Research Programs

Our CCSG has approximately 200 members divided into six basic science Programs and a clinical Program.  Each of these Programs represents an area of genuine expertise important for understanding cancer initiation and progression and for development of interventions to detect, diagnose, treat, and prevent cancer. Each Program has a natural affinity and identity, with sub-groups that make sense scientifically. In addition, each of these Programs has helped generate major discoveries important for cancer:

Cell Signaling
Endocrinology
Immunology
Migration and Metastasis
Structural Biology
Molecular Genetics
Developmental Therapeutics

1. The Cell Signaling Program supported research that led to the discovery of MAP Kinase and FAK, and is supporting the application of cell signaling expertise to drug discovery.

2. The Endocrinology Program has a lead role in the national consortium to study the genotoxic/carcinogenic effects of estrogen, and has a nationally recognized program on bone metastases.

3. The Immunology Program has been our most successful at translation to the clinic, and provides the scientific underpinnings for our burgeoning Human Immune Therapy Center.

4. The Migration and Metastasis Program leads the national consortium to study cell migration - a $38 million NIH-funded initiative involving 18 universities.

5. The Structural Biology Program has solved the structures of several proteins of key importance for cancer, including Rho-GDI and RUNX proteins, and is using this information for drug discovery and development.

6. The new Molecular Genetics Program was the origin of the discovery of the "histone code" and is nationally regarded as a premiere program for the study of chromatin and epigenomics.

7. The Developmental Therapeutics Program is home to our outstanding Immune Therapy Sub-Program that has pioneered the use of peptide-based vaccines for melanoma, and is making significant contributions in other cancers and in antibody-based therapies. The Targeted Therapies, Biomarkers, and Imaging Sub-Program is rapidly developing, and has attracted three CTEP trials in the past year that utilize targeted therapeutic agents and build on our expertise in Cell Signaling.  This subgroup has a cohort of investigators studying biomarkers and imaging, to collaborate with our basic scientists in developing tools for molecular assessment of targeted Therapeutics, in preclinical and clinical studies.