SCIENTIFIC REPORT 2004 - Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center

V I R A L O N C O L O G Y P R O G R A M
V I R A L L Y M P H O M A
3) initiate clinical trials for AIDS-related malignancies
in Brazil, and 4) study the molecular
tumor pathogenesis of viral lymphomas in Africa
and Brazil.
Researchers in the Viral Oncology Program
recently collaborated with Dr. Carlos Brites (Brazil)
and successfully obtained funding through
Fogarty to establish a viral oncology training program
in Salvador, Brazil. Such studies are critical
to understanding and developing rational therapy
for malignancies in immunocompromised patients.
The program recently was funded through
the NCI for a study of inhibition of NF-κB and
disruption of latency in high-grade primary lymphomas
derived from Brazilian patients. Juan
Carlos Ramos, M.D., (University of Miami) received
a supplemental NCI grant linked to the
AMC parent grant for a molecular study of PELs.
In collaboration with the Federal University of
Bahia in Brazil, a five-year training grant for
AIDS/oncology was submitted. Bahia is a unique
area that principally is populated by descendants
of West Africa and is endemic for HTLV-I. The
majority of non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas are associated
with EBV or HTLV-I. Therefore, this presents
an outstanding opportunity for clinical and
basic investigation of these illnesses.
Zambia is a central African nation located in
the “AIDS and tumor belt.” In order to support
their research activities in Zambia, the University
of Nebraska at Lincoln, under Dr. Wood, and the
University of Miami under Dr. Harrington and
Charles D. Mitchell, M.D., have developed a successful
training and research collaboration with
the University of Zambia School of Medicine and
the University Teaching Hospital, under the auspices
of the Zambian Ministry of Health. This
program, funded through the Fogarty International
Post-Doctoral Training Program in HIV/
AIDS, has provided instruction to Zambian
health care personnel in clinical, epidemiological,
and basic science research methodology at both
the Universities of Miami and Nebraska.
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