Science

Now Playing: Seven Videos Highlighting the People and the Mission of FNLCR

FNL video graphic.

The NCI at Frederick Office of Scientific Operations and the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR) have just released seven informational videos describing the people and mission of FNLCR.

Each of the videos covers a different aspect of FNLCR, from showcasing how the Biopharmaceutical Development Program responds to new challenges in drug development to the new mission of accelerating progress against gene mutations that account for one-third of all cancers.

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Investigators Retreat: A Forum to Bridge Frederick and Bethesda Cancer Research

The Ronald Reagan Building

By Andrea Frydl, Contributing Writer

Nearly 700 researchers, scientists, and laboratory technicians convened in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC, for the 2014 NCI Intramural Scientific Investigators Retreat on Jan. 14.

The event featured presentations and posters exploring topics in cancer research from KRAS signaling to animal care.

One of the highlights of the event was a presentation made by Valerie Beral, Ph.D., from University of Oxford, discussing “Rosalind Franklin and Cancer in Women.” 

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Long-Time Scientist Works to Prove Chemistry’s Place in Cancer Research

Larry Keefer, Ph.D.

By Carolynne Keenan, Contributing Writer

When Larry Keefer, Ph.D., first arrived at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) more than 40 years ago, he didn’t have a physical lab to call his own. Not immediately, anyway, due to a glitch in the construction schedule, he explained.                  

So he spent his first few years in Bethesda doing administrative work, like reviewing proposals and serving as a project officer on contracts.

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Gut Microorganisms Found Necessary for Successful Cancer Therapy

Group photo of four scientists

By Nancy Parrish, Staff Writer

Humans play host to trillions of microorganisms that help our bodies perform basic functions, like digestion, growth, and fighting disease. In fact, bacterial cells outnumber the human cells in our bodies by 10 to 1.1

The tens of trillions of microorganisms thriving in our intestines are known as gut microbiota, and those that are not harmful to us are referred to as commensal microbiota. In a recent paper in Science, NCI scientists described their discovery that, in mice, the presence of commensal microbiota is needed for successful response to cancer therapy.

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Novel Vaccine Approach Achieves “Functional Cure” of AIDS Virus in Monkeys

Jeff Lifson, Brandon Keele, Jacob Estes, and Michael Piatak

By Frank Blanchard, Staff Writer, and Jeff Lifson, Guest Writer

Scientists at the Oregon Health & Science University and the AIDS and Cancer Virus Program of the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research have used a novel vaccine approach to achieve a “functional cure” and apparent eradication of infection with a monkey version of the AIDS virus.

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New Approach for Producing and Purifying IL-15 Heterodimers That Have Potent Immune Effect

Elena Chertova and Cristina Bergamaschi

By Nancy Parrish, Staff Writer

Cytokines are proteins that play a crucial role in the human immune system by delivering messages that trigger the activation of immune cells to fight off attacks from viruses or other invaders.

Cristina Bergamaschi, Ph.D., NCI Center for Cancer Research, has been studying the mechanism of expression and function of a cytokine known as interleukin-15 (IL-15) for the last five years, in collaboration with Elena Chertova, Ph.D., and other researchers in the Retroviral Protein Chemistry Core (RPCC) of the AIDS and Cancer Virus Program (ACVP), Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research.

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