U.S. National Institutes of Health  |  www.cancer.gov
NCI Cancer Bulletin: A Trusted Source for Cancer Research NewsNCI Cancer Bulletin: A Trusted Source for Cancer Research News
November 16, 2004 • Volume 1 / Number 44 E-Mail This Document  |  Download PDF  |  Bulletin Archive/Search  |  Subscribe

NCI Cancer Bulletin Archive

Page Options

  • Print This Page
  • Print This Document
  • View Entire Document
  • Email This Document
  • View/Print PDF
Notes

Map Will Track Pancreatic Cancer Researchers, Studies, Funding Opportunities
On Nov. 8, NCI and the Pancreatic Action Network (PanCAN) launched the first phase of the Pancreatic Cancer Research Map (www.cancermap.org/pancreatic). "The map will enable the community to find and search a comprehensive list of research projects and open clinical trials relevant to cancer. It also aims to facilitate collaboration among pancreatic cancer researchers," said Cherie Nichols, who has headed the activity in NCI's Office of Science Planning and Assessment. In phase 1, NCI-sponsored projects, funding opportunities, and a database of pancreatic cancer investigators will be available. Similar information for nonprofit and private organizations will be added to the database during the next phase, which is expected to begin in the near future. Patients and their families can use the Web site to see what studies are underway and where investigations of interest to them are located.

"Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States," said Paula Kim, co-founder of PanCAN. "More than 31,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every year, and it continues to be the cancer with the highest mortality. The map will enable researchers to find and search a comprehensive list of studies and projects relevant to pancreatic cancer."

Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer Moves Forward
The NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer continues to build momentum with several events and program announcements. On Oct. 27, NCI and the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, which includes The Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center and the Ireland Cancer Center at University Hospitals of Cleveland, co-sponsored a regional symposium to bring together local cancer and nanotechnology researchers to foster the interdisciplinary team-building needed to speed efforts in cancer nanotechnology. Dr. Harold L. Moses, director of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Dr. Chad Mirkin, director of the Northwestern University Institute for Nanotechnology, gave the keynote addresses. Other speakers included Dr. Miqin Zhang, of the University of Washington, Dr. Greg Lanza, of the Washington University School of Medicine, and Dr. James Baker, Jr., of the Center for Biologic Nanotechnology at the University of Michigan.

The next nanotechnology symposium will be held Feb. 22, 2005 at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, D.C.

President's Cancer Panel Meets in Houston
The President's Cancer Panel continued its meetings on "Translating Research to Reduce the Burden of Cancer" on November 1 at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Testimony emphasized the challenges in moving cancer discoveries through the development-to-delivery continuum, including the need for cultural shifts at multiple academic, regulatory, and institutional levels.

Participants also noted the existing imbalance between the numbers of researchers in basic science and translational research, and suggested the development of a national strategy to shift the emphasis between these disciplines, including transforming individual and team reward structures. They noted that this will also require a cultural shift and reevaluation of grant review criteria and assessments made by review committee members. The Specialized Programs of Research Excellence program was mentioned as a successful model for structuring translational research efforts.

Cancer.gov Offers Direct Links to NIH Roadmap Funding Opportunities
To ensure that cancer researchers have an opportunity to participate actively in the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research efforts, NCI has provided a new background link on its Web site: http://www.cancer.gov/researchandfunding/NIHRoadmap. The site contains a direct link to the many NIH Roadmap funding opportunities, including new initiatives and re-announcements.

Launched in September 2003 by NIH Director Dr. Elias Zerhouni, the NIH Roadmap is a series of far-reaching initiatives designed to transform the nation's medical research capabilities and speed the movement of research discoveries from the bench to the bedside. It provides a framework of the priorities that NIH must address to optimize its entire research portfolio and lays out a vision for a more efficient and productive system of medical research.

To view the current NIH Roadmap funding opportunities, go to: http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/grants/index.asp