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Map Will Track Pancreatic Cancer Researchers, Studies, Funding
Opportunities
On Nov. 8, NCI and the Pancreatic Action Network (PanCAN) launched the first
phase of the Pancreatic Cancer Research Map
(www.cancermap.org/pancreatic).
"The map will enable the community to find and search a comprehensive list of
research projects and open clinical trials relevant to cancer. It also aims to
facilitate collaboration among pancreatic cancer researchers," said Cherie
Nichols, who has headed the activity in NCI's Office of Science Planning and
Assessment. In phase 1, NCI-sponsored projects, funding opportunities, and a
database of pancreatic cancer investigators will be available. Similar
information for nonprofit and private organizations will be added to the
database during the next phase, which is expected to begin in the near future.
Patients and their families can use the Web site to see what studies are
underway and where investigations of interest to them are located.
"Pancreatic
cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States," said
Paula Kim, co-founder of PanCAN. "More than 31,000 people are diagnosed with
pancreatic cancer every year, and it continues to be the cancer with the
highest mortality. The map will enable researchers to find and search a
comprehensive list of studies and projects relevant to pancreatic cancer."
Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer Moves Forward
The NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer continues to build momentum with
several events and program announcements. On Oct. 27, NCI and the Case
Comprehensive Cancer Center, which includes The Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer
Center and the Ireland Cancer Center at University Hospitals of Cleveland,
co-sponsored a regional symposium to bring together local cancer and
nanotechnology researchers to foster the interdisciplinary team-building needed
to speed efforts in cancer nanotechnology. Dr. Harold L. Moses, director of the
Vanderbilt-Ingram Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Dr. Chad Mirkin, director of
the Northwestern University Institute for Nanotechnology, gave the keynote
addresses. Other speakers included Dr. Miqin Zhang, of the University of
Washington, Dr. Greg Lanza, of the Washington University School of Medicine,
and Dr. James Baker, Jr., of the Center for Biologic Nanotechnology at the
University of Michigan. The next nanotechnology symposium will be held Feb. 22,
2005 at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, D.C.
President's Cancer Panel Meets in Houston
The President's Cancer Panel continued its meetings on "Translating Research to
Reduce the Burden of Cancer" on November 1 at the University of Texas M.D.
Anderson Cancer Center. Testimony emphasized the challenges in moving cancer
discoveries through the development-to-delivery continuum, including the need
for cultural shifts at multiple academic, regulatory, and institutional levels.
Participants also noted the existing imbalance between the numbers of
researchers in basic science and translational research, and suggested the
development of a national strategy to shift the emphasis between these
disciplines, including transforming individual and team reward structures. They
noted that this will also require a cultural shift and reevaluation of grant
review criteria and assessments made by review committee members. The
Specialized Programs of Research Excellence program was mentioned as a
successful model for structuring translational research efforts.
Cancer.gov Offers Direct Links to NIH Roadmap Funding
Opportunities
To ensure that cancer researchers have an opportunity to participate actively
in the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research efforts, NCI has provided a new
background link on its Web site:
http://www.cancer.gov/researchandfunding/NIHRoadmap. The site contains a direct
link to the many NIH Roadmap funding opportunities, including new initiatives
and re-announcements. Launched in September 2003 by NIH Director Dr. Elias
Zerhouni, the NIH Roadmap is a series of far-reaching initiatives designed to
transform the nation's medical research capabilities and speed the movement of
research discoveries from the bench to the bedside. It provides a framework of
the priorities that NIH must address to optimize its entire research portfolio
and lays out a vision for a more efficient and productive system of medical
research.
To view the current NIH Roadmap funding opportunities, go to:
http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/grants/index.asp
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