Purdue News
Purdue News
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June 11, 2004 Purdue School of Agriculture scientists win cancer research grantsWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - For the second consecutive year, a Purdue University School of Agriculture researcher has won a grant from the Sidney Kimmel Foundation for Cancer Research. The organization recently named Scott Briggs one of 15 scholars for 2004. Last year, Ann Kirchmaier received one of the two-year, $200,000 grants. Both Briggs and Kirchmaier are assistant professors in the school's Department of Biochemistry and members of Purdue's Cancer Center. "The Kimmel grant gives Ann and Scott the opportunity to take the basic research they did in their postdoctoral work and expand it," said Jim Forney, biochemistry department head. "They both have excellent training in cancer research." He said Briggs and Kirchmaier are in impressive company with other Kimmel scholars. "Not many schools have Kimmel scholars in consecutive years," he said. "The ones that usually do are universities with degree-granting medical schools. I'm excited that we've been able to convince talented young scientists who typically go to top medical schools to come to Purdue." Briggs and Kirchmaier focus their research on modifications of proteins in cells' nuclei that play roles in whether cells divide and become normal tissue or whether they produce masses of cancer cells. Kirchmaier uses yeast cells and the human Epstein-Barr virus to understand how genes are turned on or off and keep the genes in those states over many cell divisions. In cancer, a gene can be inappropriately turned off without damage to the gene. The Epstein-Barr virus, which causes infectious mononucleosis, also is responsible for a number of cancers including Hodgkin's lymphoma and cancer of the nasal cavity and pharynx called nasopharyngeal carcinoma. "We're basically trying to discern what modifications the virus uses to change its own gene expression and that of its host to affect normal cell growth and differentiation of specific tissues," Kirchmaier said. Briggs investigates histone methyltransferases, which may play a role in cell growth and tumor formation. Some of these proteins are overabundant in many human cancers, including multiple myeloma, breast cancer, leukemia and prostate cancer. "Some of these methyltransferases activate gene expression and some cause gene repression," Briggs said. "We want to know how these processes are regulated - what the enzymes are doing. The ultimate goal is to understand how these regulate gene expression and may lead to a cure or prevention for cancer." Sidney Kimmel established the Sidney Kimmel Foundation and the Sidney Kimmel Foundation for Cancer Research in 1993. The organization began awarding cancer research grants in 1997. With the naming of this year's awardees, the organization has funded 100 scientists from 52 institutions and contributed more than $350 million to cancer research. Kirchmaier and Briggs said that the Kimmel award will propel their research. "The Kimmel grant gives me the opportunity to start some projects and also have time to apply for longer term grants," Briggs said. "The Kimmel grant is a bridge between our start-up funds and bigger NIH and NSF grants." Kirchmaier said, "If I hadn't received the Kimmel, I wouldn't have this project up and running at this point in my career. It's a nice compliment to have the foundation's faith in my research concept." The Purdue Cancer Center is an NIH-National Cancer Institute designated research group composed of 71 faculty from 11 departments in five of the university's academic schools. Eight scientists from the School of Agriculture's biochemistry department are members of the Cancer Center. Writer: Susan A. Steeves, (765) 496-7481, ssteeves@purdue.edu Sources: Jim Forney, (765) 4941607, forney@purdue.edu Ann Kirchmaier, (765) 494-0977, Kirchmaier@purdue.edu Scott Briggs, (765) 494-0112, sdbriggs@purdue.edu Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722; Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu Related Web site:
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