This award is for support of a cooperative project by Dr. G. Thomas Strickland, Director, International Health Program at the University of Maryland, in Baltimore, MD, and Dr. Mohamed Abdel-Hamid, Director of the Virology Laboratory at the Liver Institute in Menoufia University, Shebin El Kom, Egypt. The objective of this joint research is to investigate the relationship between specific biomarkers of environmental exposures to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Techniques have recently been developed to determine whether hepatic cancers frequently occur in people with specific acquired genetic mutations. The hypothesis to be tested is: exposure to chemicals that damage the p53 gene will increase risk of HCC, especially in persons with concurrent viral exposures. Scope: This project will involve two laboratories with complementary capabilities to conduct research in an important field for both countries. This proposal meets INT objective of supporting U.S.-foreign collaboration in areas of mutual benefit. The project was generated as a result of a workshop on biotechnology organized by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Egyptian Government. NIH was involved in the evaluation of the project and in recommending its support. This project is being supported under the US-Egypt Joint Fund Program, administered by the US Department of State, which provides grants to scientists and engineers in both countries to carry out cooperative activities.
