World Community Grid Helps Cancer Fight

Canadian cancer researchers will be using massive computer power in attempt to compress the time of their research.

A team of Canadian cancer researchers from Ontario Cancer Institute (OCI) and scientists at PrincessMargaret Hospital and University Health Network have teamed with the World Community Grid, an IBM initiative that brings together volunteers donating the power of their own computers to create the equivalent of a supercomputer.   Together they will analyze theresults of experiments using data collected by scientists at the Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute in Buffalo, New York. Using this kind ofcomputing power means that instead of an estimated 162 years, results could be available in between one to two years.   “We know that most cancers are caused by defective proteins in ourbodies, but we need to better understand the specific function of those proteins and how they interact in the body,” said research team leader Dr. Igor Jurisica. “We also have to findproteins that will enable us to diagnose cancer earlier, before symptoms appear, to have the best chance of treating the disease — or potentially stopping it completely.”