Abstract for the overall program

The purpose of the UAB Ovarian Cancer SPORE is to reduce the incidence, morbidity and mortality of this devastating disease. The current state of knowledge in ovarian cancer would indicate that there is a clear need to better understand the pathogenesis of the disease, to develop more effective strategies to detect the disease at a pre-malignant or early stage, to develop more practical ways to prevent the disease, and to develop more effective ways to treat advanced stage and recurrent disease. Since its inception in 1999, the UAB Ovarian Cancer SPORE has been organized and structured in such a way as to address each of these important areas. This amended SPORE application includes five projects which are poised to address these key research needs in ovarian cancer; these include Project #1 – Imaging Analysis to Monitor Virotherapy for Ovarian Cancer, Project #2 – Radioimmunotherapy of Ovarian Cancer, Project #3 – Mechanisms of NSAID Related Prevention of Ovarian Carcinoma, Project 4# - Expression Array Analysis of Advanced Serous Ovarian Cancer, and Project #5 – Death Receptor-mediated Apoptosis and Therapy Strategies in Ovarian Cancer. These projects have been further refined and, in some instances, redirected in this amended competitive renewal application to address prior critiques. These translational projects are supported by an Administrative Core, a Biostatistics Core, and a Tissue Resources, Molecular Analysis and Immunopathology Core. In addition, a well-established and institutionally supported Developmental Research Program and Career Development Program are in place to ensure that the SPORE has a means to enhance its portfolio of ovarian cancer relevant translational research and scientists. The multidisciplinary team of basic and applied scientists that comprise the UAB Ovarian Cancer SPORE has forged significant collaborative relationships with the other Ovarian and Gynecologic Cancer SPOREs and other NCI/Foundation sponsored intergroups to further complement the translational research objectives of the SPORE. The productivity of UAB Ovarian Cancer SPORE as well as enhancements in the full Research Projects, the Core Resources, the Developmental Research and Career Development Programs, and other operational aspects of the SPORE demonstrate the SPORE's capacity to conduct translational research that will lead to important and clinically relevant advancements in the context of this deadly disease.