Cancer Center Update is sent to Cancer Center members and staff every Tuesday at 10 a.m. Please submit items to Sandi Sherman, sherm019@umn.edu, by noon the previous Friday.

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In This Issue

Today's Cancer Center Seminar

News

New Members

Education and Events

Cancer Center Program Meetings

Funding News and Opportunities

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Today's Cancer Center Seminar

Tuesday, April 24, 2007, 12-1 p.m., 450 CCRB
Targeting the plasticity of metastatic tumor cells
Mary J.C. Hendrix, Ph.D., President and Scientific Director, Medical Research Institute Council Professor, Children's Memorial Research Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Host: Jim McCarthy, Ph.D.

A peek at next week's seminar:
Tuesday, May 1, 2007, 12-1 p.m., 450 CCRB
Regulation of estrogen responsive genes
Ann M. Nardulli, Ph.D., Professor Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois

Host: Carol Lange, Ph.D.

For a complete schedule visit the Cancer Center Web site Seminar Series listing.

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News

Cancer Center research presented at AACR annual meeting

Cancer Center researchers and U of M colleagues were among the presenters at the American Association of Cancer Research annual meeting in Los Angeles, April 14-18, 2007. To see a list of their presentations visit the Cancer Center Web site.

Kudos

Congratulations to Stephen Hecht, Ph.D., leader of the Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention program, who was elected chairperson-elect of the Chemistry in Cancer Research Working Group (CICR). Read the news item on the AACR Web site.

Peterson main speaker at Relay for Life

Cancer Center member Bruce Peterson, M.D., was the keynote speaker at the annual Relay for Life April 20 at the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse. He spoke about the importance of research for enhancing treatment for cancer patients. Relay for Life is sponsored by the American Cancer Society.

Keimowitz named to Hem/Onc Today editorial board

palliative care physician and liaison to the Division of Hematology/Oncology, has been named to the editorial board of Hem/Onc Today.

Call for abstracts: Women's Health Research Conference

September 17, 2007, at the McNamara Alumni Center. The center has issued a call for abstracts on any topics regarding women's health or gender-specific research across the lifespan. Visit the center's Web site or call 612-626-1125 for more information.

National Cancer Institute promotes cancer risk assessment Web site

April is Cancer Control Month, and the National Cancer Institute is promoting its risk assessment Web site, Cancer Risk: Understanding the Puzzle. The site includes interactive tools for measuring risk for breast, cervical, colon, lung, prostate, and skin cancers; advice on how to analyze news stories about cancer risk; and explanations of risk factors and risk exposure. The Cancer Center Web site has added a link to this useful tool.

Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Screening Trial accepting proposals for use of PLCO biorepository materials

The Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Screening Trial is now accepting proposals for use of the PLCO biorepository materials through its Etiology and Early Markers Study (EEMS). Applications for the first round for 2007 will be accepted June 1, 2007 through June 29, 2007 at 5 p.m. EDST. The second round will be from December 1, 2007 through December 29, 2007 at 5 p.m. EST.

For application information and materials visit the PLCO Web site and select the EEMS tab on the Program Administrative Resource (PAR). Individuals who do not already have access to PAR should contact the PAR PLCO Helpdesk parplcohelpdesk@westat.com and request permission to access the EEMS tab on the website. Completed proposal application and associated materials should be submitted to the EEMS Coordinating Center at the following address: plco-eems@westat.com.

Major infrastructure and road construction on the roads near the TCF Bank Stadium site

Construction is underway in the area of Oak Street, University Avenue, 6th Street, and 23rd Avenue and will continue throughout the summer. As utilities are installed and portions of the boundary streets reconfigured, temporary lane closures, lane shifts, and congested traffic will occur. Road access to Lions/MTRF and CMRR is expected to remain open. For construction updates, visit the stadium construction Web site.

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New Members

Courtney C. Aldrich, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Center for Drug Design
Program area(s) of interest: Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention, Genetic Mechanisms of Cancer, Translational Research
Area of scientific interest: Epigenetic effects of DNA methyltransferases on cancer progression; design of chemotherapeutic agents against methyltransferases

Heather H. Nelson, M.P.H, Ph.D.,
Associate Professor, Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health
Program area(s) of interest: Genetic Mechanisms of Cancer, Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention, Prevention and Etiology
Area of scientific interest: Genetic epidemiology of non-melanoma skin cancer susceptibility, tumor biology, gene-environment and gene-virus interactions; ongoing collaborations investigating mesothelioma, head and neck cancer, bladder cancer, and lung cancer.

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Education and Events

Cancer Biology Journal Club

Wednesday, April 25, 2007, 12-1 p.m., 5-122 MCB
Jim McCarthy, Ph.D., will present.

The Cancer Biology Journal Club is held every Wednesday. A complete schedule is available at the MICaB Web site. For more information contact: Sonja Johnson (john4368@umn.edu) or Rachel Bergerson (sapl0005@umn.edu).

Proteomics seminar

Friday, April 27, 1:30 p.m., 2-122 MCB
Tackling diverse biological questions via proteomics: spit, muscle aches and overweight cells"
Timothy J Griffin, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota

Cancer Center Spring Poster Session and Symposium Registration ends Friday

The deadline for online registration for the Eighth Annual Spring Poster Session and Symposium is Friday, April 27. This event is sponsored by the Cancer Center Core Facilities and will be held Wednesday, May 16, 2007, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Students, staff, postdocs, and PIs are invited to participate by presenting a poster. The research presented in the poster must include the use of a Cancer Center Cores Facility. For more information, visit the Cancer Center Web site , or contact Sabine Fritz, 4-7151, fritz017@umn.edu.

Melanoma Monday is May 7

This free annual skin cancer screening will be 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. in the Dermatologic Surgery and Laser Center on the 4th floor of Phillips-Wangensteen. Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. No appointment is needed. Please call 612-624-9964 with questions.

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Cancer Center Program Meetings

Genetic Mechanisms of Cancer Program meeting

Thursday, April 26, 2007, 4-5 p.m., 3-110 Moos Tower
Immunotherapy of brain tumors: the potent efficacy of TLR9 agonists in murine models
John Ohlfest, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosurgery

For a complete schedule visit the Web site.

Cancer Biology Research Club

Friday, April 27, 2007, 3:30-4:30 p.m., 450 CCRB
IL-7R Expression on human B-lineage cells: Is there a reason?
Sonja Johnson, LeBien lab

For a complete schedule visit the Web site.

BMT Conference

Monday, April 30, 2007, 1:15-2:15 p.m., 450 CCRB
Immune globulins in clinical use
Jo-Anne van Burik, M.D. Associate Professor, Departments of Medicine and Infectious Disease, University of Minnesota

For a complete schedule visit the Web site.

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Funding News and Opportunities

Changes in Final Two Receipt Dates for PAR-06-451, Quick-Trials for Novel Cancer Therapies

National Cancer Institute
Exploratory Grants (R21)
(NOT-CA-07-015)

Childhood Cancer Biospecimens for the Childhood Cancer TARGET Initiative
National Cancer Institute
Request for Information (RFI)
(NOT-CA-07-014)
Deadline: June 8, 2007
The purpose of this RFI is to obtain information concerning collections of clinically annotated, high quality, fresh frozen childhood cancer biospecimens. The requested information is needed for the initial planning stages towards the implementation of the Childhood Cancer Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET) Initiative.

Clinical Cancer Therapy and Prevention Research

(R01)
(PA-07-356)
Application Receipt/Submission Date(s): Multiple dates, see announcement.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is seeking research project (R01) applications to conduct translational, clinical, therapeutic, and preventive studies and trials of neoplastic diseases in humans and encourages clinical researchers to collaborate with basic scientists to translate insights in cancer genetics, cancer epigenetics, and cancer biology, coupled with the development of new anti-cancer agents, into innovative cancer intervention studies and trials. Studies using tumor specimens not linked to specific interventions/trials will not be responsive to this FOA.

Career Enhancement Award for Stem Cell Research
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
(K18)
(PA-07-359)
Application Receipt/Submission Date(s): Multiple dates, see announcement.
Project period: Six months to one year, although up to two years may be appropriate in some situations.
The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to encourage investigators to obtain the training and career development they need to appropriately use stem cells in their research. The use of stem cells in biomedical research offers the potential for significant advances in the next decades, provided investigators not only understand this potential, but are equipped to take advantage of it.  Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) have only recently become available and most investigators are not prepared to handle, maintain, or properly study hESCs. Likewise, the potential of human adult or cord blood, and even animal, stem cells for understanding, treating, and curing human disease is great.

AACR Funding Opportunities for Breast Cancer Research
Application Deadline: May 17, 2007
Amount/Duration: $250,000/2 years
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is now accepting applications for the 2007 Breast Cancer Research Foundation-AACR Grants for Translational Breast Cancer Research. Research projects must have 100% applicability to translational breast cancer. This grant is open to researchers who have acquired a doctoral degree and are affiliated with any institution involved in cancer research, cancer medicine, or cancer-related biomedical science anywhere in the world.

Future Opportunities: The AACR will announce a call for applications for the Jeannik M. Littlefield-AACR Grants in Metastatic Colon Cancer Research on May 1, 2007. Check your e-mail for updates, or visit the AACR website for the latest updates.

The AHC Translational Research Grant Program
Application deadline: May 18, 2007
The AHC Translational Research Grant Program will fund three new grants with up to $200,000 over two to three years. Awards will go to new projects with no outside funding and preference will go to projects that create new collaborations. The goal is to move concepts developed at the University from basic research to clinical testing. Awards will be announced in July.

Visit the Funding News & Opportunities Web page to see listings previously published in Update.

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