The Basic Research Program (BRP) provides scientific and technical expertise to NCI's Center for Cancer Research (CCR) in areas ranging from cancer and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), to the basic cellular processes underlying cancer, infectious diseases, and autoimmune disorders. Research topics supported by the BRP include: -Investigating ways in which novel, molecularly targeted cancer therapies can be used alone or in combination with immunotherapy in various tumor models (Molecular Immunotherapy Section, Cancer and Inflammation Program). -Understanding the genetic basis for resistance or susceptibility to disease conferred by human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I and class II genes, which have a central role in the innate immune response (HLA Immunogenetics Section, Cancer and Inflammation Program). -Investigating the role of cytokines such as interleukin-7 (IL-7) in the development of T lymphocyte and natural killer (NK) cell lineages and their role in promoting cell survival, terminal differentiation, and apoptotic cell death (Cytokines and Immunity Section, Cancer and Inflammation Program). -Examining the role of dendritic cells, other innate or adaptive effector cell types, and proinflammatory or immunoregulatory cytokines on carcinogenesis and cancer therapy (Cancer Immunobiology Section, Cancer and Inflammation Program). -Support in bioassay development and screening, natural products chemistry, protein chemistry, molecular biology, and high-content cellular imaging to facilitate multidisciplinary, molecular targets discovery research (Molecular Targets Laboratory). -Discovery and characterization of renal carcinoma susceptibility genes (Urologic Oncology Research Group, Urologic Oncology Branch).
