This renewal application of a Cancer Center Support Grant that was first awarded in 1981 to support eh Cancer Center of the La Jolla Cancer Research Foundation. The Center, which encompasses the entire Foundation, conducts research on the related fields of tumor biology and developmental biology, collectively termed """"""""oncodevelopmental biology"""""""". The rapid progress of the Center has continued during the current grant period. The staff now numbers 29 (vs. 21 five years ago), peer reviewed grand support has grown by 28%, and the construction of new 65,000 sq.ft. research building is underway. The new shared services established with the partial support of this grant include facilities for crystallography, cell imaging and gene targeting. Funds for an NMR facility have been acquired from a private Foundation. Moreover, surveys have ranked the Foundation among the leading research institutions for the impact of its more than 1,000 research papers published in the 1980's. The Center has over the years been recognized for its work on extracellular matrix and carbohydrate adhesion molecules. During the past grant period Center investigators have also made major contributions in the field of oncogenes and retinoids. The latter field is not only important for cancer treatment, but will spearhead the planned greater commitment of the Center to research on premalignant changes and their elimination and reversal. Future plans follow a 10-year master plan first developed in 1988 and updated recently. The immediate priority is to complete the new research building, relocate the staff who now work in rented facilities to the new building, and recruit the additional staff the facility makes possible to accommodate. This includes the recruitment of an accomplished molecular biologist to head a new program and completion of an NMR facility. The longer term development will take two directions: the existing strength of Foundation research in cell adhesion will be made use of in continued efforts to develop new anit-metastatic therapies, and the emerging strength in retinoid and stem cell research will be the basis of a new research focus on reversal and elimination of premalignant lesions. This grant plays a vital role in supporting the development and maintenance of the infrastructure for these research efforts.
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