Call to the Cancer Community for Ideas: Stand Up To Cancer Initiative
Date: 7/15/08 9:24:13 AM Pacific Daylight Time

AACR issues a call for ideas for Stand Up To Cancer "Dream Team" translational cancer research projects

Outline:
Call for Ideas:
Sample Idea: "Embryonic Gene Re-expression within Human Lung Cancer Cells".
References:

Deadline for Ideas: August 20, 2008

AACR invites members of the cancer community to contribute to a groundbreaking effort to accelerate progress against cancer and directly impact patient care.

Recently, AACR announced its role in providing scientific leadership, expert peer review, and grants administration to Stand Up To Cancer, an unprecedented collaboration among the major television networks, entertainment industry executives, celebrities, and prominent leaders in cancer research and patient advocacy. This exciting new initiative seeks to raise significant philanthropic dollars to fund research that will positively impact cancer patient care and prevention and to increase public awareness about the value of cancer research.

Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) is founded on the belief that the last thirty years have brought about a revolution in our understanding of the origins and causes of cancer. SU2C believes this knowledge and new technologies should be fully utilized and applied cooperatively, rapidly, and efficiently to patient care and prevention. SU2C is committed to identifying the most promising opportunities and leveraging its fiscal and management resources to achieve a paradigm shift in cancer research.

Therefore, SU2C will establish and support a focused and intense effort to affect advances in cancer research as rapidly as possible through the creation of collaborative, translational research "Dream Teams." The most talented and promising researchers across institutions will be assembled into Dream Teams, forming an optimal configuration of expertise needed to solve key problems in cancer and positively impact patients in the near future. These Dream Teams will span multiple disciplines and utilize the new tools of molecular biology and systems biology to attack research questions in a coordinated way. SU2C will employ mechanisms to foster collaboration within and among the Dream Teams – an approach that promotes the sharing of information and a goal-oriented focus on measurable milestones of progress. SU2C believes that this unique Dream Team model will advance scientific research in the interests of both today's cancer patients and those who may develop cancer in the future.

Expert scientific review of the Dream Team projects will be conducted by AACR via a rigorous, yet nimble, rapid, and transparent process led by a "Blue Ribbon" Scientific Advisory Committee. The Committee is led by Nobel Laureate, Dr. Phillip A. Sharp, Chairperson, along with distinguished scientists, Drs. Arnold J. Levine and Brian J. Druker, Vice-Chairpersons, and includes an additional fifteen highly accomplished senior laboratory researchers and physician-scientists and two advocates to be elected by the Advocate Advisory Council.

AACR now calls upon members of the cancer community to join this collaborative effort and contribute their ideas to the groundbreaking SU2C Dream Team translational research model. We invite submission of ideas for translational cancer research projects that would address critical problems in patient care, including prevention strategies for those at risk, and deliver near-term patient benefit through investigation by a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional Dream Team of expert investigators. The ideas may focus on particular organ sites or on specialized research areas and should be based on perceived opportunities for success as well as high-priority areas with a critical need for rapid progress beyond current medical care. The collective ideas for Dream Team translational research projects suggested by the cancer community will assist the SU2C Scientific Advisory Committee in its deliberations and selection of SU2C Dream Teams.

The number of Dream Teams to be formed will depend upon the total amount of funds raised through SU2C. Based upon the scope of each Dream Team project, total support for each Team may reach up to $20 million

*Please note that in this call for ideas AACR is not accepting research proposals for grant funding. Rather AACR is inviting ideas for SU2C Dream Team translational research projects.*

Submission of Ideas

Ideas must be submitted using the instructions and form found on the AACR website.

Submissions must be no longer than two pages and should be sent to SU2C@aacr.org by Wednesday, August 20, 2008. Paper submissions will not be accepted.

Submissions must include the following elements:

    * Project Summary Statement – Briefly describe the idea for a translational research project and provide justification for the suggestions with background information.
    * Clinical Impact – Describe how forming an interdisciplinary, multi-institutional Dream Team would result in more rapid advances in the treatment of patients or the prevention of cancer in those individuals who are at risk.
    * Provide a timeline toward realizing the clinical impact.
    * Expertise and key personnel – Describe the expertise needed to undertake the translational cancer research project and identify key personnel. Each Team will consist of one or two Dream Team Leaders who are expert in translational research, no more than eight Dream Team Principals, and at least two advocates. All key personnel must be from different institutions.
    * Key Literature References – References to publications supporting the suggestion may be included.

By submitting an idea, the submitter is giving permission for the AACR to use the idea in any manner related to the Stand Up To Cancer initiative. However, this permission does not preclude the submitter from using the idea for other purposes.

For more information....

Visit the AACR's SU2C website and learn more about the Dream Team model here.

Inquiries about this call for ideas should be sent to SU2C@aacr.org, or a voice message may be left at (267) 646-0653.



SU2C "Ideas for Translational Research" Submission Form:

CALL FOR IDEAS

AACR calls upon members of the cancer community to join the collaborative Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) effort and contribute their ideas to the groundbreaking SU2C Dream Team translational research model.

We invite submission of ideas for translational cancer research projects that would address critical problems in patient care, including prevention strategies for those at risk, and deliver near-term patient benefit through investigation by a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional Dream Team of expert investigators. The ideas may focus on particular organ sites or on specialized research areas and should be based on perceived opportunities for success as well as high-priority areas with a critical need for rapid progress beyond current medical care. The collective ideas for Dream Team translational research projects suggested by the cancer community will assist the SU2C Scientific Advisory Committee in its deliberations and selection of SU2C Dream Teams.

*Please note that in this call for ideas AACR is not accepting research proposals for grant funding. Rather AACR is inviting ideas for SU2C Dream Team translational research projects.

IDEA SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Ideas must be submitted using this form and sent electronically to SU2C@aacr.org. Preferred file formats are *.doc or *.pdf. Paper submission will not be accepted.

Submissions must be no longer than two (2) pages and utilize no smaller than 11 point type (font) size.

Submissions must include the following elements:

IDEA SUBMISSION DEADLINE

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

QUESTIONS?

Email (preferred): SU2C@aacr.org

Phone: (267) 646-0653
 
 
I. IDEA SUBMITTER CONTACT Information
Full Name: Frenster John H
Last (Family) First (Given) Middle Initial
Title/Position: Clin. Assoc. Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology), retired
Department: Medicine
Institution: Stanford University School of Medicine
Mailing Address: 247 Stockbridge Avenue
-
Atherton California 94027-5446
City State/Province Postal Code
Country: USA
Telephone: +1 650 367 6483
Country code (City code) Telephone number
E-mail: frensterjh@aol.com
PERMISSION STATEMENT: By submitting an idea for a translational cancer research project, the submitter is giving permission for the AACR to use the idea in any manner related to the Stand Up To Cancer initiative. However, this permission does not preclude the submitter from using the idea for other purposes.

 X  Please check this box to indicate that you have read and agree to the permission statement.

 
II. tumor site of research project idea
Head & Neck Breast Brain
Colon & Rectum Mesothelioma Neuroblastoma
Stomach Uterus Retinoblastoma
Liver Cervix Thyroid
Pancreas Ovary Leukemia
X Lung & Bronchus Prostate Lymphoma
Larynx Testis Multiple Myeloma
Sarcomas & Soft Tissues Bladder Other Organ Site:

____________________________
Melanoma Kidney
Skin, non-melanoma Eye None

 
 
III. RESEARCH AREA of project idea

Please indicate the PRIMARY (P) and SECONDARY (S) research area of your idea.

P
S
Research Area
P
S
Research Area
P
S
Research Area
Angiogenesis and Microcirculation  Drug Discovery Technologies Preclinical Studies: Biomarkers and Prevention
Behavioral Prevention Research Drug Design and Optimization Proteomics, Mass Spectrometry, and Chemical Biology
Bioinformatics and Computational Molecular Biology Drug Resistance Radiobiology
P Biological Therapeutic Agents Endocrinology, Molecular and Preclinical Radiation Oncology: Preclinical and Clinical
Biomarkers of DNA Damage/Repair, Exposure and Phenotype Experimental Gene Therapy S Small Molecules and Other Therapeutic Agents
Cell Cycle Gene Expression, Chromatin Regulation, and Oncogenomics Stem Cell Biology
Cell Death and Senescence Gene Regulation and Transcriptional Control Structural Biology and Molecular Interactions
Cell Growth/Signaling Pathways Genetics of Risk and Outcome Survivorship Research
Chemical Aspects of Carcinogenesis Mapping and Cloning of Cancer Genes Tumor Immunobiology
Chemistry of Imaging Agents and Radiotherapeutics Mechanisms of Drug Action/New Molecular Targets/Therapeutics Tumor Progression, Invasion, and Metastasis
Clinical Endocrinology Mechanisms of Genomic Alterations Tumor Suppressor Genes - Structure and Function
Clinical Immunology/Biological Therapy Methodological Studies Viral organisms and mechanisms
Clinical Pharmacology Model Organisms Other: 
Clinical Prevention Studies Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmacogenetics, Pharmacogenomics
Descriptive, Risk Factor, and Methodological Studies Molecular Oncology
Diagnostic Imaging Phase I - III Clinical Trials


 
IV. IDEA SUBMISSION

Must be no more than 2 pages in length.

Embryonic Gene Re-expression within Human Lung Cancer Cells.

Human NSCLC cells often display a deficiency of RNA regulators of embryonic genes. let-7g RNA, an inhibitor of the RAS oncogene, is one such embryonic RNA regulator that is deficient in human NSCLC cells. Administration of let-7 RNA to living NSCLC cells in mice results in a regression of the neoplasm in a mouse model see: Kumar MS, et al, "Suppresion of non-small cell lung tumor development by the let-7 microRNA family", Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, vol. 105, no. 10, pp. 3903-3908, March 11, 2008.

                      The necessary team for translation of the mouse findings to human patients would include a
                      molecular geneticist, a cell biologist, a thoracic surgeon, and a thoracic medical oncologist,
                      together with ancillary staff. Involvement of multiple institutions would assist in the enrollment
                      of recently diagnosed patients after clinical staging and before any therapy. If successful within
                      clinical patients, the study could be extended to subjects at high risk of lung cancer, or in
                      patients who have failed all other therapy. 2 years to establish the team, enlist the institutions, and test at least 5 patients with untreated lung cancer of NSCLC type. A molecular geneticist, a cell biologist, a thoracic surgeon, and a thoracic medical oncologist. After selection, these 4 leaders should design their laboratory and their clinical facilities.
                   Kumar MS, et al, "Suppresion of non-small cell lung tumor development by the let-7 microRNA
                    family", Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, vol. 105, no. 10, pp. 3903-3908, March 11, 2008.
                   http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/105/10/3903?etoc.

Additional References:

1. Frenster JH, and Hovsepian JA, “Models of Embryonic Gene-Induced Initiation and Reversion of Adult Neoplasms”.

2. Frenster JH, and Hovsepian JA, "Models of  Embryonic RNA Initiating and Reverting Adult Neoplasms".

3. Takamizawa J, Konishi H, Yanagisawa K, Tomida S, Osada H, Endo H, Harano T, Yatabe Y, Nagino M, Nimura Y, Mitsudomi T, and Takahashi T, “Reduced Expression of the Let-7 MicroRNAs in Human Lung Cancers in Association with Shortened Postoperative Survival”, Cancer Research 64: 3753-3756 (2004).

4. Johnson SM, Grosshans H, Shingara J, Byrom M, Jarvis R, Cheng A, Labourier E, Reinert KL, Brown D, and Slack FJ, “RAS is Regulated by the Let-7 MicroRNA Family”, Cell 120: 635-647 (2005).

5. Frenster JH, "Oncogenes as Molecular Targets within Active Chromatin", Clinical Cancer Research, vol. 5, suppl. l, p. 3855s, (November, 1999).

6. DeCarvalho S, “Effect of RNA from Normal Human Marrow on Leukemic Marrow In-Vivo”, Nature 197:  1077-1080 (March 16, 1963.

7.  MicroRNAs decrease activity of fused-genes acting as oncogenes.

Bueno MJ, de Castro IP, de Cedrón MG, Santos J, Calin GA, Cigudosa JC, Croce CM, Fernández-Piqueras J and Malumbres M, "Genetic and Epigenetic Silencing of MicroRNA-203 Enhances ABL1 and BCR-ABL1 Oncogene Expression".
 


Related topics:

Links to Reprogramming and Neoplasia:

Links to RNA and Biological Causality:

Links to RNA as a Therapeutic Agent:


Top of Page - Euchromatin Network - Current Research - Forums - Other Sites - Future Events -

For Further Information and Feedback:
E-mail: frenster@euchromatin.net
Phone:  +1 650 367 6483
Fax:  +1 650 364 1773

euchromatin: "the most active portion of the genome within the cell nucleus".