Cancer Center Update

March 1, 2005

Cancer Center Update is sent to Cancer Center members and staff every Tuesday at 10 a.m. To submit an item for publication, send the information to Sandi Sherman by noon the Friday before publication.

In This Issue:

Today's Cancer Center Seminar

News

Events

Professional Education and Seminars

Grant Information & Announcements

Reminders

NEWS

TODAY’S CANCER CENTER SEMINAR

Today's seminar with Jon Aster, M.D., Ph.D. has been canceled due to severe weather in Boston .

A peek at next week’s seminar:

Molecular mechanism of mammalian DNA interstrand crosslink repair

Tadayoshi Bessho, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Eppley Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center

Host: Natalia Tretyakova

For a complete schedule visit: http://www.cancer.umn.edu/page/aboutus/date.html

CANCER CENTER ANNOUNCES INTERNAL GRANTS PROGRAMS

The Masonic Cancer Center announces the availability of three internal grant programs. The goal of these programs is to foster the development of and provide support for novel research ideas that focus on a problem in cancer. In turn, the Masonic Cancer Center expects that internal funding will lead to national peer-reviewed funding. The programs and their objectives are:

Brainstorm Awards – The objective is to foster new interdisciplinary collaborations encompassing novel, hypothesis-driven studies of cancer or a cancer-related topic. Proposals must be submitted by at least two members of the Masonic Cancer Center .

Cancer Etiology, Prevention and Control Awards – The objective is to foster innovative research in Cancer Etiology, Prevention and Control that have the potential to form the basis of future research initiatives. Proposals must be submitted by a member of the Masonic Cancer Center .

Translational Breast Cancer Research Awards –The objective is to support research on the biology, prevention, detection, diagnosis, and/or treatment of breast cancer. Proposals must be submitted by a member of the Masonic Cancer Center .

Awards will be made in $25,000 modules. The Brainstorm mechanism can award up to 8 modules, while the other two mechanisms can award up to 2 modules. Cancer Center members may apply for one or more of these awards, but must follow the specific application process for each. In addition, a single proposal may be considered for support by more than one mechanism, although funding from only one source will be awarded. Proposals requesting support from more than one mechanism must request the same amount of module support. If an application is appropriate for consideration by more than one mechanism, please include this request in a cover letter. Specific instructions including appropriate budgetary requests can be found by clicking on each award above.

The application deadline for the three internal grant programs is March 31, 2005. All proposals should be hand-delivered to Sandi Sherman (654 CCRB), and must be received by 4:30 p.m. Applicants will be notified of the review outcome by May 1, 2005. Awards will be made for one year, with an anticipated activation date of June 1, 2005. Please visit our website at http://www.cancer.umn.edu/page/aboutus/grantoppcc.html for information requirements for each individual award application.

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS FOR THE 4TH ENGEBRETSON SYMPOSIUM ON DRUG DISCOVERY AND DEVELOPMENT IN CANCER EXPERIMENTAL THERAPEUTICS

The 4th Engebretson Symposium on Drug Discovery and Development will be held at the University of Minnesota on June 9, 2005. This year's Symposium will focus on cancer experimental therapeutics and will be cosponsored by Cancer Center and College of Pharmacy at the University of Minnesota . A reception will be held on June 8 followed by a full day program and a dinner the evening of June 9th. Two keynote speakers will present their exciting work:

• Jan-Ake Gustafsson, M.D., from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, is an internationally renowned scientist who has worked extensively in the area of estrogen receptors and has shown the major differences in ER alpha and ER beta in relation to health and disease. He will present a talk on “Drug Development Based on Novel Insights in Estrogen Signalling.”

• Brian Druker, M.D.,from the Oregon Health and Science University, is a physicianscientist who is particularly well known for his development of the novel tyrosine kinase inhibitor, Imatinib (GleevecR). The development of Imatinib has revolutionized treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia, a lethal malignancy of the hematopoietic stem cell, and broadened our understanding of the promise and limitations of “targeted therapy” in cancer.

Seven additional podium presentations will focus on cancer experimental therapeutics. Researchers are invited to submit abstracts on topics including drug discovery, design, delivery, development, chemoprevention and cell-based approaches to cancer therapeutics. A poster session on all aspects of drug discovery and development in all disease areas are also welcome.

Deadline for Abstracts submission is March 30, 2005.

Abstracts should be one page long and cconsist of TOPIC, NAME OF AUTHORS AND THEIR AFFILIATION(S), ABSTRACT OF THE WORK TO BE PRESENTED, AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS IF ANY. Name of the presenting author should be underscored.

Contact person for abstracts: The cancer-related abstracts should be sent electronically to Phil McGlave, M.D. c/o Mary Sumpmann (e-mail: sumpm001@umn.edu) by March 30, 2005. A pdf copy of this announcement is available at . A pdf copy of the agenda for the symposium is available.

SEEKING RECOGNITION AWARD NOMINATIONS

Nominations are now open for the recognition award in Administration and Outreach. Administrative and Outreach staff, as well as other staff and faculty contributing to the Masonic Cancer Center in these areas, are eligible for this award. Nominees do not need to be Cancer Center employees.

To submit a nomination on-line, go to http://www.cancer.umn.edu/page/aboutus/recogform.html. Nomination forms may be requested from Melissa Daufelt by email at cchr@ahc.umn.edu or telephone at 626-3410. The submission deadline for nominations is March 23, 2005. Please join us for the Administration and Outreach recognition event Thursday, March 31 at 3 p.m. in room 450 CCRB.

7th KS95 FOR KIDS RADIOTHON AND CCRF RADIOTHON THIS WEEK

The 7 th KS95 for Kids Radiothon will take place March 4-6, 2005 at Ridgedale Mall. The CCRF Radiothon will be broadcast live from the Fairview University Hospital Lobby on Friday, March 4 from 12:30-2:30 p.m.. Be sure to tune in or stop by to show your support! Please contact Mary Schultze for additional information at 626-2961 or schul032@umn.edu .

CANCER CENTER SPRING POSTER SESSION AND SYMPOSIUM

The Sixth Annual Spring Poster Session and Symposium sponsored by the Masonic Cancer Center Core Facilities will be held from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., May 19, 2005. The schedule for the event includes oral presentations from 11 a.m. to noon followed by poster session and lunch from noon to 1:30 p.m. Students, staff, post-docs and PIs are invited to participate by presenting a poster.

Online registration will open on Monday, March 21, 2005. Due to the increasing number (and size!) of posters and the limited amount of display space, we have decided to display the first 35 abstracts/posters that are submitted in the Masonic Cancer Center atrium areas. Other posters will be displayed as space permits in other areas of the Masonic Cancer Center. All abstracts will be printed in the program booklet.

For more information, call Sue Fautsch at 5-6955 or send an email to fauts001@umn.edu.

SAVE THE DATE!

The Cancer Benefit fund invites you to joint them for a wine tasting and entertainment event to benefit cancer care and research at The Masonic Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota and HealthEast Cancer Center. This year’s event, “Fiesta de Vino: A Wine Tasting Event with a South American Twist,” will be held 7 p.m. April 16, 2005 at the Radisson Plaza in Minneapolis. Enjoy wines provided by The Cellars, South American entertainment and hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction, and chance to win a trip to South America from American airlines, and more. For tickets and more information call 651-464-6049 or visit www.cancerbenefitfund.com.

CLIMB FOR THE CURE

The Children’s Cancer Research Fund will be the beneficiary of a fundraising event, Climb for the Cure, to be held April 23, 2005 from 5-10 p.m. at Vertical Endeavors in St. Paul. This will be a family-oriented, safe indoors rock climbing event for those of all ages and skill levels. Deadline for registration is April 17, 2005 and you can visit the Climb for the Cure website at www.climbcure.com or contact Cancer Center member Kathleen Conklin at 626-0445, email conkl001@umn.edu.

SCIENCE MUSEUM PICTURES ON LINE

Visit the Masonic Cancer Center web site at http://www.cancer.umn.edu/page/aboutus/scimus.html for pictures and the 6th annual Cancer and the Human Body day at the Science Museum.

GRANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Please call Kamala Upadhyaya at 626-5326 for assistance with your application.

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA TRANSDISCIPLINARY TOBACCO USE RESEARCH CENTER (TTURC) PILOT GRANT PROGRAM
Applications Due: April 15, 2005

The purpose of the TTURC Pilot Grants Program is to provide seed money to support innovative studies aimed at reducing the harm from tobacco dependence, or strategies to reduce tobacco use among populations that have been refractory to smoking cessation efforts. Proposals may involve any level of inquiry (e.g. molecular, genetic, preclinical, clinical, epidemiologic or public policy). Up to $25,000 for 1 year is available to support pilot projects. This funding may be used for direct costs only.

Potential applicants must first contact the Pilot Projects Program Director (contact information below) to determine whether the proposed project is within the scope of the Center; applications that have not been discussed will not be accepted. Before submitting an application, please contact Roxy McCann at 612-625-2662 or by email at donni0007@umn.edu for submission guidelines. A pdf file with a copy of this announcement is available.

Paul Pentel, M.D.
Pilot Projects Program director
University of Minnesota TTURC
pentel@umn.edu

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA TRANSDISCIPLINARY TOBACCO USE RESEARCH CENTER (TTURC) FACULTY CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARD
Letter of Intent (Email): March 15, 2005
Application Due: April 15, 2005

The purpose of the TTURC Faculty Career Development Award (CDA) is to provide partial salary support for two years to faculty at any level of experience who wish to expand their research into tobacco harm reduction. The CDA is intended to support innovative studies aimed at reducing the harm from tobacco dependence, or strategies to reduce tobacco use among populations that have been refractory to smoking cessation efforts. Proposals may involve any level of inquiry (e.g. molecular, genetic, preclinical, epidemiologic or public policy). $22,500 per year (total of salary + fringe) for 2 years is available to support CDA recipients. This funding may be used only for salary support. Two awards will be made in 2005.

Potential applicants must first contact the Pilot Projects Program Director (contact information below) to determine whether the proposed project is within the scope of the Center; applications that have not been discussed will not be accepted. Before submitting an application, please contact Roxy McCann at 612-625-2662 or by email at doni0007@umn.edu for submission guidelines. A pdf file with a copy of this announcement is available

Paul Pentel, M.D.
Pilot Projects Program director
University of Minnesota TTURC
pentel@umn.edu

NOTICE OF LIMITED COMPETITION REQUEST FOR APPLICATION: AIDS MALIGNANCY CLINICAL TRIALS CONSORTIUM

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is requesting an application from the current awardee Group Chair of the AIDS Malignancy Clinical Trials Consortium (AMC). NCI will contact the current awardee directly regarding application procedures and format. For more information visit that announcement on the website: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-CA-05-009.html

NOTICE REGARDING NCI P50 SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS OF RESEARCH EXCELLENCE (SPORES) INTERIM GUIDELINES

The purpose of this notice is to inform the research community that the National Cancer Institute has revised the Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs) Guidelines. The interim version announced in this notice replaces any previous guidelines. For more information visit the notice on the website at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-CA-05-013.html

SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS OF RESEARCH EXCELLENCE (SPORES) IN HUMAN CANCER FOR YEAR 2005-2006
This is a reissue of PAR-03-158 which was previously released August 4, 2003
Letters of Intent Receipt Date:
Lung and Genitourinary (bladder, kidney, testicular, not prostate) Cancer SPORE: March 23, 2005
Skin and prostate cancer SPORE: July 23, 2005
Application Receipt Dates:
Lung and Genitourinary (bladder, kidney, testicular, not prostate) Cancer SPORE: May 23, 2005
Skin and prostate cancer SPORE: September 23, 2005

The Organ Systems Branch of the Office of Centers, Training, and Resources, Office of the Director, National Cancer Institute invites grant applications for Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs) in organ-specific cancers. Applicant institutions are to demonstrate their ability to conduct translational research in prevention, etiology, screening, diagnosis, and treatment of lung, genitourinary, prostate, or skin cancers. Translational research, as defined by the Program, uses knowledge of human biology to develop and test the feasibility of cancer-relevant interventions in humans and/or determines the biological basis for observations made in individuals with cancer or in populations at risk for cancer. SPOREs foster extended collaborations in critical areas of research among laboratory and clinical or applied scientists. SPOREs are expected to have a robust research base in the respective cancer, good access to patient populations, and substantial commitment from their institution.

A SPORE is supported through the specialized center (P50) grant mechanism. Applicants are solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project. NCI policy for SPORE grants establishes the following limits to the requested budgets: new or competing renewal P50 SPORE applications may each involve a request for a maximum annual direct cost of up to $1.5 million and maximum annual total cost of $2.5 million. For more information visit this announcement on the website at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-05-042.html

CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF SOFTWARE
This is a reissue of PA-02-141
Application Receipt Dates(s): May 17 and September 13 in 2005, 2006, and 2007

This program announcement is aimed at satisfying one of the needs created by the parallel achievements and increased interdependence of the biological and computing sciences. This interdependence offers an unprecedented opportunity for sophisticated approaches to computer-enabled research in the biological, clinical, and behavioral sciences. The purpose of this program announcement is to assure the availability and continued usefulness of existing biomedical informatics/computational biology software. This program announcement is meant for existing software that serves a biological, clinical, or behavioral community of users.

This funding opportunity will use the R01 award mechanism as well as competitive supplements to existing R01, R33, P01, P41, P50 and P60 grants that have already been awarded by one of the participating Institutes or Centers. Applications for competitive supplements cannot begin in the final year of the parent award. The principal investigator of a competitive supplement must be the same as the parent award. The budget format (modular or non-modular) for competitive supplements should be the same as the parent grant. As an applicant, you will be solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project. Because the nature and scope of the proposed research will vary from application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award will also vary. Although the financial plans of the IC(s) provide support for this program, awards pursuant to this funding opportunity are contingent upon the availability of funds and the receipt of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. For more information on this announcement visit the website at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-05-057.html

PAUL MARKS PRIZE NOMINATIONS
Nominations Receipt Due Date: April 29, 2005

Paul Marks Prize for Cancer Research, established by Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in 2001, recognizes young investigators who have contributed to basic or clinical cancer research. The prize is awarded to up to three investigators every other year. Nominees must be age 45 or younger at the time of the submission deadline. The winners will present their work at MSKCC and share a cash award of $150,000.

Nomination packets must include a letter from the nominator outlining the significance of the accomplishments for which the candidate should be recognized. This should be accompanied by a one-page scientific biography of the candidate; a list of up to eight of the candidate’s significant published papers with a brief (fewer than 100 words) explanation of the importance of each one; the candidate’s curriculum vitae; and up to three supporting letters. Send to Paizhe Pressley, executive assistant, Office of the President, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Ave., N.Y., N.Y. 10021

To view all grants available through the Masonic Cancer Center, visit http://www.cancer.umn.edu/page/aboutus/grantopp.html

EDUCATION AND SEMINARS

TRANSDISCIPLINARY TOBACCO USE RESEARCH CENTER SEMINAR
Friday, March 4, 2005, 12 Noon, 450 CCRB
Preclinical Assessment of Novel Pharmacotherapies for the Treatment of Tobacco Dependence
Michael Bardo, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and Director, Center for Drug Abuse Research Translation (CDART), University of Kentucky

For a complete schedule visit http://www.cancer.umn.edu/page/aboutus/tturclec.html

CANCER BIOLOGY RESEARCH CLUB

Friday, March 4, 2005
Memory T cell generation in the bbsence of antigen
Sara Hamilton, Jameson Lab

For a complete schedule visit http://www.cancer.umn.edu/page/grant7.html

BMT CONFERENCE

Monday, March 7, 2005, 1:15-2:15, 450 CCRB
GVHD Sample Collection & Protocols
Michael Verneris, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/BMT, University of Minnesota

For a complete schedule visit http://www.cancer.umn.edu/page/aboutus/bmtlect.html