Figure 4. Proposed pathway for drug discovery and translation of therapeutics in hematological malignancies.

Drug discovery is often required on a special patient- and mutation-specific basis. Understanding the oncogenic profile of patients can be achieved through genomic, metabolic, and proteomic analyses. With greater understanding of the mutation types from the patient, tumor specific cytotoxicity can be evaluated in genetic mouse models, patient derived xenograft models, or in ex vivo engineered tissues, each with distinct advantages and disadvantages. Each of these models can be used to evaluate efficacy and toxicity of drugs, followed by formulation development using biomaterials with reduced toxicity effects. Drug delivery platforms could be engineered for both single-mode and combinatorial delivery of drugs to establish improved treatment protocols for patient disease. Upon discovery of tumor-targeting drug and suitable delivery platform, dose response studies evaluating anti-tumor effect, genomic, metabolic, and proteomic changes in tumor cell response can initiate new clinical trials to treat human hematological malignancies.