BEIJING — The fight against cancer is a global effort.
To that end, a group of UNMC scientists were in China this week for the 2011 Annual Symposium of the China-U.S. Research Center for Life Sciences on Cancer and Stem Cells.
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Peking University Health Science Center student Yang Hu and UNMC Professor Wing “John” Chan, M.D., were part of a group of 70 attendees of the 2011 Annual Symposium of the China-U.S. Research Center for Life Sciences on Cancer and Stem Cells this week. Hu knows firsthand the impact of cancer as the disease took both of her grandparents. |
“We should all share how we’re going to attack cancer with other countries,” said Wing “John” Chan, M.D., UNMC faculty member and native of Hong Kong who was among the 70 people at the forum. “We’ve made substantial progress in the past 10 or 12 years and we can share our experience in an effort to find more effective, less toxic, tailored treatments.”
Collaboration underway
Dr. Chan works to establish partnerships that build on strengths from UNMC and China. He recently received a $100,000 grant through the University of Nebraska Foundation to work with colleagues from the Beijing Institute of Genomics to better understand genetic abnormalities of lymphoma to identify new targets for treatment.
“There are unique resources in China,” he said.
For example, he said, there are unique types of lymphoma that are far more common in China that would provide substantially more material for study.
Much to offer
UNMC and research in the United States also can benefit from the advanced bioinformatics that China has to offer, Dr. Chan said.
“China is growing very rapidly in its research and it would be a good time to develop our relationship,” he said. “Together we can make advances.”
Valued relationships
UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., also attended the symposium and echoed Dr. Chan’s comments about the importance of relationships with Chinese partners.
“Our hope is that our collaboration grows even stronger in the years ahead,” Dr. Maurer said.