March 2006
Volume 5

 Center for Cancer Research: Frontiers in Science

 
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Contents

 
From the Director Finding New Approaches to Attacking the Latent Reservoir of HIV-Infected Cells The Slinky as a Ubiquitous Pathogen Recognition Structure Modifying Chromatin to Protect the Genome Studying Tumor-Host Interactions Reveals a Novel Mechanism for the Activity of TIMP-2 Designing a Chemical Probe to Find a Molecular Target Susceptibility for Malignant Conversion Resides in the Target Cells How Selenium Makes its Way into Protein as Selenocysteine, the 21st Amino Acid in the Genetic Code Important Information

National Cancer Institute

 

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From the Director

The CCR’s Commitment to Health Disparities Research

I participated in the two-day NCI Wide Workshop on Cancer Health Disparities at the Natcher Conference Center, organized and co-chaired by CCR’s Associate Director, Dr. L. Michelle Bennett. The workshop drew broad participation from NCI staff. Attending were a diverse cadre of health disparities scientists and administrators and senior leadership from the NCI intramural and extramural divisions. I heard wide-ranging perspectives on minority health and health disparity research that helped identify potential gaps, challenges, and opportunities across the broad discovery-development-delivery continuum. What was most evident in the workshop is the breadth and depth to which NCI divisions, offices, and centers are engaged in health disparities research focused on reducing the undue burden of cancer on the minority populations in our country as well as globally. There was a general agreement among the participants that we need to communicate more effectively within and across divisions, and with the external cancer community, to share information about current efforts, develop collaborations around future opportunities, and leverage strengths to reduce health disparities.

Basic science discoveries within the CCR are having a positive impact on many health issues that disproportionately affect minority or disadvantaged populations. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), pioneered by our intramural investigators, has reduced the death rate from AIDS dramatically, and today it is used worldwide. Another discovery positively influencing global health is an effective vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV). Original discovery and development research by CCR investigators led to a prophylactic HPV vaccine that may ultimately eliminate cervical cancer, a significant health problem among underserved women in the developing world. CCR scientists today are also studying a number of cancers that disproportionately affect minority populations in the United States (for example endometrial, liver, lung, and prostate cancers).

In addition to work in the laboratory, we are also reaching out to the local community to share our expertise, knowledge, and resources. For example, we accepted an invitation from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) to share clinic space and provide cancer care at the Upper Cardozo Clinic in Washington, D.C., to a largely Hispanic and African American community. Through this effort, we hope to facilitate access to clinical trials, both at the NIH clinical center and in the community. Over time we would like to establish a broad network of community physicians, leaders, and universities. In another effort, we organized a program to educate patient navigators from NCI-funded Patient Navigator programs about clinical trials and opportunities for accessing them, both in their communities as well as at the NIH clinical center. Patient navigators serve as resources for medical information, including information about medical services available to the communities they serve. In conjunction with their diverse roles and responsibilities, it is hoped that this training will improve access to clinical trials in these populations. Also, the Cancer Research Interns in Residence (CRIR) program provides a training opportunity for minority researchers in our intramural program. The CRIR was inaugurated in 2004, and in two summers has recruited about 100 fellows.

Going forward, we will seek to increase awareness within the CCR community about the spectrum of health disparities research/initiatives occurring not only within our program, but also more broadly within the NCI. We will encourage collaborations and partnerships with other NCI divisions, offices, and centers. And by leveraging our strength in translational research using multidisciplinary approaches, we will contribute to reducing cancer health disparities in minority and underserved populations.

Robert H. Wiltrout, PhD
Director

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