Strong ties have developed between cancer researchers at Meharry Medical College (MMC), Tennessee State University (TSU) and Vanderbilt-lngram Cancer Center (VICC) resulting in this formal Cancer Partnership. Our Partnership is dedicated to enhancing the strengths and eliminating the weaknesses of our three institutions as we move toward our shared goal of eliminating cancer disparities in the US. The U54 award is the bedrock of this collaboration and has moved our collaborative research more forcefully toward a relationship that is based on reciprocity and stronger mutual benefit. The overall objectives of this competing renewal application are: (1) to increase and stabilize the competitive cancer research capability of MMC and TSU;(2) to create stable, long-term collaborative relationships between MMC, TSU and the VICC in cancer research, research training, career development and cancer outreach;and (3) to improve the effectiveness of VICC research, training, career development, cancer education and cancer outreach activities specifically designed to benefit minority populations in the region served by VICC. Funds provided by this U54 will solidify our collaboration. During this phase of our Cancer Partnership, we continue to concentrate on amassing sufficient infrastructure for cancer research that will strengthen reciprocity between MMC, TSU and VICC. In addition to funding two full projects and two pilot studies involving collaborators from all three institutions, funds will be used to recruit investigators to TSU and VICC and to strengthen infrastructure in basic, epidemiologic and clinical cancer research through the support of core facilities providing expertise in biostatistics, clinical trial accruals, histopathology and cancer outreach. All activities involve coordinated, well-planned interactions between MMC, TSU and VICC and will be monitored by an Internal Advisory Committee composed of members from each institution and a Program Steering Committee composed of external, nationally-recognized cancer investigators and representation from the National Cancer Institute. A sustained and comprehensive Cancer Partnership is of immense benefit to the three participating institutions as well as the mid-South region of the US. The institution's complementary strengths will help the Cancer Partnership establish effective cancer research and increase training opportunities at two minority-serving institutions enhance community- and population-based science research targeting minority cancer-related disparities and increase training of minority scientists at an NCI-funded Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Public Health Relevance

Our Cancer Partnership provides an exceptional environment and focus for the efforts of diverse investigators working across many disciplines to identify the determinants of the disproportionate share of the cancer burden borne by African Americans, as evidenced by higher incidence rates and compounded by lower rates of relative survival. The conduct of minority-targeted cancer research, development of research infrastructure, enhancement of minority training programs and improvement to the capacity/effectiveness of cancer-related activities will help address these health disparities at the partnering institutions.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Specialized Center--Cooperative Agreements (U54)
Project #
5U54CA163069-02
Application #
8338789
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZCA1-SRLB-Y (O1))
Program Officer
Wali, Anil
Project Start
2011-09-26
Project End
2016-08-31
Budget Start
2012-09-01
Budget End
2013-08-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$1,328,312
Indirect Cost
$405,779
Name
Meharry Medical College
Department
Biochemistry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
041438185
City
Nashville
State
TN
Country
United States
Zip Code
37208
Umeukeje, Ebele M; Wild, Marcus G; Maripuri, Saugar et al. (2018) Black Americans' Perspectives of Barriers and Facilitators of Community Screening for Kidney Disease. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 13:551-559
Vercruysse, Koen; Clark, Astiney; Alatas, Noor et al. (2018) Polysaccharide-mediated synthesis of melanins from serotonin and other 5-hydroxy indoles. Future Sci OA 4:FSO280
Hull, P C; Buchowski, M; Canedo, J R et al. (2018) Childhood obesity prevention cluster randomized trial for Hispanic families: outcomes of the healthy families study. Pediatr Obes 13:686-696
Sanderson, Maureen; Aldrich, Melinda C; Levine, Robert S et al. (2018) Neighbourhood deprivation and lung cancer risk: a nested case-control study in the USA. BMJ Open 8:e021059
Ochieng, Josiah; Nangami, Gladys; Sakwe, Amos et al. (2018) Impact of Fetuin-A (AHSG) on Tumor Progression and Type 2 Diabetes. Int J Mol Sci 19:
Tantawy, Mohammed N; Charles Manning, H; Peterson, Todd E et al. (2018) Translocator Protein PET Imaging in a Preclinical Prostate Cancer Model. Mol Imaging Biol 20:200-204
Burroughs, Andrea Flores; Eluhu, Sylvia; Whalen, Diva et al. (2018) PML-Nuclear Bodies Regulate the Stability of the Fusion Protein Dendra2-Nrf2 in the Nucleus. Cell Physiol Biochem 47:800-816
Ignacio, Rosa Mistica C; Lee, Eun-Sook; Wilson, Andrew J et al. (2018) Chemokine Network and Overall Survival in TP53 Wild-Type and Mutant Ovarian Cancer. Immune Netw 18:e29
Wilkins, Consuelo H (2018) Putting The Person In Personalized Medicine Personalized Medicine: Empowered Patients In The 21st Century? By Barbara Prainsack New York (NY) : NYU Press , 2017 288 pp., $30. Health Aff (Millwood) 37:823-824
Ignacio, Rosa Mistica C; Dong, Yuan-Lin; Kabir, Syeda M et al. (2018) CXCR2 is a negative regulator of p21 in p53-dependent and independent manner via Akt-mediated Mdm2 in ovarian cancer. Oncotarget 9:9751-9765

Showing the most recent 10 out of 178 publications