Full-scale discussions on cancer research collaboration between National Cancer Center of Korea and National Cancer Institute of USA

- Seeking ways to actualize the expansion of cancer proteogenomic-based research, establishment of a joint steering committee, etc.

The National Cancer Center (Dr. Hong Kwan Seo, president) and the National Cancer Institute of the USA (Dr. Douglas Lowey) held a meeting at 1 p.m. on Thursday, September 21, in the auditorium on the eighth floor of the Medical Checkup Bldg. of the National Cancer Center to discuss the means of collaboration on cancer research in earnest.

The meeting was conducted in the presence of Dr. Hong-Kwan Seo and Dr. Yeong Woo Kim, the president and director of the research center of the Korea National Cancer Center, respectively, and Dr. Henry Rodriguez, the director of the Clinical Cancer Proteogenomic Research Center of the National Cancer Institute of the USA.

Through this meeting, the National Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute discussed the means of expanding clinical research and translational research in the field of cancer proteogenomic-based precision medical treatment and the formation of a joint steering committee to pursue joint research. Moreover, they sought a means of solidifying the direction to pursue in cancer policy dialogue in accordance with the fact sheet of the joint Korea-US-Japan Summit.

This was followed by sharing of the results of the joint cancer proteogenomic project, which was carried out previously through joint cooperation, and a discussion on the direction of and action plan for future clinical research utilizing said results in the future.

Dr. Henry Rodriguez, the director of the Clinical Cancer Proteomics Laboratory in charge of the actual execution of proteogenomic projects at the National Cancer Institute, commented that, "The National Cancer Institute of the USA hopes to apply the results of nationally and genetically different cancer proteomics analysis research to the treatment of cancer patients in the future by further advancing such results through research collaboration with the Korea National Cancer Center, which holds know-how in cancer proteogenomic analysis technology as well as a wide range of resources." 

Hong Kwan Seo, the president of the Korea National Cancer Center, said, "I anticipate that we will be able to open new possibilities for cancer treatment as the proteogenomic research of both countries expands in accordance with the strengthening of the Korea-US cancer research collaboration… We are planning to further solidify the direction to pursue in cancer policy dialogue in the future by sharing the current status of joint proteogenomic research between the two countries and establishing a means of expanding research through this meeting."

Meanwhile, during the US-Korea summit in April, the National Cancer Center signed an MOU on comprehensive research cooperation with the National Cancer Institute of the USA during the Korea-US Summit Meeting held last April. As a follow-up measure to this MOU, the two organizations are planning joint research on proteogenomic-based precision cancer treatment, the development of cell therapy technology, the prevention and early diagnosis of cancer, clinical studies on cancer treatment and the development of technology for the care of cancer survivors.