Use Your PC to Combat Cancer

National Foundation for Cancer Research
Tuesday, 3 April 2001

National Foundation for Cancer Research, Intel, United Devices and Oxford University Team Up to Create Virtual Supercomputer to Combat Cancer

The National Foundation for Cancer Research announced today that it has teamed with technology companies Intel, United Devices and Oxford University in an effort to turn personal computers around the world into a virtual supercomputer that will be used in the discovery of new drugs to combat cancer. Owners of personal computers worldwide will be encouraged to join the project by downloading software to their machines that enables researchers to utilize unused computer power, similar to the SETI@Home project in search of extraterrestrial life. Intel is sponsoring the project and the software; developed by United Devices, coordinates the application of screen saver time to run massively distributed new drug discovery projects. The applications then send the compiled research data to computer servers across Europe, creating the virtual supercomputer. Scientists expect this initiative could speed up new drug discovery by 3 – 5 years.

"This is the largest computational chemistry project ever undertaken," said Graham Richards, chairman of Oxford University's Chemistry Department and head of the NFCR Centre for Computational Drug Design in Oxford, England. "Our project aims to screen as many as 250 million molecules against a range of cancer drug targets and it is expected that approximately 10,000 new drug candidate molecules may be identified."

The NFCR Centre for Computational Drug Design is a virtual arrangement including researchers in several European countries but directed from Oxford by Professor Graham Richards, Chairman of the University's Chemistry Department, which is the largest in the western world. The Centre is funded by a generous grant from the US-based NFCR and relies heavily on input from Research Fellow Keith Davies who developed THINK software, which enables estimates to be made of how well small drug-like molecules will bind to proteins of known structure which are targets for anti-cancer drugs.

"This effort fundamentally changes the way medical research can be performed, and makes PC (personal computer) philanthropy a part of PC ownership," said Craig Barrett, president and CEO of Intel Corporation. "If you own a PC, you can now help fight these devastating diseases.

"With one person dying every hour in America from cancer and millions more suffering from this terrible disease, this technology gives individuals who want to make a difference in the war against cancer, a chance to use their idle computer time to assist in the discovery of new drugs to combat cancer", says Franklin Salisbury, president of the NFCR.

The program is similar to a screen saver, operating in the background and quickly moving aside when the computer's user wants the computer to perform a task. When the computer connects to the Internet, its sends back results and receives new data to analyse. For further information on how to participate in this drug discovery program, users will need to log onto www.researchforacure.com or www.Intel.com/Cure to download the software and can find the answers to their questions on these sites. It is expected that at least six million computer users worldwide will participate in this cooperative effort in the first year.

The National Foundation for Cancer Research is the only cancer-related charity fully dedicated to supporting basic cancer research in the laboratory. For more information about the National Foundation for Cancer Research, visit www.nfcr.org or call (800) 321-CURE.

For more information, or to contact National Foundation for Cancer Research, see their website at: www.researchforacure.com