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UVA Cancer Center to
launch University-Wide Melanoma Research
Initiative
Newswise — The UVA Cancer Center is further
strengthening its melanoma research program
with the help of four separate investigator
awards totaling $1.25 million.
UVA Health System researchers secured nearly
one fourth of all awards given
internationally by the Melanoma Research
Alliance (MRA), a new charitable
organization under the auspices of the
Milken Institute.
“The fact that UVA investigators brought
home four of 17 awards, from a total of more
than 100 applications – and from researchers
in 12 countries around the world – speaks to
our strength in this field,” says UVA Cancer
Center Director Michael Weber, Ph.D.
“Clearly we are viewed as a significant
force in melanoma research.”
Weber received one of only eight Established
Investigator Awards granted by the MRA in
its initial round of funding.
Two of three Young Investigator Awards went
to UVA researchers David Mullins, Ph.D.,
assistant professor of microbiology, and Tim
Bullock, Ph.D., associate professor of
pathology.
Finally, Victor Engelhard, Ph.D., professor
of microbiology, secured one of six Team
Science Awards, which emphasize
collaborations between multiple scientists.
Other members of the team include Donald
Hunt, Ph.D., UVA professor of chemistry and
pathology, and Suzanne Topalian, a professor
of surgery at Johns Hopkins University
School of Medicine.
The creation of the MRA sparked the genesis
for a new UVA melanoma research group,
comprised of University physicians and
scientists who have an interest in the
prevention, detection, diagnosis and
treatment of melanoma.
Faculty members from more than 10
disciplines, ranging from dermatology to
biochemistry and molecular genetics, have
joined the Cancer Center’s Melanoma Research
Initiative to pool research efforts and
resources.
Melanoma is the sixth most common cancer in
the United States and is responsible for 80
percent of all skin cancer-related deaths.
For scientists, it is one of the most
significant cancers to study from both a
basic and clinical perspective.
Unlike most cancers, melanoma typically
presents as an externally visible tumor,
thereby giving scientists the opportunity to
examine cancerous growths for molecular
changes or signs of progression in the
earliest stages of the disease.
In addition, studying melanoma from an
immunological standpoint is critical, as its
tumors sometimes spontaneously regress by
what is believed to be an immunological
reaction.
This characteristic provides scientists a
better framework in which to understand the
interactions between cancer and the human
immune system.
Because melanoma displays such distinct
characteristics on basic and clinical
levels, an interdisciplinary research
approach is crucial in order for
investigators to discover more accurate
detection and diagnostic techniques and more
effective therapies for treatment.
The diverse skills and collaborative culture
at the University of Virginia provide an
opportunity to develop these
interdisciplinary approaches.
“We anticipate this venture growing into a
complete multi-disciplinary program, with
integrated excellence from bedside to bench
and bench to bedside,” says Weber.
The Melanoma Research Alliance is an
international, cross-disciplinary group of
biomedical researchers possessing clinical
and scientific expertise to explore,
identify and pursue innovative solutions to
critical research issues leading to better
treatments and a cure for melanoma.
MRA is a public charity formed under the
auspices of the Milken Institute, with the
initial generous founding support of Debra
and Leon Black.
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