| The Center for Integrative Cancer
Biology (CICB) is part of a new initiative by the National
Cancer Institute (NCI)
to foster translational research that takes a systematic,
collaborative and mathematically-grounded approach to projects
in basic science that will potentially have an impact on patient
care. The Integrative Cancer Biology Program (ICBP)
has designated 9 centers, including 6 P50 center grants, one
of which is awarded to the Ohio State University, and 3 P20
preparatory grants.
The CICB is composed of a team of scientists at the Ohio
State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-Arthur
G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute
and Indiana
University Medical Sciences. The primary focus of the
CICB is the investigation of two key chemical and structural
changes throughout the genome that may be associated with
the growth and development of cancer. Unlike genetic mutations,
these complex processes -- methylation and chromatin remodeling
-- can shut down or restrict the activity of key genes and
other cellular structures, which normally protect cells from
malignant transformation. Scientists are particularly interested
in these processes because they are, unlike genetic mutation,
potentially reversible with drug therapy.
The goals of the CICB are 1) increase the overall understanding
of complex epigenetic alterations in neoplasms and 2) utilize
high-end information for the imrpoved prognosis, intervention
and treatment of human female cancers.
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