Dr. Tomoo Iwakuma Receives NIH Grant to Organize International Conference Focusing on Cancer Research, Promoting Scientific Interactions

Tomoo Iwakuma, MD, PhD Director, Translational Oncology Research Laboratory; Professor of Pediatrics, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine; Research Professor of Cancer Biology, University of Kansas School of Medicine Full biography Tomoo Iwakuma, MD, PhDHematology/Oncology/BMT, received a $15,000 NIH Research Conference Grant (R13) from the National Cancer Institute - National Institutes of Health. Dr. Iwakuma used the funds to co-organize 10th International MDM2 Workshop which took place from October 15-18, 2023, in Tokyo, Japan. MDM2 and its homologue MDM4 (also known as MDMX) are the two most important negative regulators of the p53 tumor suppressor by acting as an E3 ubiquitin ligase complex to promote p53 degradation and physical binding to inhibit the transcriptional functions of p53. These proteins are overexpressed in about 30 percent of human cancers. Overexpression of MDM2/MDM4 not only inhibits p53 functions but also exhibits p53-independent oncogenic activities. Inhibitors against MDM2 and MDM4 have been developed to reactivate wild-type p53 in tumors, some of which are currently in clinical trials. The MDM2 Workshop is held alternately in the US and Europe every two to three years to bring together the p53/MDM2 field, present the latest research, facilitate collaboration, and share reagents. The meeting has traditionally attracted the participation of clinical scientists and pharmaceutical industry investigators, contributing to the discovery of anticancer drugs and benefiting public health. Dr. Iwakuma was one of three organizers of the event. "The timely organization of the 10th International MDM2 Workshop at the National Research Institute of Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan, by me and my co-organizers will significantly activate cancer research and promote scientific interactions and exchanges of ideas in ground," said Dr. Iwakuma before. at the conference. "Since several drugs that inhibit the MDM2 oncoprotein are in clinical trials, basic and translational research focused on this area is of considerable scientific and clinical importance." The purpose of the NIH Research Conference Grant (R13) is to support high-quality conferences that are important to public health and to the scientific mission of participating institutes and centers. The content is that of the investigator and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH or the US Government, nor an endorsement. Sources 1/ https://Google.com/ 2/ https://www.childrensmercy.org/childrens-mercy-research-institute/news-and-stories/dr-tomoo-iwakuma-receives-nih-grant-to-organize-international-conference-focusing-on-cancer-research/ The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article