[CE Roster]

The Cancer Etiology [CE] Study Section reviews grant applications related to the causal agents, processes, and cells involved in early events in carcinogenesis. The areas included within CE involve gene regulation, DNA damage and repair mechanisms, chemical and viral carcinogenesis. The emphasis is on linking disciplines of chemistry and pathology on the etiology of cancer.

Specific areas covered by CE include:

• Gene regulation: including transcription factors, RNA stability and processing, as they contribute to carcinogenesis.
  
  
• DNA damage and repair mechanisms related to carcinogenesis.
  
  
• Chemical- and environmental induced carcinogenesis.
  
  
• Identification of causal agents such as xenobiotics, DNA adducts, endogenous and exogenous compounds that modulate early events in carcinogenesis.
  
  
• Responses to stress such as free radicals, oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species as they contribute to the carcinogenic process.
  
  
• Metabolism of endogenous and exogenous compounds that lead to carcinogenesis
  
  
• Contribution of viruses, other than HIV/AIDS, to carcinogenesis.

CE has the following shared interests within the ONC IRG:

• With Cancer Genetics [CG]: In general, genetic studies could be assigned to CG. If the emphasis is on the mechanism of tumor etiology, then the application could be assigned to CE.
  
  

• With Molecular Oncogenesis [MONC]: In general, CE reviews studies that focus on oncogenesis induced by environmental or chemical factors, whereas MONC reviews studies that focus on understanding the fundamental processes and contributions to transformation.
  
  

• With Cancer Molecular Pathobiology [CAMP]: Studies that focus on the contribution to cell growth and apoptosis processes, oncogene and tumor suppressor functions in transformed cells could be assigned to CAMP.  If the focus is on effects of environmental or chemical carcinogens or etiology, then the application could be assigned to CE.
  
  

• With Tumor Cell Biology [TCB]: Applications that focus on signal transduction mediated by protein kinases and their signaling complexes induced by chemical or environmental carcinogens could be assigned to CE. Studies dealing with their contribution to tumor growth and progression could be assigned to TCB.
  
  

• With Radiation Therapeutics and Biology [RTB]: In general, studies related to DNA damage and repair in response to radiation could be assigned to RTB; broader studies could be assigned to CE.
   

 CE has the following shared interests outside the ONC IRG:

• With the Biological Chemistry and Macromolecular Biophysics [BCMB] IRG: In general, molecular studies not focused on the etiology of cancer would be assigned to BCMB; if the study is focused on the etiology of cancer, then it could be assigned to CE.
  
  

• With the Cell Biology [CB] IRG: In general, if the findings could also be relevant to another area of biomedical research, the application would be assigned to CB; cell studies uniquely relevant to the etiology of cancer could be assigned to CE.
  
  

• With the Genes, Genomes and Genetics [GGG] IRG: In general, gene function studies not uniquely relevant to the etiology of cancer could be assigned to GGG; studies focused on the etiology of cancer could be assigned to CE.
  
  

• With the Health of the Population [HOP] IRG: In general, if an epidemiological approach is central to the study, review could be in HOP; studies of cancer etiology could be assigned to CE.
  
  

• With the Infectious Diseases and Microbiology [IDM] IRG: In general, studies of infections as a trigger of cancer could be assigned to CE or IDM depending on the emphasis of the study; studies of the etiology of cancer could be assigned to CE. Studies dealing with the contribution of viruses such as HPV and HBV to the carcinogenic process or with translocations involving cellular oncogenes (e.g., cSrc, cAbl, cJun) could be assigned to CE.  Studies that focus on virus replication, even during viral-induced oncogenesis, could be assigned to VIRA or VIRB.
  
  

• With the AIDS and Related Research [AARR] IRG: In general, studies of the etiology of HIV/AIDS-associated cancers could be assigned to AARR.
  
  

• With the Endocrinology, Metabolism, Nutrition and Reproductive Sciences [EMNR] IRG: In general, studies of pre-neoplastic, dysplastic and hyperplastic disorders of the reproductive organs could be assigned to EMNR.  Studies of the etiology of endometrial hyperplasia; trophoblast neoplasia; germ cell tumors; pituitary adenomas; as well as thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal tumors could be assigned to EMNR; studies of the etiology of chemically or environmentally induced tumors of reproductive organs could be assigned to CE.
  
  

• With Organ-system IRGs: In general, studies of basic biological processes unique to a specific organ system would be assigned to the appropriate organ-system IRG and studies of processes unique to the understanding of tumor etiology could be assigned to CE.