Cutaneous Human Papillomaviruses as Cofactors in Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer
Abstract
Science Objective and Rationale: Extensive attempts to minimize the risk posed by ultraviolet light and ionizing radiation have failed to mitigate the elevated risk for skin cancers faced by our military Service members. This suggests that other factors are contributing to the high prevalence of these malignancies. I will address the fiscal year 2016 Focus Area, ?Melanomas and other skin cancers? by understanding the factors that cause skin cancer. This will facilitate my desire to protect our armed Service members from skin cancer, the most common cancer in the US. The human papillomavirus is best known as a cancer-causing sexually transmitted disease, but other members of this family of viruses infect the skin and cause warts. Persistent human papillomavirus infections in the skin cause non-melanoma skin cancers in individuals with a genetic disorder called epidermodysplasia verruciformis or EV. Human papillomavirus infections of the skin are common in the general population as well. Approximately 80%-95% of people will be infected with these non-sexually transmitted human papillomaviruses at some point in their lives, but these infections are more transient than the ones known to cause cancer in people with EV. Therefore, if human papillomaviruses infections result in skin cancer, they would have to cause mutations that turn normal cells into tumor cells after the virus is no longer present. Our data support this possibility by demonstrating that these viruses make military-relevant cancer risk factors (ultraviolet light and ionizing radiation) more damaging. In this proposal, we will continue defining the ability of human papillomaviruses infections in the skin to cause skin cancer. Career Goals and Development Plan: My goal is to develop an innovative research program sensitive to the research needs of the Armed Forces. My mentor (Dr. Laimonis Laimins, Chair of the Department of Microbiology-Immunology at Northwestern University) and I have developed a personalized roadmap for my success. My development plan utilizes the abundant resources available to me as a member of two cancer research centers and is augmented by supportive colleagues, including a retired colonel who will assure my work maintains its military relevance. It is underway, but my efforts will be magnified and greatly expedited by this award. In less than a year as a faculty member, my human papillomavirus research has been awarded nearly a quarter million dollars from agencies like the National Institutes of Health. This has allowed me to build a research team and gain exposure for my work by speaking five times as an invited lecturer at other prestigious institutes. I have also expanded the reach of my program by forming three productive collaborations and integrating myself into my local research community. This has included becoming a member of both of Kansas?s cancer research centers. By emphasizing these four essential aspects of a research career, I will continue my trajectory and establish myself as a leader in skin cancer research. Impact and Clinical Benefit: I became a scientist to improve our quality of life. Raised in a family where military service is revered, I am acutely sensitive to the lifelong health challenges that our armed Service members face. Skin cancers are a major concern for nearly all Service members. While advancements in the lab often take decades or lifetimes to become new treatment options, what excites me the most about this project is its rapid potential to prevent skin cancers. The technology used to vaccinate people against sexually transmitted human papillomavirus infections can be used with only minor modifications to prevent human papillomavirus infections in the skin. The only major barrier left is understanding the overall danger of these viruses. My group is diligently working to achieve these goals, so that in the not distant future we will be able to dramatically decrease
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 07, 2017
- Source ID
- W81XWH1710354
Entities
People
- Nicholas A Wallace
Organizations
- Kansas State University
- United States Army