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CANCER & TREATMENTS SUPPORT & SURVIVORSHIP PREVENTION & RISK ASSESSMENT CLINICAL TRIALS & RESEARCH | |
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Home > Research, Discovery & Progress Urologic Oncology SPOREWelcome to the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMCCC) Prostate Cancer Specialized Project of Research Excellence (SPORE) web site. This prostate cancer program is sponsored by the National Cancer Institute under the umbrella of the National Institutes of Health. The purpose of the UMCCC Prostate Cancer SPORE is to reduce the morbidity and mortality of prostate cancer. This commitment is reflected by the truly collaborative design of the Prostate SPORE and by the breadth of research projects which cover the spectrum of the biology and treatment of prostate cancer. It is this group's intention to translate new basic research findings into studies for improving the detection, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of human cancer, or moving clinical observations into the laboratory environment. The Prostate SPORE brings together principal investigators from seven different departments thereby building on the existing strengths across the U-M campus. These investigators include basic scientists, clinicians and population scientists. In addition, with the Career Development and Research Development Programs, the SPORE continues to draw in new investigators from outside the field of prostate cancer research. The Prostate SPORE continues to be a central program of the multidisciplinary Urologic Oncology Program as well as the Cancer Center. The UMCCC Urologic Oncology Program currently has a total of over $5 million of direct cost grant dollars per year in peer-reviewed funding. Since its inception in 1995, the Prostate Cancer SPORE has endeavored to integrate itself into the University of Michigan community to tap the vast intellectual and physical resources of the U-M and help turn them to the war against prostate cancer. The University of Michigan Prostate SPORE has made major advances in translational research by almost any measure. Some of these are highlighted below. Early Detection:The project Epidemiology of Prostate Cancer in African Americans defined age-specific PSA reference ranges for African American men and established a longitudinal cohort of African American men being followed for the development of prostate cancer (Flint Men's Health Study or FMHS). Dr. Kathleen Cooney has recruited approximately 100 African American families with early-onset and/or hereditary prostate cancer for studies of genetic susceptibility. Tissue Resources:The Tissue Core has developed an extensive bank of prostate cancer tissues including over 1,400 specimens from radical prostatectomies. The Core also has tissue from patients with metastatic cancer obtained through our active Rapid Autopsy Program. Tissues from the various disease sites in this resource have been shared with over 30 prostate cancer investigators from around the world. These tissue resources are all linked to clinical and pathologic databases containing outcomes data and the methodology to accomplish this has been shared with other SPORE and non-SPORE investigators. The U-M prostate cancer research group has produced more than 60 peer-reviewed publications over the last five years utilizing the tissue and linked database information. The merging of the clinical and pathologic databases by the Tissue Core team to allow for the rapid analysis of biomarkers has become a paradigm for the Prostate SPORE program and is now utilized by other SPORE institutions. Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers:The SPORE has played a central role in establishing the use of tissue microarrays for validation of diagnostic and prognostic markers in prostate cancer. Utilizing these resources, SPORE investigators led by Dr. Arul Chinnaiyan have demonstrated in two separate articles published over the past twelve months in the journal Nature that hepsin, PIM-1, and EZH2 are important prognostic markers of aggressive prostate cancer. Treatment:Dr. Martin Sanda proved his ability to do bench to bedside research with his project Vaccinia-PSA for Androgen-Modulated Post-Surgical Recurrence of Prostate Cancer, a clinical trial based on his laboratory work. Modified citrus pectin, developed by Dr. Kenneth Pienta in his project Identification of targets for prostate cancer metastasis prevention and treatment, is now in Phase I and II clinical trials in a variety of cancer types. The University of Michigan Prostate SPORE funded the development of a validated and frequently utilized outcomes instrument suitable for comparison for different localized treatment modalities, which is called "Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite" (EPIC). This instrument is now being used to compare treatment outcomes in a multi-institutional project conceived by Dr. Sanda and funded by an NIH R01. The EPIC instrument was also selected for use in a large Phase III, multi institutional trial called SPIRIT, which is supported through the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group. The Recruitment of Researchers of Impact to the Field of Prostate Cancer Research:The SPORE has been instrumental in directing faculty toward careers in prostate cancer research including individuals who were already successfully funded in other fields. For example, Dr. Cooney completed her ostdoctoral training in the field of molecular coagulation. Career development funding provided Dr. Cooney the impetus to change disciplines and focus on the molecular genetics of prostate cancer. She has held continuous NIH funding since making this decision. Dr. Cooney is a valued member of the International Consortium for Prostate Cancer Genetics and a recognized authority in this field. She is the Co-Principal Investigator of the U-M Prostate SPORE. Dr. Chinnaiyan did his postdoctoral training in the field of apoptosis. SPORE developmental research funds and the abundance of tissue with clinical follow-up available through the SPORE steered Dr. Chinnaiyan into studying gene expression in prostate cancer. In the last year alone, he has been named a Pew Biomedical Scholar and has published seminal papers in Nature, JAMA and Cancer Research. |
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University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center This site is part of the U-M Health System. The information presented is not a tool for self diagnosis or a substitute for professional care. © 2008 U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center |
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