Yesterday and today (9/13-14/2021), Cancer Prevention and early detection group of the NCI (National Cancer Institute) was hosting online workshops, titled "Translational Advances in Cancer Prevention Agent Development (TACPAD)".
When "cancer" research is brought up, people think it is about therapy and cure. Sure, it is 90% true, budget-wise. Most of the cancer research money goes to therapy. But a segment of cancer research is dedicated to prevention of cancer. Cancer prevention is a part of the NCI's research portfolio.
Cancer is easier to deal with, when they are at an early stage, or even earlier at pre-cancerous lesion. Indeed, pre-cancerous lesions seem to be something that pops up and disappears, and only small number of pre-cancerous lesions can develop to "real" cancer.
Cancer prevention studies deal with these early lesions and agents and events that influence them.
For example, NSAIDs like aspirin or naproxen (Aleve) are well known to reduce cancer risk in colon. Dietary components like EGCG in green tea and organosulfur compounds in broccoli work well to prevent cancers at least in animal experiments and are favorites for many health articles.
The focus of this 2021 workshop was cancer immuno-prevention, including cancer preventive vaccine, immunomodulatory reagents, and their combinations. The focus reflects current trend. As this is 2021, much interest was shown toward mRNA vaccine. Translating cancer therapeutic reagents such as "immune checkpoint inhibitor" and testing whether they can serve as cancer preventive agents is another approach presented and discussed.
During development, cancer can acquire ways to disarm attacking immune system. "Immune checkpoint inhibitor" is a way to disable the immune-disarming ability of cancer. The "Immune checkpoint inhibitor" agents can make cancer visible to immune system again.
Well, theory and paradigm are being set. The question is, "does it work?". Testing agents and answering the question is somewhat of a trench warfare for scientists and researchers. This two-day workshop was showing how this front is doing.
