Mechanisms of Cancer Therapeutics B – MCTB

Topics

• Evaluation of the mechanism of action of established or repurposed cancer therapeutics (previously tested in model organisms and/or humans), spanning small molecule, peptide, protein, cellular, and genetic experimental therapeutics.
• Studies of the impact of drug treatments and combinations thereof on key oncogenic signaling processes, spanning DNA synthesis and repair, epigenetic regulation, cell cycle arrest, cell death, protein stability, RNA processing, translation, post-translational modification, metabolism, migration, metastasis, and other processes.
• Effect of established cancer therapeutics on the tumor microenvironment and host-cell interactions.
• In vivo studies of the therapeutic window of established cancer therapeutics, including effects on normal host tissues, the microbiome, and delineation of toxicities and their mechanisms.
• Mechanisms of resistance to established cancer therapeutics and strategies to circumvent intrinsic and extrinsic resistance mechanisms, including genetic and chemical screens. 

Shared Interests and Overlaps

There are shared interests with Mechanisms of Cancer Therapeutics A (MCTA) in mechanism of action of cancer therapeutic agents. Applications that focus on the identification and functional validation of novel molecular targets and therapeutic agents may be reviewed in MCTA. Applications focused mechanism of action and or resistance to established or repurposed cancer therapeutics may be reviewed in MCTB.

There are shared interests with Mechanisms of Cancer Therapeutics C (MCTC) in mechanisms of action of cancer therapeutic agents. Applications that focus on mechanism of action of established cancer therapeutics and their combination that include early preclinical investigations of efficacy may be reviewed in MCTC. Applications that focus on basic mechanism of action and resistance to established or repurposed cancer therapeutics may be reviewed in MCTB.

There are shared interests with Radiation Therapeutics and Biology (RTB) in molecular and cellular mechanism of cancer therapy. Applications that focus on DNA damage and other effects of radiation therapy may be reviewed in RTB.  Applications that focus on the effects of anti-neoplastic agents on tumor cell anabolic and catabolic processes (DNA damage/repair and gene regulation cell cycle and checkpoint control, apoptotic and non-apoptotic cell death) may be reviewed in MCTB. 

There are shared interests with Therapeutic Immune Regulation (TIR) in combinations of targeted or conventional therapy with immunotherapy to circumvent chemo drug resistance. Applications that focus on immune mediated mechanisms of the anti-tumor response and resistance may be reviewed in TIR.  Applications that focus on the effects on the combination therapy on key oncogenic signaling processes and applications that focus on the immune-mediated response to targeted or conventional therapy may be reviewed in MCTB.

There are shared interests with Biochemical and Cellular Oncogenesis (BCO) in regulation of signal transduction mechanisms in neoplastic cells. Applications that focus on the analysis of signaling complexes and their interactions among different signaling pathways in the context of tumor biology and tumor progression may be reviewed in BCO. Applications that focus on identification of novel protein targets using therapeutic agents as tool can be assigned to BCO. Applications on the effects of anti-neoplastic agents on signaling pathways may be reviewed in MCTB.

There are shared interests with Cancer Cell Biology (CCB) in mechanisms controlling, tumor metabolism, cell death and cellular stress pathways. Applications that focus on the use therapeutic agents as tool to study these pathways tumor growth and suppression may be reviewed in CCB. Applications that focus on mechanistic studies of the effects of anti-neoplastic agents on tumor metabolism, stress and cell death may be reviewed in MCTB.

There are shared interests with Gene Regulation in Cancer (GRIC) in gene regulatory mechanisms in oncology. Applications that focus on the use anti-neoplastic agents as tools to examine basic mechanisms involving gene regulation in cancer may be reviewed in GRIC. Applications that focus on mechanistic studies of the effects of established anti-neoplastic agents on gene regulation may be reviewed in MCTB.

There are shared interests in treatment of glioblastomas, medulloblastomas, neuroblastomas and gliomas with Clinical Neuroimmunology and Brain Tumors (CNBT). Applications that emphasize the mechanism(s) of action of anti-neoplastic agents in brain tumors are reviewed in MCTB (early preclinical investigations of efficacy and toxicity). Applications that emphasize the central nervous system consequences due to brain tumors are reviewed in CNBT. 

There are shared interests on therapeutic strategies involving combinations of cytotoxic drugs with targeting agents with Advancing Therapeutics A (ATA). Applications that focus on mechanism of action of combination therapies and the effects of drug combination on key oncogenic signaling processes may be reviewed in MCTB. Applications that focus on advanced animal experiments and pilot clinical trials may be reviewed in ATA.

There are shared interests in developing conventional and molecularly targeted agents with Drug Discovery and Molecular Pharmacology C (DMPC). Applications that focus on mechanism of action of these compounds at the molecular, cellular, or target tissue level are reviewed in MCTB. Applications that focus on chemical modification of existing compounds are reviewed in DMPC.