January 1, 2009 (Vol. 29, No. 1)

URL:
http://dtp.nci.nih.gov/docs/cancer/cancer_data.html

Rating:
Strong Points: Useful database
Weak Points: Uneven

Summary:
You want to know more about compounds that may inhibit the growth of human tumor cell lines. Where to turn? Well, for starters, you might consider the DTP Human Tumor Cell Line Screen, a site housed at the NIH that has “checked tens of thousands of compounds for evidence of the ability to inhibit the growth of human tumor cell lines.” Contained in the database are the results of their screening, and the structural data of compounds that are not covered by a confidentiality agreement. The latter is a bit of a concern, though it may just be a standard procedure. The site is not just a database, however, with other sections covering grants/contracts, developmentsServices (biopharmaceuticals, pharmaceuticals, pharmacology/ toxicology), and miscellaneous mechanisms for searching the data. It’s a bit uneven for a site at the NIH, but most of it is good.

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