Cancer Center members will present research at the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research conference in Philadelphia, December 5-8, 2007. The meeting focuses on cutting-edge research in basic, clinical, epidemiologic, and behavioral science. It is the only comprehensive conference on cancer prevention in the world, according to AACR.

Two studies of Cancer Center researchers were selected to be featured in press releases issued by the AACR during the conference. Research by Andrew Flood, Ph.D., described how women with diabetes are 1.5 times more likely to develop colorectal cancer, and research by Jeannette Zinggeler Berg described how African Americans may experience higher nicotine levels per cigarette.

Stephen Hecht, Ph.D., leader of the Cancer Center's Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Research Program, is one of the co-chairpersons of the scientific program committee that organized the conference. Hecht will lead the education session "Smokeless tobacco: A substitute for smoking?" He also will lead the "Carcinogens Cause Cancer: Recent Advances" session, in which he will present an overview of human and tobacco carcinogens.

Other Cancer Center members presenting at the conference include:

Melissa Bonorden, M.S., Assistant Scientist, Cleary lab, will present a poster, "Cross-sectional analysis of intermittent versus chronic caloric restriction in the TRAMP mouse model of prostate cancer."

Zigang Dong, Ph.D., will present "Molecular mechanisms of UV-induced non-melanoma skin cancer and preventive approaches," during the "Melanoma and Non-melanoma Skin Cancer" session.

Michael Grossmann, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, Cleary lab, will present a poster, "Characterization of adiponectin receptor expression and function in TRAMP prostate tumors and the TRAMP-C2 cell line."

Katai Nkhata, M.S., Junior Scientist, Cleary lab, will present a poster, "Leptin and adiponectin effects on an ovarian cancer cell line OV-90 which provide insights into obesity's role in ovarian cancer."

Frank Ondrey, M.D., will present "Pioglitazone in oral leukoplakia: A Phase II trial" during the "Clinical Prevention Trials" session.

Olga Rogozina, M.D., Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, Cleary lab, will present a poster, "Protective effect of intermittent versus chronic calorie restriction on mammary tumor development in relationship to prospective IGF-1 serum concentrations in MMTV-TGF-alpha mice."

Irina Stepanov, Ph.D., will present a poster, "Detection and quantitation of N'-nitrosonornicotine in human toenails by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry" at the "Biomarkers of Carcinogen Exposure" session

Mimi Yu, Ph.D., will present "Recent studies on aromatic amines: Human carcinogens" during the "Carcinogens Cause Cancer" session.

If you or someone from your laboratory is scheduled to give an oral or poster presentation at the AACR Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research conference that is not listed here, please e-mail Sandi Sherman, sherm019@umn.edu, with your name, title and/or lab affiliation, your presentation title, and the session for which you will be presenting.