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Prostate Cancer Center
At the UCSF Prostate Cancer Center, the search for answers, better
treatments and longer, fuller lives has resulted in a unique interdisciplinary
collaboration among investigators and clinicians. Center members
share one vision: to prevent and cure prostate cancer and improve
the quality of life for men undergoing treatment for it. Supporting
this vision, the Center has established straightforward and focused
goals:
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To discover the fundamental biological
processes underlying prostate cancer |
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To translate those discoveries into new
ideas for prevention, diagnosis and treatment |
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To incorporate those ideas into medical
practice through rigorous clinical trials |
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To provide patients with the best in multidisciplinary
care |
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To disseminate new information about prostate
cancer as a resource for patients, physicians and basic
scientists. |
Prostate Cancer Research Program
The UCSF Prostate Cancer Research Program is dedicated to making
significant advances in the prevention and successful treatment
of this all too common, potentially fatal disease. We believe
that we have created an ideal research environment in which
molecular and cell biologists, geneticists and chemists work
in synergy with urologists, oncologists, and radiation therapists.
The faculty is acknowledged as among the very best in their
respective fields. Led by a team of doctors, basic scientists
and business executives, program members are attacking fundamental
problems presented by this insidious disease.
The three major problems
are being addressed are: 1) identification of genetic and lifestyle
factors that predispose men to clinically significant prostate
cancer, 2) discovering alterations in genes and proteins that
confer an unsuccessful outcome in spite of definitive therapy
for prostate 3) developing novel therapies for men with
recurrent widespread disease, and 4) Preventing progression of
early state untreated disease (active surveillance).
Prostate Cancer Specialized Program of Research
Excellence (SPORE)
The Specialized Program of Research Excellence is a designation
from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). SPORE grants include
funding for basic science and clinical research in cancer.
The goal of the program is to bring together outstanding scientists
and clinicians from different disciplines to solve significant
problems in cancer research. The UCSF prostate cancer SPORE grant
was awarded to UCSF in recognition of the breadth and depth of
the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center's basic
science and clinical research programs and its ability to integrate
these programs for clinical advance.
The proposed SPORE program includes five research projects and
five resource cores that support the research effort. A developmental
program enhances and expands the more developed aspects of the
program. The program is detailed below. More information can
be found on the UCSF
Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center's prostate cancer
SPORE webpage
and the NIH's
SPORE webpage.
Proposed SPORE Program
Project 1
Genome-Wide Association of Prostate Cancer in Minorities
Project Leader: John
Witte, PhD
Co-leaders: Neil Riesch, PhD and Stephen Van Den Eeden, PhD
Project 2
Statins for Men with Prostate Cancer on Active Surveillance
Project Leader: June
Chan,
ScD
Co-leaders: Peter
Carroll, MD, MPH and Millie Hughes-Fulford, PhD
Project 3
Translational Genomics for Prostate Cancer Risk Assessment
Project Leader: Colin
Collins, PhD
Co-leaders: Pamela Paris, PhD and Peter
Carroll, MD, MPH
Project 4
Magnetic Resonance Biomarkers for Improved Prostate Cancer Risk
Stratification
Project Leader: John Kurhanewicz,
PhD
Co-leaders: Fergus Coakley, MD
Project 5
Immune-based Therapy for Prostate Cancer
Project Leader: Eric
Small, MD
Co-leaders: James Marks, MD, PhD and Lawrence Fong, MD
Core A
Administrative Core
SPORE Director: Peter
Carroll, MD, MPH
Co-directors: John
Witte, PhD and Eric
Small, MD
Core B
Tissue Core
Core Director: Jeffry
Simko, MD, PhD
Co-director: Katsuto
Shinohara,
MD
Core C
Research Data Management Core
Core Director: June
Chan, ScD
Co-Director: Jeffry
Simko, MD, PhD
Core D
Biostatistics Core
Core Director: Joan Hilton, ScD, MPH
Co-Director: John Witte, PhD
Core E
Advocacy Core
Core Director: Peter
Carroll, MD, MPH
Co-Director: Lee
Benton, JD
Prostate Cancer Development Program
Program Director: Marc
Shuman, MD
Career Development Program Co-director: Mack
Roach III,
MD
Developmental Research Program Co-director: Colin
Collins,
PhD
Prostate Cancer Development Program
The Prostate Cancer Development Program is organized to attract
scientists and clinical investigators to the field of prostate
cancer and to assist in the development of careers in the field
of prostate cancer. The Prostate Cancer Development Program encourages
collaborations between investigators with diverse skills, resulting
in innovative research collaborations. The Development
Program’s
efforts are designed to enhance and expand the current research
program. Funding is available for postdoctoral fellows, and junior
faculty and researchers through the Career Development Program.
Established investigators wishing to pursue prostate cancer research
may apply for funding through the Developmental Research Program.
The Career Development and Developmental Research programs
are evaluated in conjunction, first by the Prostate Cancer Developmental
Program Review Committee, who evaluate merit, and then by the
Prostate Cancer Executive Committee, who make funding decisions
based on the availability of funds and the quality of the applications.
The strongest candidates are given priority funding, while maintaining
a balance across initiatives.
Career Development Program
The purpose of the Career Development Program is to
assist in scientific and academic development of medical,
urological, and radiation oncologists, as well as recent graduates
of PhD programs. Up to two years of salary support and career
mentoring helps applicants to establish a career in the field
of prostate cancer. Funding is available to postdoctoral
fellows
and junior
faculty and researchers (those eligible
to independently apply for NIH funding). Successful fellows will
use the funding to launch a career in academia, either as a research or
clinical scientist, at the faculty level. Successful junior faculty
and researchers will use this opportunity to develop a research
program well supported by extramural funding. The
highest priority for funding will be given to applicants who
clearly demonstrate academic potential and commitment.
Additional
information about the Career Development Program, including
application materials and a listing of current and previous
awardees, can be found on our fellowship and faculty
development pages.
Developmental Research Program
The purpose of the Developmental Research Program is
to provide seed funding to encourage both new and established
investigators to conduct pilot projects that will launch
new translational research initiatives in prostate cancer.
It is designed to create a flexible means of exploring
basic and clinical research for potential translational
projects. The program provides funding for research proposals
submitted by basic scientists and clinical investigators
seriously interested in developing new approaches to prevention
and treatment of prostate cancer. Successful investigators
will use this opportunity to conduct the initial research
necessary for later obtaining extramural funding.
The highest priority for funding is given to translational
research projects demonstrating collaboration between
clinicians and research scientists. Translational research
is defined as research involving the flow of information
from the clinic or clinical materials to the bench, or
vice-versa.
The application deadline for the next funding cycle will
be posted on this page. Sample program guidelines
and application forms can be downloaded using the links
below:
Instructions
in Word (sample program description and directions
for submitting an application)
Application
Part 1 in Excel (sample of
required forms. Please
note: the Excel document contains two
worksheets. Please click
on the tabs at the bottom of the document to toggle between
the two worksheets.)
Application
Part 2 in Word (sample of required abstract form
and optional narrative form)
Previously Funded Developmental Research
Projects
Role of Aurora2 and Fas ligand in Prostate Cancer Risk
Alan Balmain,
PhD
Oncogene and microRNA cooperation in Prostate Tumor Formation
Cassandra Belair, PhD
Disruption of Mucin-Type Glycosylation: A Novel Strategy
for Anti-Metastasis Therapy
Carolyn Bertozzi, PhD
Interference with Telomeres to Treat Prostate
Cancer
Elizabeth Blackburn, PhD
Novel Serine Proteases of the Prostate
George Caughey, MD
Multi-modality Nanoparticle Targeting Prostate Cancer for Imaging
and Photodynamic Therapy
Fanqing F. Chen, PhD
Positional Comparative Sequencing of a 800kb Chromosome 16q24.3
LOH in Prostate Tumors
Colin Collins, PhD
Determining Substrate Specificity
and Natural Substrates for Prostate Associated Proteases
Charles
Craik, PhD
Immunological Characterization of SPAS-2/NGLY1, a Novel Prostate
Cancer Tumor Antigen Defined by CTLA-4 Blockade
Marcella Fasso, PhD
Inhibition of Androgen Receptor Activation
Robert J. Fletterick,
PhD; Kip Guy, PhD
The Role of PTEN Mutations in the Pathogenesis of Prostate
Cancer and Resistance to Therapy
Alexander Gottschalk, MD, PhD
The Development of In Vivo Models of Human Prostate Cancer
Simon Hayward, PhD
Targeting Telomerase RNA for Prostate Cancer Inhibition
Thomas
James, PhD
Prostate Cancer Therapy by saRNA guided p21WAF1/CIP1 activation
Long-Cheng Li,
MD
Restoration of Erectile Function with Growth Factor Therapy
Tom
F. Lue, MD
Pilot Study to Evaluate Functional Screen of Protease
Expression in Human Prostate Cancer Samples
James H. McKerrow,
MD, PhD
Recruitment of Low-Income African American and Latino
Mend for Research in Prostate Cancer Communication via the Women
in their Lives
Rena Pasick, DrPH
Role of miR-205 in Prostate Cancer
Robert Place, PhD
Biological Effectiveness Improvement
of High Dose Rate (HDR) Prostate Brachytherapy
Jean Pouliot,
PhD
Development of Non-Steroidal Androgen Receptor Ligands
Thomas
Scanlan, PhD
Isoform Selective Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase
Inhibitors in Prostate Cancer
David Stokoe, PhD
Analysis of Androgen Receptor Interactions with
UBC9
Paul Webb, PhD
Metalloproteases as a Therapeutic Target in Prostate
Cancer; and Role of Proteases in a Transgenic Animal Model of
Prostate Tumor Initiation, Progression and Metastasis
Zena Werb, PhD
Prostate Cancer Research Advocates
Prostate cancer survivors are an integral part of the Prostate
Cancer Center at UCSF. They are actively involved in many aspects
of the program, and keep the Center’s activities sighted
on the target of better patient care. The advocacy group raised
$12 million to fund prostate cancer research and is helping to
build one of the finest prostate cancer research and treatment
centers in the world. Group members lend their time and resources
to the collaborative team of scientists and clinicians, with
the goal of helping research that will result in new, effective
treatments for prostate cancer.
Advocates:
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provide assistance to SPORE faculty
in the development and implementation of SPORE clinical
trials. Advocates provide an important patient perspective. |
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participate in advisory committees to
assess translational benefits of new clinical research
and treatment initiatives. Such feedback helps scientists
ensure that they are working on potentially clinically
meaningful issues that can be solved in a timely fashion. |
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maintain and enhance the level of resources
necessary to support the research program and participate
in decision making on how resources are allocated to enhance
translational research efforts. |
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interact with other SPORE programs nationally. |
More detailed information about the advocate group, including profiles of two advocates is on line at
http://cancer.ucsf.edu/prostate_spore/advocacy_core.php
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Contents of This Page
Faculty
Robert Blelloch, MD, PhD
Peter Carroll, MD, MPH
Matthew Cooperberg, MD, MPH
June Chan, ScD
Fergus Coakley, MD
Colin Collins, PhD
Rajvir Dahiya, PhD
Laura Dunn, MD
Robert Fletterick, PhD
Lawrence Fong, MD
Kirsten Greene, MD
Christopher Haqq, MD, PhD
Joan Hilton, ScD, MPH
Millie Hughes-Fulford, PhD
Sara Knight,
PhD
John Kurhanewicz,
PhD
Long-Cheng Li,
MD
James Marks, MD, PhD
Maxwell Meng,
MD
Pamela Paris, PhD
Mack Roach III,
MD
Davide Ruggero, PhD
Chuck Ryan, MD
Jennifer Schutzman, MD, PhD
Marc Shuman,
MD
Katsuto Shinohara,
MD
Jeffry Simko, MD, PhD
Eric Small, MD
John Witte, PhD
Key Staff
Malinda Walker
Academic Program Administrator
mwalker@urology.ucsf.edu
415/885-7723 Patients seeking information should call the Program
in Urologic Oncology at 415/353-7171
Appointments & Location
Academic
Administration
The interdisciplinary activities of the Prostate Cancer Center
are located across all UCSF facilities.
Patients seeking an appointment should contact the Urologic
Oncology Clinic located at the Mount
Zion Medical Center. Additional information about the clinical
program can be found on the Program
in Urologic Oncology page.
Contact Number
For more information about the Prostate Cancer Center please
call our accademic offices at 415/885-7723
Patients seeking information should call the Program
in Urologic Oncology at 415/353-7171
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