Posted 09/07/2007

Arnold scientists part of team awarded $10.7 million grant to develop colorectal cancer research center

Four scientists from the Arnold School of Public Health are part of a USC team that has received a $10.7 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue building a comprehensive research center for colorectal cancer, which claims the lives of nearly 900 South Carolinians annually.

The researchers are associated with the university's Center for Colon Cancer Research (CCCR), which was established in 2002 with an $11.2 million grant from the NIH.

In the last five years, the center has grown from18 to nearly 30 biomedical scientists, all of whom are concentrating their efforts on the cause, prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer. The combined grants, which total nearly $22 million, are among the largest in the university's history.

The Arnold School researchers working with the center are:

·     Dr. James Hebert, director, South Carolina Statewide Cancer Prevention and Control Program; professor, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

·     Dr. James B. Burch, assistant professor, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

·     Dr. James A. Carson, associate professor, Department of Exercise Science.

·     Dr. Tom Hurley, senior biostatistician, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics; manager, Diet Assessment Unit, South Carolina Statewide Cancer Prevention and Control Program.

Dr. Frank Berger, the CCCR director and the lead researcher on both grants, said the new funding will enable the university to support the research of promising young scientists, as it did with the first grant, and to build a nationally competitive research center.

"This award is significant because it brings together scientists from disciplines as varied as biology, pharmacy, public health and medicine to solve the mysteries of a cancer that kills far too many people in our state and nation," Berger said. "It also recognizes the strong collaboration that has developed over the past five years between senior and junior investigators at the University of South Carolina."

American Cancer Society statistics show that colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer among men and women and the second most common cause of U.S. cancer deaths. About 150,000 new cases and 56,000 deaths occur annually in the nation, and approximately 2,400 new cases are diagnosed in South Carolina each year.

University President Andrew Sorensen said the grant underscores the reputation of Carolina's research excellence.

"The initial grant was awarded because the university was viewed as a major research institution capable of attracting top scientists in their fields," he said.

"Not only have our researchers proved their ability to develop a quality colorectal cancer research program, but they also are proving their success to compete with their peers at top institutions for NIH funding, which is increasingly competitive," Sorensen said.

Since 2002, individual CCCR researchers have garnered nearly $20 million in grants and have published more than 300 articles in prestigious peer-reviewed journals. Their studies are examining the origin and development of cancer tumors, how DNA can repair itself to prevent tumor formation, the role of inflammation in colorectal cancer, anti-cancer drugs and new methods of screening and diagnosis.

The CCCR also has developed a strong outreach program that is uniting scientists, physicians, community health groups and healthcare professionals throughout the state to increase general awareness and knowledge about the benefits of colorectal cancer screening.

"We have created an environment in which academic discovery flourishes and is shared with a larger community interested in the prevention and treatment of this deadly disease," Berger said.

The success of the CCCR is being seen beyond South Carolina, said Dr. Russell Pate, associate vice president for health sciences and a professor in the Arnold School’s Department of Exercise Science.

"The awarding of these two major grants, coupled with funding to individual researchers, underscores the national reputation that the University of South Carolina has earned," Pate said. "The team at the CCCR already is making a difference in the lives of many people in South Carolina, but its impact extends far beyond the Palmetto State."