Research Newsletter

Zhang Recipient of Prostate Cancer Foundation Competitive Award

Dr. Zhang is exploring ways to target survivin, a molecule that has been shown to inhibit apoptosis in prostate cancer cells.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation has announced the recipients of its 2006 Competitive Awards Program. Jian Ting Zhang, PhD, co-leader of the Indiana University Cancer Center’s Experimental and Developmental Therapeutics Program, was a recipient for his project, “Targeting Survivin for Better Treatment of Prostate Cancers Using Computation-Based Drug Design.”

The loss of apoptosis, or programmed cell death, allows cancer cells to grow and multiply unchecked. Dr. Zhang, who also serves as a professor of pharmacology and toxicology, is exploring ways to target survivin, a molecule that has been shown to inhibit apoptosis in prostate cancer cells.

The program granted a total of $6.1 million to 63 research investigators from four countries, of whom 30 were first-time awardees. For information about this year’s recipients, please visit www.prostatecancerfoundation/2006competitive_awards.