The Tumor Virology Program serves as the central forum for facilitating interactions among virologists involved in cancer-related research, and investigators with an interest in the etiological basis of cancer. Program members have broad expertise in the biology of tumor viruses, including EBV, KSHV, alpha and beta herpesvirus, HPV, HCV, HIV and other retroviruses, as well as emerging viral agents including Merkel cell polyoma viruses and other recently identified gamma-herpesviruses. The Program facilitates research in thematic areas through highly interactive and productive affinity groups in Viral Oncogenesis, DNA Virology, and Viral Receptors and Retrovirology. Since 2002, the Program has been led by Erle Robertson, PhD; in 2012, David Weiner, PhD, a pioneer in translational medicine and vaccine development, became Program Co- Leader. Both Co-Leaders are experienced, well-funded and highly collaborative in their leadership and research activities. During the project period, important strides have been made to further develop the Program, which include fostering a stronger focus on translational research, developing new intra- and inter- Programmatic collaborative efforts, recruiting additional tumor virologists, and better member engagement through Program meetings as well as interdisciplinary, inter-Programmatic retreats. In doing so, the Tumor Virology Program has nucleated interest among basic and clinical investigators in studying the roles of viruses in cancer with collaborating members from the Tumor Biology, Immunobiology, Cancer Control, Cancer Therapeutics, and Radiobiology and Imaging Programs. The major aims of the Program are to: 1) Understand the mechanisms mediating cellular transformation, immortalization and cell cycle dysregulation by viral encoded proteins; 2) Understand the viral-receptor interactions and the structure/function of viral receptors; 3) Understand the molecular biology and pathogenesis of retroviruses as they relate to AIDS and AIDS-related malignancies; 4) Develop viral vectors for human cancer gene therapy; and 5) Develop vaccine strategies for treatment of viral-associated cancers. The Tumor Virology Program consists of 22 members from five departments and two schools. Two new members have been added to the Program in the last five years, increasing its breadth and strength. Program members have $10.2M in cancer-related grant funding (annual direct costs), of which $6.9M is peer-reviewed and positioned to support cancer-related studies. $1.8M is directly NCI-funded. During the project period, members published 176 cancer-related papers, of which 10% were intra-Programmatic, 13% were inter-Programmatic and 51% were multi-institutional.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Center Core Grants (P30)
Project #
5P30CA016520-43
Application #
9618140
Study Section
Subcommittee I - Career Development (NCI)
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
2018-12-01
Budget End
2019-11-30
Support Year
43
Fiscal Year
2019
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Pennsylvania
Department
Type
DUNS #
042250712
City
Philadelphia
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
19104
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Schapira, Marilyn M; Barlow, William E; Conant, Emily F et al. (2018) Communication Practices of Mammography Facilities and Timely Follow-up of a Screening Mammogram with a BI-RADS 0 Assessment. Acad Radiol 25:1118-1127
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Yan, Lesan; Amirshaghaghi, Ahmad; Huang, Dennis et al. (2018) Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX)-Coated Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticle (SPION) Nanoclusters for Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Photodynamic Therapy. Adv Funct Mater 28:
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Reshef, Ran; Ganetsky, Alex; Acosta, Edward P et al. (2018) Extended CCR5 Blockade for Graft-versus-Host Disease Prophylaxis Improves Outcomes of Reduced-Intensity Unrelated Donor Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: A Phase II Clinical Trial. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant :
Gangadhar, Tara C; Savitch, Samantha L; Yee, Stephanie S et al. (2018) Feasibility of monitoring advanced melanoma patients using cell-free DNA from plasma. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 31:73-81
Rosenfeld, Aaron M; Meng, Wenzhao; Luning Prak, Eline T et al. (2018) ImmuneDB, a Novel Tool for the Analysis, Storage, and Dissemination of Immune Repertoire Sequencing Data. Front Immunol 9:2107

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