Purpose and Program Characteristics: The primary goal of this training grant is to provide intensive training to predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows in the interdisciplinary field of Cancer Gene Therapy. This program will support physician scientists and Ph.D. scientists at the interface of basic and clinical science. Research training will be provided by faculty members representing basic science and translational research. Recognizing the current lack of individuals trained in cancer gene therapy, the overall goal of the program is to generate young academic investigators with a broad background and an excellent understanding of the integrated approach necessary to translate basic research into a clinical setting. The Gene Therapy Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham offers a unique training resource for the development of young scientists who are likely to play an important role in bringing new technologies from the lab into a clinical setting in the coming years. The interdisciplinary and translational nature of this program provides a unique resource to expand the pool of young investigators who are qualified to carry out this research. Trainees: We request funding for three postdoctoral fellows and one predoctoral fellow. The research training period for postdoctoral fellows will have a duration of at least two years, while support for the predoctoral fellow will be for three years. We anticipate supporting a mix of Ph.D. and physician scientists at the postdoctoral level. The predoctoral trainee will be selected from those students pursuing the gene therapy subspecialty of the Molecular and Cellular Pathology graduate program. Selection of fellows for these training positions will be based on our assessment of the trainee's likelihood of establishing an independent research career in an area relevant to cancer gene therapy. Facilities: The Gene Therapy Center of the University of Alabama at Birmingham will be the major site of the training program. The training faculty occupies more than 20,000 feet of excellent quality, well-equipped laboratory space. As all of the faculty members acting as preceptors on this training grant are members of the Comprehensive Cancer Center, the trainees will have full access to the extensive resources of the Center. The university also has modern animal facilities supervised by veterinarians and run by trained animal care personnel working under NIH guidelines.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Institutional National Research Service Award (T32)
Project #
5T32CA075930-08
Application #
7119629
Study Section
Subcommittee G - Education (NCI)
Program Officer
Eckstein, David J
Project Start
1998-02-24
Project End
2009-07-31
Budget Start
2006-08-01
Budget End
2007-07-31
Support Year
8
Fiscal Year
2006
Total Cost
$92,674
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Alabama Birmingham
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
063690705
City
Birmingham
State
AL
Country
United States
Zip Code
35294
Alberti, M O; Deshane, J S; Chaplin, D D et al. (2013) A myeloid cell-binding adenovirus efficiently targets gene transfer to the lung and escapes liver tropism. Gene Ther 20:733-41
Cody, James J; Rivera, Angel A; Lyons, Gray R et al. (2013) Expression of osteoprotegerin from a replicating adenovirus inhibits the progression of prostate cancer bone metastases in a murine model. Lab Invest 93:268-78
Alberti, Michael O; Roth, Justin C; Ismail, Mourad et al. (2012) Derivation of a myeloid cell-binding adenovirus for gene therapy of inflammation. PLoS One 7:e37812
Yang, Sherry W; Chanda, Diptiman; Cody, James J et al. (2011) Conditionally replicating adenovirus expressing TIMP2 increases survival in a mouse model of disseminated ovarian cancer. PLoS One 6:e25131
Wang, Wei; Rayburn, Elizabeth R; Velu, Sadanandan E et al. (2010) A novel synthetic iminoquinone, BA-TPQ, as an anti-breast cancer agent: in vitro and in vivo activity and mechanisms of action. Breast Cancer Res Treat 123:321-31
Cody, J J; Rivera, A A; Lyons, G R et al. (2010) Arming a replicating adenovirus with osteoprotegerin reduces the tumor burden in a murine model of osteolytic bone metastases of breast cancer. Cancer Gene Ther 17:893-905
Wang, Feng; Ezell, Scharri J; Zhang, Yong et al. (2010) FBA-TPQ, a novel marine-derived compound as experimental therapy for prostate cancer. Invest New Drugs 28:234-41
Gamble, Lena J; Borovjagin, Anton V; Matthews, Qiana L (2010) Role of RGD-containing ligands in targeting cellular integrins: Applications for ovarian cancer virotherapy (Review). Exp Ther Med 1:233-240
Thacker, Erin E; Nakayama, Masaharu; Smith, Bruce F et al. (2009) A genetically engineered adenovirus vector targeted to CD40 mediates transduction of canine dendritic cells and promotes antigen-specific immune responses in vivo. Vaccine 27:7116-24
Skipper, Joni B; McNally, Lacey R; Rosenthal, Eben L et al. (2009) In vivo efficacy of marimastat and chemoradiation in head and neck cancer xenografts. ORL J Otorhinolaryngol Relat Spec 71:1-5

Showing the most recent 10 out of 42 publications