Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine

' S C O P E S M A G A Z I N E J U LY 2 0 1 3 In this issue of 'Scopes we highlight progress being made by faculty members in understanding cancer. Cancer research, one of the four research focuses identified in the College's strategic plan, offers tremendous translational opportunities to improve animal and human health, as we begin to better understand the complex cellular alterations that converge to result in unrestrained cell growth. The programs highlighted here are a sample of research pursued in the Sprecher Cancer Institute and the Cornell Comparative Cancer Center, in which a unique comparative approach is taken to advancing our understanding of the genetic basis of the formation of tumors. While arising from many distinct molecular alterations, at its core cancer shares remarkable similarities in mammals, and the high incidence of specific tumors in certain animal breeds presents both a challenge and an opportunity as we begin to unravel cancer genetics. T oday, pioneering faculty work at the intersection of disciplines to study cancer from biochemical, genetic, epigenetic, and cellular perspectives. At the College, innovative thinking is leading to the development of new therapeutic targets, from the discovery of drugs designed to selectively silence epigenetically modified cells, to those designed to modify the metastasis machinery, and others that target the cancer stem cells that are the source of newly transformed cells. Targeted therapies that attack the cellular process essential to a specific cancer hold the promise of markedly improving treatment effectiveness by selectively acting on cancer cells while leaving healthy cells and tissues relatively untouched, compared to traditional chemotherapy. These therapies, used in combination with traditional approaches of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, promise significantly improved survival rates and decreased treatment failures. Personalized medicine extends this approach even further with treatment plans that respond at an individual level, by considering the animal's and the cancer's genetic composition. Of course it is also important to highlight the challenges associated with cancer research and to acknowledge the complexity, diversity, and tenacity of biological processes underlying tumor formation (neoplasia). Cancer cannot be traced to a single gene or mutation or toxic insult—its complexity mirrors that of |1

• Cover