Cancer

The mission of the AACR is to prevent and cure cancer through research, education, communication, and collaboration. Through its programs and services, the AACR fosters research in cancer and related biomedical science; accelerates the dissemination of new research findings among scientists and others dedicated to the conquest of cancer; promotes science education and training; and advances the understanding of cancer etiology, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment throughout the world. Watch a video about the importance of basic science in cancer research: http://www.youtube.com/user/AACRNews#p/a/u/2/fPB0NrxJ1eo

The AACR is the authoritative source of information about advances in the causes, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cancer, and publishes six peer-reviewed scientific journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention; and Cancer Prevention Research, as well as CR, a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians and scientists.

Dynamic interactions and exciting science characterize all of the AACR’s meetings, conferences and educational workshops. The Annual Meeting, the largest of its kind in the world for cancer researchers, attracts more than 17,000 researchers from over 60 countries. In addition to the Annual Meeting, the AACR holds several large conferences that focus on the latest developments and advances in Molecular Diagnostics, Frontiers in Cancer Prevention, Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics (joint meeting with EORTC and the NCI), Cancer Health Disparities, and Translational Cancer Medicine. Eight to 12 Special Conferences focus on emerging areas of cancer research each year. Similar conferences are held overseas in conjunction with international cancer research organizations. The AACR also conducts a unique series of educational workshops that offers young scientists the latest scientific information along with critical skills that include mentoring, networking and career development opportunities.

Watch a video about AACR meetings: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxNa3_DEC5o&feature=player_embedded

Building upon the AACR’s longstanding commitment to fostering partnerships with survivor advocates—and to fulfill its goal of significantly expanding these relationships—the association’s Survivor and Patient Advocacy Program is dedicated to fostering mutually beneficial and enduring partnerships among leaders of the cancer survivor, patient advocacy and scientific communities. Additionally, the AACR’s office of Science Policy and Government Affairs advocates for strong federal research funding.

Cancer Research

In 1974, Nobel Laureate and MIT Professor, Salvador Luria, established the Center for Cancer Research, in order to properly study the genetic and molecular basis of cancer, the immune system’s ability to recognize antigens, and the cellular behavior during growth. In December 2010, Luria’s dream will reach heights, he could have never imagined, when the doors open to the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. An institute, which will stand as one of the SEVEN National Cancer Institute-designated basic research centers in the United States.

The Institute will house 11 core facilities in what is called the Swanson Biotechnology Center (or SBC), which will interact with a network of 90 biotechnology and bio pharmaceutical companies; along with Boston’s world class institutions, such as, Children’s Hospital Boston, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Massachusetts General Hospital. Within the walls of the Institute, two dozen biologist and engineers, will be working together to advance the cause of cancer research. In conjunction with the faculty, the Institute will have 120 postdoctoral associates, 50 research scientists, 70 technical assistants, and over 200 graduates and undergraduates striving for the same goal.

The Institute will focus on five target areas, which are necessary for the rapid progress in cancer research; developing nanotechnolgy based theraputics, creating novel devices for cancer detection and monitoring, exploring the molecular and cellular basis of metastasis, establishing the relationship between cancer pathways and drug resistance, and engineering the immune system to properly fight cancer.

Through these forms of research, the Koch Institute, has contributed to incredible discoveries within the field of cancer research. Discoveries, such as, isolating the first human cancer genes, identifying the molecules that led to two of the first FDA-approved molecularly targeted anti cancer drugs, and developed novel materials for sustained delivery of anti-cancer drugs.

Since the early 70’s MIT, has contributed enormous discoveries to the cancer research field, their faculty has earned the most prestigious accolades in the national and international science fields. Currently, five members of faculty were awarded the Nobel Prize, 15 faculty are members of the National Academy of Sciences, two faculty are memebers of the National Academy of Engineering, six members of faculty have been awarded the National Medal of Science, and nine faculty members are Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators.

Along with being the epicenter of cancer research, The Institute, also holds the annual Summer Symposium. Next year, the Summer Symposium, will take place on June 10th and 11th; featuring four separate sessions. Each session will allow the public to converse and engage in a Q&A (question and answer) on four different topics (i.e. Cancer Immunology and Translation, Cellular Mechanisms of Tumorigensis, Detecting and Modeling Cancer, From Systems to Targets). If you are interested in information surrounding the Summer Symposium, or general information on The Institute; go to, http://web.mit.edu/ki/