reduce cancer disparities and bring precision medicine closer to home.

Work With Us

We welcome new collaborations with UH Cancer Center investigators and external partners. If you’re developing a novel therapy, biomarker, or preclinical strategy, the EDGE Preclinical Core is here to support your next step.

Track Record of Success

1. 30+ funded preclinical projects completed through the Preclinical Core platform
2. Multiple active partnerships with pharmaceutical companies
3. 3 ongoing grant-funded drug development projects (as of 2025)
4. 2 early-phase clinical trials launched (NCT01434303 and NCT00921336) based on our preclinical research
5. Patent submission: Antibodies targeting CD44 variant 9

 

Assays and Screening activities

The Screening Core houses the UH Cancer Center's Natural Products Library, a collection of pure compounds and extracts from the endemic species in the Hawaiian Islands. Natural product chemists are involved in the maintenance of cyanobacteria cultures, extracts preparation and fractionation, and the purification and identification of bioactive and other components. Synthetic and medicinal chemists, and biologists are involved in the evaluation of samples and lead optimization efforts. Investigators are developing in vitro and cell-based smart assays that are used to identify bioactive natural product compounds capable of selectively and potently altering key cancer targets. Several medium throughput screening assays using modern robotics equipment are being developed as part of the Compounds Screening Core Facility. Target-focused assays include Stat3, RSK, ion channels (offered through the sister core at The Queen's Medical Center), p53, HMGB1, Fructose transport, Bile acid transport, Aurora A, and receptor tyrosine kinases. Other assays focus on signaling pathways, such as integrin signaling.

High Field NMR

The Chemical Biology Core Research Facility houses a 600 MHz NMR spectrometer that is maintained and operated by the UH Chemistry Department that is available for small molecule and protein work to support all drug and chemical probe discovery at the UH Cancer Center. All common 2D routines are available as well as the assistance of a skilled operator to set up experiments, collect and display data and to contribute to the analysis and interpretation of the results, if necessary. This high field spectrometer represents an important upgrade of the university’s research infrastructure that leverages many years of experience within the Chemistry Department.

Faculty Director