Anthrax research project completes in-silico screening in twenty-four days

National Foundation for Cancer Research
Friday, 8 March 2002

Pre-Clinical Screening Phase Reduced by Fifty Percent

Collaborators of the Anthrax Research Project, designed to screen 3.5 billion molecules against a known anthrax toxin protein, announced today the turnover of results to the United States Department of Defense and United Kingdom government. The project launched on January 22nd and completed on February 14th. Preliminary results indicate approximately 300,000 molecules have been identified from the pool of 3.5 billion as possible candidates for further research. The virtual screening project completed in 24 days, a process which traditionally would have taken years to complete. Participants in the project were Intel, Microsoft, the National Foundation for Cancer Research, Oxford University and United Devices.

"The realm of life sciences is in for a radical shift in its approach to drug discovery as evidenced by the phenomenal success of our virtual screening project to fight anthrax," said Dr. Graham Richards, Chairman of the Chemistry Department at Oxford University. "Research that was believed to be impossible in my lifetime is now not only possible, but has been accomplished in a few short weeks."

The turnover event takes place at the United Kingdom Embassy in Washington, D.C. Bioterrorism experts from the Department of Defense and the UK government will be in attendance to receive the results of the project from Dr. Graham Richards.

"The Department of Defense is very happy to accept this contribution and looks forward to enabling technology advances through molecular design studies based on the structures of the compounds that have been identified," said Dr. Anna Johnson-Winnegar, Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Chemical and Biological Defense.

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Since its founding in 1973, The National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) has provided more than $1million to fund research focused on understanding how and why cells become cancerous. Our worldwide "laboratory without walls" assembles the intellectual power to achieve one of medicine's greatest goals-the end of cancer. We believe that prevention, treatment, and cure depend on understanding cancer's genetic origins and environmental influences as well as the "individual" nature of the disease. NFCR's research discoveries are now on the threshold of being translated into therapies and potential cures for cancer patients. For more information, visit the website at www.researchforacure.com or call (800) 321-CURE.

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