Partnership to Focus on New Therapies for Pancreatic Cancers
TUCSON, Ariz., April 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The Arizona Cancer Center at the
University of Arizona along with the National Foundation for Cancer Research
(NFCR) announced today the formation of the Center for New Therapies
Development at the Arizona Cancer Center. The new center, to be co-directed
by Dr. Daniel Von Hoff, Director of the Arizona Cancer Center and Dr. Laurence
Hurley, Howard Schaeffer Chair in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of
Arizona College of Pharmacy, will focus on pancreatic cancer, the fourth
leading cause of death from cancer in the U.S.
Linking with seven other NFCR research centers around the world, the
Arizona Center will become the flagship research center focused on pancreatic
cancer, sharing and collaborating research findings with other research
centers. Partner centers include Oxford University, Yale University, Penn
State University, UC-Berkeley and other international centers in Beijing,
China and Berlin, Germany. The goal of the collaborative research network is
to share information on cancer discoveries and collaborate on research and
drug development.
"The new center at the University of Arizona Cancer Center is a step
forward in a partnership that constitutes our 'Laboratory without Walls'",
said Dr. Sujuan Ba, science director for the National Foundation for Cancer
Research. "By linking this new NFCR center at the Arizona Cancer Center with
our other centers, we hope to accelerate our goal of curing cancer."
Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of death from cancer in the
U.S., and the survival rate is the worst among malignancies. The development
of a treatment for pancreatic cancer is imperative and involves multiple
steps. Before a drug can be designed to fight pancreatic cancer, first one
has to know the molecules that are responsible for changing a normal cell to
cancer cells. Under normal circumstances, one specific molecule ensures each
divided daughter cell receives the full complement of genetic materials from
their mother cell. However, if the gene that encodes this molecule is
over-expressed, the daughter cells will get either less or more of the genetic
materials from the parent cell. This can lead to cancer, particularly
pancreatic cancer.
Dr. Daniel Von Hoff and Dr. Laurence Hurley have been named co-directors
of the new center. Dr. Von Hoff has been widely credited for his
translational research into anticancer agents, particularly those associated
with the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Dr. Hurley's research has focused on
targeting protein-DNA complexes to control oncogene expression. His work on
DNA as a target for drug action has been widely noted and places him among the
leaders on design of new therapeutics to fight cancer.
"This new partnership is a crucial step towards unraveling one of cancer's
more difficult challenges," said Dr. Von Hoff. "We believe in the value of
exploring every avenue in our quest to cure cancer and with this partnership
between NFCR and the Arizona Cancer Center, we hope that a cure for the
devastating pancreatic cancer can be made available."
About the NFCR
Since its founding in 1973, the National Foundation for Cancer Research
(NFCR) has provided more than $180 million to fund research focused on
understanding how and why cells become cancerous. NFCR's research discoveries
are now on the threshold of being translated into therapies and potential
cures for cancer patients. For more information, please visit them on the web
at http://www.NFCR.org or call (800) 321-CURE.
SOURCE National Foundation for Cancer Research
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Related links:
http://www.prsource.com
http://www.NFCR.org
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/155415.html
CONTACT:
Rob Raine of Arizona Cancer Center,
+1-520-626-4413; or Silas Deane of NFCR, +1-615-319-6007
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