Basic Research Support for the CCR

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The Basic Research Program provides scientific and technical expertise to the Center for Cancer Research (CCR) in areas ranging from cancer and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), to the basic cellular processes underlying cancer, infectious diseases, and autoimmune disorders. Research topics supported by the Basic Research Program include: -Investigating ways in which novel, molecularly targeted cancer therapies can be used in combination with immunotherapy (Molecular Immunotherapy Section, Cancer and Inflammation Program). -Understanding the genetic basis for resistance or susceptibility to disease conferred by human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I and class II genes and the role of natural killer (NK) cells in the innate immune response (HLA Immunogenetics Section, Cancer and Inflammation Program). -Characterizing the receptors that activate natural killer (NK) cells and the innate immune response (Cytotoxic Cell Studies Group, Cancer and Inflammation Program). -Examining the association of chronic inflammation with epithelial carcinogenesis (Interleukin In Vivo Studies Section, Cancer and Inflammation Program). -Defining the receptor complex of CD4+ cells, a primary target of human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV Section, Cancer and Inflammation Program). -Identifying and defining the molecular events that regulate lineage commitment and terminal differentiation of hemotopoietic stem cells (Hematopoiesis and Stem Cell Biology Section, Laboratory of Cancer Prevention). -Defining the cell surface markers, metastasis ability, and pathways for growth and self-renewal, of cancer stem cells from prostate, breast, glioma, and renal cell carcinomas (Cancer Stem Cell Section, Laboratory of Cancer Prevention). -Studying the role that epigenetic regulation plays in cellular differentiation, embryonic development, and tumorigenesis (Epigenetics Section, Laboratory of Cancer Prevention). -Understanding the structure and function of glycosyltransferases and developing novel glycosyltransferases for targeted drug delivery and contrast agents for medical imaging (Structural Glycobiology Section, CCR Nanobiology Program). -Developing highly efficient, state-of-the-art algorithms to discover the structural patterns of proteins and predict molecular associations (i.e., protein-protein interactions) in support of nanodesign for cancer diagnosis, therapy, and prevention (Computational Structural Biology Group, CCR Nanobiology Program). -Support in bioassay development and screening, natural products chemistry, protein chemistry, molecular biology, and high-content cellular imaging to facilitate multidisciplinary, molecular targets discovery research (Molecular Targets Laboratory). -Basic and applied chemistry support for studies characterizing the reactions of the bioregulatory agent nitric oxide (NO) with organic compounds (Chemistry Section, Laboratory of Comparative Carcinogenesis). -Microarray analysis aimed at determining the role of K-ras protein in controlling cell growth and differentiation (Cellular Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Comparative Carcinogenesis). -Characterizing the inductive signaling pathways involved in metanephric blastemal cell specification/patterning to help define potential targets of carcinogenesis (Differentiation and Neoplasia Section, Laboratory of Comparative Carcinogenesis). -Studying the metabolic modulation of proliferative, apoptotic, and stress-related signaling in carcinogenesis and cancer susceptibility (Cancer Susceptibility Section, Laboratory of Comparative Carcinogenesis). -Developing new molecular approaches for genetic epidemiology studies (Genetic Epidemiology Section, Laboratory of Genomic Diversity). -Design and development of genetic, biochemical, and structural studies of medically important viral proteins (Reverse Transcription and Molecular Biology Group). -Support for studies focusing on retroviral vaccine development, immune response to viral antigens, and the role of structural RNAs and proteins in the function of ribosomes (Reverse Transcription and Molecular Biology Group). -Discovery and characterization of renal carcinoma susceptibility genes (Urologic Oncology Research Group, Urologic Oncology Branch).