In recent years, basic studies of the incidence of cancer in Africans and African Americans have revealed similarities in the types of breast and prostate cancer that commonly occur in Africans and African Americans [ 1-2].  In the case of breast cancer, more aggressive triple negative forms of breast cancer are more likely to be encountered in West African and African American women than in Caucasian women [1-2].  Similarly, more aggressive forms of prostate cancer are often found in African American and West African men than in Caucasian men [3].  The similarities are not surprising, since most of the slaves were brought to the United States from the coast of West Africa during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.  There are, therefore, genetic linkages between the predispositions of West Africans and African Americans to cancer [1-3].

Currently, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States and also in Africa [4].  It is second only to cardiovascular disease, and is likely to overcome cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death by 2030 [4].  Furthermore, prior work has shown that there are genetic differences between the incidence of different types of cancer in Caucasian women and African women [4].  Similarly, African American men have been shown to be more susceptible to more aggressive forms of prostate cancer than Caucasian men [4].  There is, therefore, a need for improved strategies for the early detection and treatment of the genetic types of cancer that are found in African and African American men and women [1-4].  This has stimulated the research efforts of clinical researchers and biomedical engineering researchers to develop science-driven solutions to the problems of cancer in Africans/African Americans in the USA and Africa [5-14].

The ongoing research includes: basic studies of the genetics of African and African American cancer patients; receptors that are over-expressed in cancer cells in Africans and African Americans [1-3]; materials research on nanoparticles for the specific targeting/early detection and treatment of cancer, and biomedical devices for the early detection and treatment [5-14] of the most commonly occurring cancers in West Africans and African American men/women. These will be explored in the proposed workshop, which will also include interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary interactions between scientists, engineers, clinicians, policymakers, minorities and people with health disparities, and representatives from civil society.

Conference Objective:

The proposed workshop will bring together a holistic group of scientists, engineers, medical doctors, epidemiologists, bioethicists, community development experts and policymakers to explore cutting-edge, genetically linked solutions to problems of cancer detection and treatment in African Americans and Africans in the U.S and Africa.

Specific Aims of Conference:

  • Bring together interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary group of scientists to discuss state-of-the-art approaches to the detection and treatment of cancer in African Americans and Africans with similar genetics
  • Develop strategy for future research and development to address cancer health disparities in African Americans and Africans
  • Explore the nexus between research and evidence-based policy to address cancer health disparities in African Americans and Africans

Approach:

The proposed workshop will include presentations by basic clinical and translational researchers, with a focus on cancer and cancer treatment in the U.S. and Africa. These will include: world class researchers; graduate students; post-doctoral researchers; medical practitioners; epidemiologists; community development experts and policymakers who can provide holistic perspectives on the current needs and opportunities for cancer research and education, as well as evidence-based policy and community development activities in the U.S. and Africa. The workshop will also identify ways of increasing the impact of U.S/Africa collaborations in cancer research, training/manpower development and program management needs.  The activities will include:

  • Plenary sessions by leading cancer researchers and medical practitioners;
  • Presentations by interdisciplinary researchers from Africa and the U.S; and
  • Presentations from community development experts and policymakers

Proposed Workshop: 

The proposed workshop will be held at the Princeton Institute of Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM) in Princeton University. It will be organized by Prof. Wole Soboyejo and a team that includes administrators and faculty at Princeton University, NIH, Ogun State Cancer Research Center, the University of Illinois, Chicago, the Translational Genomics Research Institute, Rutgers University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Institute for Imagination and Ingenuity, the Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO).

The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) at Princeton will include: Prof. Wole Soboyejo, Dr. Karen Malatesta and Dr. Nicolas Anuku from Princeton University.  These are biomedical researchers that have worked successfully with the PI on a range of biomedical programs at Princeton University.  They will work closely with the administrative staff at the Princeton Institute of Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM) to organize the workshop.  Staff from PRISM will help with communication, visa applications, day care for workshop participants and coordination of the workshop, which should attract about 100 participants. 

References

  1. Boyle and B. Levin, The World Cancer Report, World Health Organization, 2008.
  2. Huo, F. Ikpatt, A. Khramstoy, J. M. Dangou, R. Nanda, J. Dignam, B. Zhang, T. Grushko, C. Zhang, O. Oluwashola, D. Malaka, D. Malaka, S. Malami, A. Odetunde, A. O. Adeoye, F. Iyare, C. M. Perou and O. Olopade, Population Differences in Breast Cancer: Survey in Indigenous African Women Reveals Over-Representation of Triple Negative Breast Cancer, J. Clin. Oncol., Vol. 27, pp. 4515-4521, 2009.
  3. R. A. Kittles, A. Boffoe-Bonnie A,  T. Moses, C. Robbins C, C. Ahaghotu , P. Huusko, C. Pettaway, S. Vijayakumar, J. Bennett, G. Hoke, T. Mason, S. Weinrich, J. Trent, F. Collins, S. Mousses, J. Bailey-Wilson, P. Furbert-Harris, G. Dunston, I. Powell, J. D. Carpten, A common nonsense mutation in EphB2 is associated with prostate cancer risk in African American men with a positive family history, J Med Genet 43, pp. 507-511, 2006.
  4. R. M. Hoffman, F. D. Gilliland, J. W. Eley, L. C. Harlan, R. A. Stephenson, J. L. Stanford, P. C. Albertson, A. S. Hamilton, W. C. Hunt, A. L. Potosky, Racial and ethnic differences in advanced-stage prostate cancer: the Prostate Cancer Outcomes Study”. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. Vol. 93, pp. 388–395, 2001.
  5. Meng, J. Fan, G. Galiana, R. T. Branca, P. L. Clasen, S. Ma, J. Zhou, C. Leuschner, C. S. S. R. Kumar, J. Hormes, T. Otiti, A. C. Beye, M. C. Harmer, C. J. Kiely, W. Warren, M. Haataja and W. O. Soboyejo, LHRH-functionalized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for breast cancer targeting and contrast enhancement in MRI, Materials Science and Engineering C, Volume 29, Issue 4, 5 May 2009, Pages 1467-1479.
  6. Leuschner, C. Kumar, W. Hansel, W. Soboyejo, J. Zhou and J. Hormes, LHRH-Conjugated Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Detection of Breast Cancer Metasteses, Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, DOI 10.1007/10549-006-9199-7, 2006.
  7. Zhou, C. Leuschner, C. Kumar, J. Hormes and W. O. Soboyejo, A TEM Study of Functionalized Nanoparticles Targeting Breast Cancer Cells in Mice, Materials Science and Engineering C, Vol. 26, pp. 1451-1455, 2006.
  8. Zhou, C. Leuschner, C. Kumar, J. Hormes and W. O. Soboyejo, Sub-Cellular Accumulation of Magnetic Nanoparticles in Breast Tumor and Metasteses, Biomaterials, Vol. 27, pp. 2001-2008, 2006.
  9. Meng, E. Paetzell, A. Bogorad and W. O. Soboyejo, Adhesion Between Antibodies/Peptides and Breast Cancer Cells, Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 107, pp. 114301, 2010 (Also Published in the Virtual Journal of Nanoscale Science and Technology).
  10. Danyuo, S. Dozie-Nwachukwu, J. D. Obayemi, C. J. Ani, O. S. Odusanya, Y. Oni, N. Anuku, K. Malatesta and W. O. Soboyejo, Biosynthesized Prodigiosin Release From an Implantable Biomedical Device, Materials Science and Engineering C, 2014.
  11. Theriault, E. Paetzell, R. Chandrasekar, C. Barkey, Y. Oni, W.O. Soboyejo, An In-vitro Study of the Effects of Temperature on Breast Cancer Cells: Experiments and Models, Materials Science and Engineering C, Volume 32, Issue 8, pp. 2242-2249, 2012.
  12. Oni, K. Hao, S. Dozie-Nwachukwu, J. D. Obayemi, O. S. Odusanya; N. Anuku and W. O. Soboyejo, Gold Nanoparticles for Cancer Detection and Treatment: The Role of Adhesion, Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 115, p. 084305, 2014.
  13. J. D. Obayemi, S. Dozie-Nwachukwu, Y. Danyuo, O.S. Odusanya, N. Anuku, K. Malatesta, W.O. Soboyejo; Biosynthesis and the conjugation of magnetite nanoparticles with luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH): Materials Science and Engineering C 01/2015; 46. DOI:10.1016/j.msec.2014.10.081.
  14. Kan-Daapah, N. Rahbar and W. O. Soboyejo, Implantable Nanocomposite for the Localized Treatment of Breast Cancer, Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 116, p. 23505, 2014.

Disclaimer: “Funding for this conference was made possible in part by Award 1R13MD010418-01 from The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.”