[ad_1]
The United States will lead three new global research projects to address some of the biggest challenges in cancer research, Cancer Research UK announced today.
The teams will study how billions of microorganisms living in our bodies, called microbiomes, could be manipulated to treat colorectal cancer; find new ways to fight cancers caused by chronic inflammation; and to better understand why cancers develop in some tissues but not in others.
These research initiatives will be led by researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston; and the University of California San Francisco.
Together, teams received approximately $ 75 million in Cancer Research UK's Grand Challenge competition, an international funding initiative to address some of the biggest questions in cancer research *.
Handling the microbiome to defeat colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer was the third most common cancer diagnosed in men and women in the United States in 2018 **, and the number of cases observed among young adults increased.
Many lifestyle factors influence the risk of developing the disease. The researchers are discovering that the impact of these factors, such as diet and obesity, on the microbiome could play an important role in the development of colorectal cancer.
Professor Matthew Meyerson at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School and Professor Wendy Garrett at Harvard University TH Chan School of Public Health will lead the project, alongside researchers from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Spain, to explore the relationship between the microbiome and colorectal cancer.
The team seeks to understand the difference between a healthy microbiome and a cancer-badociated microbiome and to find ways to manipulate this collection of micro-organisms to better prevent and treat cancer. They will explore this through clinical trials of new interventions based on research findings.
Prof. Wendy Garrett, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, said, "The colon is the most densely populated microbial environment on the planet and we have badembled a global team that has always been interested in the microbiome and its Significant impact on human health We already have types of bacteria that appear to be badociated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.
"As part of this project, we hope to answer questions about the influence of the microbiome on the response of a cancer to treatment, on the development of new treatments modifying the microbiome and on how the # 39; external environment of a person may affect his microbiome. "
Professor Matthew Meyerson of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School said, "Microbiome research has already revealed a series of unexpected results, for example, we found that some bacteria that have spread with cancer cells to We do not know yet how this is happening, but this is one of the questions we will try to answer as part of this project.
"With new genomic technologies, we can map the microbiome with incredible detail, so it's a good time to study this cancer phenomenon, and with this information we hope to develop new targeted microbiome therapies for colorectal cancer."
Find new ways to fight cancers linked to chronic inflammation
In another project, Dr. Thea Tlsty of the University of California at San Francisco and collaborators from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Israel will explain the link between chronic inflammation and cancer.
Inflammation is part of the body's immune response. The chemicals released by white blood cells help protect our bodies from damaged cells, foreign substances or infections. Chronic inflammation can be caused by several factors such as viral and bacterial infections (including colitis), overweight or lack of exercise, which can lead to more diseases such as cancer. It is suggested that up to 1 in 4 cancer in the world is related to inflammation ***.
Recent work shows that cells surrounding cancers can control the growth or disappearance of cancer. The goal is to determine whether it is possible to treat inflamed cells and non-cancerous stromal cells (the cells immediately surrounding the cancer cells) rather than directly treating the cancer cells.
Professor Thea Tlsty, from the University of California at San Francisco, said: "Until now, the research has focused primarily on cancer cells, but this is focused on a focus on Only side of the conversation.Our project will allow us to hear each other.We can then design new interesting treatment approaches, ranging from the rebadignment of ordinary anti-inflammatory drugs to the design of cells that target the tissues. promoting cancer. "
Understand why cancers develop in certain tissues and not in others
Professor Stephen Elledge of the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and collaborators from the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands are trying to understand why some genetic abnormalities are noticeable. affect only certain tissues.
Mutations in the BRCA gene are among the most well-known hereditary genetic abnormalities that can lead to cancer and increase the risk of bad, ovarian and prostate cancers. Many other genetic errors increase the risk of developing cancer, but why do they concern only certain tissues of the body?
If a person carries a potentially carcinogenic gene mutation, this anomaly can exist in all the cells of the body, but only causes specific cancers, e.g. chest or skin. The team is investigating the reasons for this situation and will use this information to find ways to prevent or treat cancer in these organs.
Professor Stephen Elledge, of Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard School of Medicine, said, "We believe that the presence of genetic defects specific to certain types of cancer is explained by the fact that different cell types are "wired" and the tissue considers it a "GO" signal or not.We will deconstruct what happens by activating and deactivating the cancer genes and following the evolution of healthy and normal cells of different organs, which will deepen our understanding of the very nature of cancer.Using advanced technologies such as organoids, we hope to find new targets for cancer treatments in the future. "
This project is supported in partnership with the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research.
It is estimated that about 1,740,000 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in the United States last year and about 609,000 deaths due to the disease ****. Cancer Research UK's Grand Challenge initiative harnesses the scientific power of researchers and world-clbad teams to address the growing burden of cancer, not only in the United States, but also in the UK and around the world .
Edward Harlow, PhD, a member of the Grand Challenge Advisory Committee and professor of cancer education and research at Harvard Medical School, said: "I am not aware of any funding opportunities where that it is in the world that could start integrating so many international cancer experts. " on projects of such importance. These teams have been brought together to address many of the biggest challenges we are currently facing in the field of cancer research. We can see how powerful it is to support collaborations of this magnitude. "
Grand Challenge is open to scientists based all over the world and from all disciplines to bring innovative, international and collaborative approaches to research.
Funding for these new projects comes directly from Cancer Research UK and the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research, based in New York, which spends more than $ 12.5 million on the project led by Professor Stephen Elledge.
Iain Foulkes, PhD, Executive Director of Research and Innovation at Cancer Research UK, said:
"Individually, these research teams are among the best in the world in their respective fields, and by bringing them together across borders, Grand Challenge allows them to think bigger and build new and exciting collaborations. the scale of funding reflects the opportunity to see to exploit their ability to understand and fight against cancer. "
###
For media inquiries, contact Carl Alexander at Cancer Research UK Press Office on +44 20 3469 8882 or outside office hours at +44 7050 264 059.
Notes to the editor:
* For more information on the Cancer Research UK Grand Challenge Program, visit: http://cruk.com.
Funding for this cycle was made possible through a new partnership with the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research, which is half funding the team led by Professor Stephen Elledge.
** Surveillance program statistics, epidemiology and end results: https: /
*** Hussain SP, Harris CC. Inflammation and cancer: an old connection with new potentials. Int J Cancer. December 1, 2007; 121 (11): 2373-80.
Okada F. Inflammatory carcinogenesis: current trends, causes and epidemiological mechanisms. Yonago Acta Med. 2014 June; 57 (2): 65-72.
**** Surveillance program statistics, epidemiology and end results: https: /
More information about the teams:
Handling the microbiome to defeat colorectal cancer
Principal Investigators: Matthew Meyerson, Professor, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard School of Medicine and Professor Wendy Garrett, Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health
Funding = up to $ 25 million
Co-investigators:
- Professor Emma Allen-Vercoe, University of Guelph
- Professor Hans Clevers, Hubrecht Institute
- Dr. Marios Giannakis, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School
- Professor Robert Holt, BC Cancer Agency
- Dr. Curtis Huttenhower, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
- Professor Kimmie Ng, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School
- Professor Shuji Ogino, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School
- Professor Fiona Powrie, University of Oxford
- Professor Philip Quirke, University of Leeds
- Professor Cynthia Sears, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- Dr. Josep Tabernero, Institute of Oncology Vall d'Hebron
- Laura Porter, Patient Advocate
- David Dubin, Patient Advocate
The human body is home to billions of different microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi and viruses. Together, they form a community called the microbiota, which differs from organ to organ and person to person. Scientists have shown that these microorganisms play an important role in maintaining human health, but they can also play a role in the development of diseases – including cancer.
Professors Matthew Meyerson and Wendy Garrett lead an international collaboration spanning five countries to discover exactly how certain microbes in the body cause colorectal cancer and influence the patient's response to treatment.
At the end of the project, their goal is to revolutionize our understanding of the role of the microbiota in cancer development, to find new ways to prevent colorectal cancer and to define new treatment strategies by manipulating the gut microbiota.
A new way to fight cancers caused by chronic inflammation
Principal Investigator: Professor Thea Tlsty, University of California at San Francisco
Funding = up to $ 25 million
Co-investigators:
- Profesor Uri Alon, Weizmann Institute of Science
- Dr. Lorenzo Ferri, McGill University
- Professor James Goldenring, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
- Professor Sui Huang, Institute of Systems Biology, Seattle
- Professor Donald Ingber, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University
- Dr. Stuart McDonald, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University, London
- Professor Garry Nolan, Stanford University
- Professor Morag Park, Goodman Cancer Research Center and McGill University
- Dr. Kole Roybal, University of California, San Francisco
- Dr. Doug Winton, British Institute of Cambridge for Cancer Research
- Désirée Basila, patient rights advocate
- David Chuter, Patient Advocate
- Deborah Collyar, Patient Advocate
- Ann Russell, Patient Advocate
The inflammation is the first line of defense of the body. Immune system cells are recruited to fight dangers such as infections and restore injured tissues in their initial state of health. This is normally a very tightly controlled process. But sometimes, it can become uncontrollable and become chronic, thus contributing to the formation of cancer. It is suggested that up to 1 in 4 cancer in the world is related to inflammation.
The team of Professor Thea Tlsty is determined to tackle this problem. Heading a diverse team of experts spanning three continents, she wants to know if it's possible to treat inflamed cells and tissues surrounding a tumor, rather than directing treatments to the tumor. herself.
The Grand Challenge aims to find new ways to treat cancer caused by inflammation and to develop new options for preventing cancer development in high-risk patients with chronic inflammatory diseases.
Why cancers develop in some tissues but not others
Principal Investigator: Professor Stephen Elledge, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Funding = up to $ 24 million
Co-investigators:
- Professor Karen Cichowski, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
- Professor Hans Clevers, Hubrecht Institute
- Professor Peter Park, Harvard Medical School
- Professor Thomas Westbrook, Baylor College of Medicine
- Dr. Kevin Haigis, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Professor Kristian Helin, Sloan Kettering Memorial Cancer Center
- Professor Richard Marais, CRUK Manchester Institute
- Professor Owen Sansom, CRUK Beatson Institute, Institute of Cancer Sciences at the University of Glasgow, CRUK Glasgow Center
- Dr. Teresa Davoli, School of Medicine, New York University
- Fiona Milligan, Patient Advocate
- Chris Curtis, Patient Advocate
- Fran Visco, patient rights advocate
Cancer is caused by mutations in the DNA of our cells. These mutations can occur by chance or be caused by environmental factors and lead to uncontrolled cell multiplication. We know that different mutations of DNA can cause different types of cancer. However, despite decades of research, we still do not understand why these errors only cause cancer in specific organs and not in other parts of the body.
Professor Stephen Elledge and his international team of researchers are trying to answer this question once and for all. By carefully mapping cancer drivers in our cells – molecules known to cause cancer – they hope to shed light on drivers who cause cancer in different body tissues.
This card could transform the way doctors treat cancer because they will be able to select the drugs most likely to work, depending on the mode and location of the cancer.
About Cancer Research UK
- Cancer Research UK is the world's largest cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research.
- The pioneering work of Cancer Research UK in preventing, diagnosing and treating cancer has saved millions of lives.
- Cancer Research UK does not receive any funding from the UK government for life-saving research. Every step he takes to defeat cancer is based on vital gifts from the public.
- Cancer Research UK has been at the heart of progress that has already seen survival double in the UK over the past 40 years.
- Today, 2 out of 4 people survive at least 10 years of cancer. The ambition of Cancer Research UK is to accelerate progress so that by 2034, 3 out of 4 people will survive their cancer for at least 10 years.
- Cancer Research UK supports research on all aspects of cancer through the work of more than 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses.
- Cancer Research UK is working with its partners and supporters to announce the day when all cancers will be cured.
For more information on the work of Cancer Research UK or to find out how to support this charity, call 0300 123 1022 or visit http: // www.
Source link
