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Release
NIH funds $1.4 Million
Study on Cancer Dormancy and Preventing Metastatic
Growth
Contact:
Catherine Herman (518) 437-4980
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| Julio
Aguirre-Ghiso |
ALBANY, N.Y. (March 24, 2005) --The National
Institutes of Health, National Cancer Center
Institute have awarded Julio Aguirre-Ghiso
of UAlbany’s Gen*NY*Sis Center for Excellence
in Cancer Genomics a $1.4 million grant to
find ways to stop metastatic growth of cancer
cells. The grant, titled "Functional determinants
of metastatic dormancy" scored in the
top 0.9 percentile.
Aguirre-Ghiso's long-term goal is to identify
the mechanisms that govern metastatic growth,
most importantly the induction of dormancy
of metastasis. Due to the morbidity and mortality
associated with metastatic disease, finding
ways to stop metastatic growth either by inducing
dormancy of inoperable but growing micro-metastasis,
maintaining dormancy or even eradicating disseminated
dormant cells, would greatly reduce deaths
caused by cancer.
“More than half of cancer patients die
from metastatic disease that develops months,
years or even decades after primary tumor removal,” said
Aguirre-Ghiso, “and it appears that during
these periods disseminated cells are in a dormant,
non-proliferative state. Clearly, forcing into
dormancy or extending dormancy of these cells
would be highly beneficial for patients.” The
grant will help study a newly identified ÒstressÓ signaling
mechanism and gene programs that are selectively
activated in dormant carcinoma cells and that
are essential for the maintenance of dormancy.
Aguirre-Ghiso received his doctorate from
the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina.
He completed his post-doctoral work at Mount
Sinai School of Medicine of New York University
in New York City. Aguirre-Ghiso is an assistant
professor of structural and cell biology in
the department of biomedical sciences of the
School of Public Health. He also holds an adjunct
appointment with the department of biological
sciences of the College of Arts and Sciences
at UAlbany.
For more information about his work, visit:https://www.albany.edu/cancergenomics/faculty/jaguirre/research.html
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