The Cervical Cancer SPORE is a highly interactive and multidisciplinary program incorporating six projects and three cores. Their interconnection is depicted in the chart below. The relationships that exist among many of the participating investigators are already well-established and have resulted in productive developments and opportunities, as demonstrated by joint authored research articles, cooperation on grants, and translational application of some research developments in clinical trials. Although Dr. Cho is now at the University of Michigan, she was on the faculty of Johns Hopkins from 1990 to 1998. During that time, she worked closely with Drs. Wu, Kurman, Shah, Armstrong, and Trimble. Cross-fertilization between projects and investigators is ensured by elements of the SPORE’s design. First, all projects are led by at least two investigators whose interest and knowledge span basic and clinical areas. Second, investigators are frequently involved in more than one project, demonstrating the extent of collaborations between investigators across several project areas, i.e. Dr. Cho in Projects 1 and 2, Dr. Roden in Projects 3 and 4, Dr. Pardoll in projects 4 and 5 and Dr. Wu in Projects 5 and 6, which should enhance the achievement of the SPORE’s goals. Finally, all projects take advantage of a single Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Core led by Dr. Mei-Cheng Wang, an experienced biostatistician with a research interest in clinical trial design. The Tissue and Pathology Core led by Dr. Robert J. Kurman, a pathologist, provides consistent specimen handling and analysis. This common core support provides consistency and economy, and will also foster collaboration within the program.
Several formal mechanisms of information exchange will continue to foster collaboration and sharing of resources and data. First, project investigators will gather once a week for discussions of progress and directions. Second, all SPORE investigators will meet monthly to review progress in research as well as directions and considerations for the future. Drs. Cho and Johnston will participate in the monthly progress meetings by conference call and will attend the quarterly meetings in person or participate by video conference. Third, all SPORE investigators will meet quarterly to review SPORE operations, overall progress, and future plans. Fourth, many SPORE investigators regularly attend Departmental Research Conferences every week. Finally, all Principal investigators, Core Directors, and their Co-PI’s will serve on the steering committee. Participants on the steering committee will attend meetings and seminars where the scientific progress and direction of the SPORE will be discussed every 3 months. At least once per year, all PI's and key personnel will attend a meeting where the external and internal advisors (letters of participation enclosed) will be present. Critical evaluation of the work in progress and future direction will be discussed assuring close collaboration and interaction between all members of the SPORE program. All of these mechanisms will facilitate open communication between members of the SPORE.
We recognize the value of inter-SPORE collaborations and interactions. The NCI-organized annual SPORE meetings for the sharing of data, identification of new research opportunities, and discussion of research priorities represents an integral component of the SPORE. These meetings allow for the interchange of ideas and stimulate new approaches. Preparations for the meetings involve a review of abstracts of research progress, part of the planned annual meeting review of our SPORE. The workshop is also used to initiate and to facilitate inter-SPORE collaborations. Each year, our SPORE will send the maximum number permitted to attend and will submit the maximum number of abstracts to ensure the most productive interaction.
We anticipate working with funded SPOREs in HPV-associated cancers, including GYN SPOREs and head and neck SPOREs. In addition, the Johns Hopkins investigators have daily contact with the current Johns Hopkins SPORE investigators (Breast, Lung, Prostate, and Gastrointestinal SPOREs). We will interact with and utilize shared SPORE resources of the funded SPOREs at Hopkins, including the Tissue Array Core established by the Prostate SPORE, the DNA Microarray Core established by the Lung SPORE, and the Human Specimen Resource Database Core of the Breast SPORE. Similarly, Drs. Cho and Johnston have a close professional relationship with the current SPORE investigators at the University of Michigan (i.e. Prostate SPORE). The Johns Hopkins cervical cancer SPORE team includes numerous individuals with a track record of multiinstitutional research efforts in HPV research, immunology, and cancer treatment. Dr. Keerti Shah, for example, organized the 12th International Papillomavirus Conference in Baltimore in 1993. Dr. Armstrong is PI of several phase II and III trials conducted by the NCI’s Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) as well as a member of the GOG’s Medical Oncology Committee. Dr. Trimble, a member of the GOG’s Pathology and Cancer Prevention and Control Committees, has led an effort within the GOG to draft a master protocol for phase II trials of chemopreventive agents and vaccine in women with CIN3. She also runs the subcommittee on preinvasive cervical cancer care. Thus, the investigators at Johns Hopkins and the University of Michigan have many existing interactions with other institutions in cervical cancer research and patient care.
The cores that are established by the SPORE program will also serve to enhance collaborations. Core A, the Administration and Communication Core led by Dr. T.-C. Wu will oversee and coordinate the activities of the SPORE, to facilitate collaborative relationships, review the extent of interactions and collaborations, and direct future efforts to promote cooperation between projects and cores. This Core will be involved in the data and safety monitoring of clinical trials. Core B, the Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Core led by Dr. Mei-Cheng Wang will assist with the appropriate design of experimental protocols and clinical trials and will serve for centralized collection, analysis, and integrated interpretation of the data generated from each of the projects with patients’ clinical information. From statistical analyses, it will be possible to identify the most relevant parameters that correlate with diagnostic, prognostic, preventive, and therapeutic factors. Furthermore, centralization of data from each project and compilation of patients’ clinical information by this core will substantially reduce overall cost and manpower needs while allowing SPORE investigators broad and secure access to data from each project. This Core will also contribute to the data and safety monitoring of clinical trials. Core C, the Tissue and Pathology Core will be run by Dr. Robert Kurman. This core functions as a resource for coordinating and providing high quality, well-characterized tissue/cell material to laboratories involved in the SPORE program. Through centralized distribution of specimens, each project will be ensured to receive research material from the same groups of patients to foster comparisons and correlations. Centralizing and coordinating patient specimens and information through this core will lower costs and manpower needs.
