Fox Chase Cancer Center
Encyclopedia
The Fox Chase Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute
National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health , which is one of 11 agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The NCI coordinates the U.S...

-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center research facility and hospital located in the Fox Chase
Fox Chase, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Fox Chase is a neighborhood in the Northeast Philadelphia section of the United States city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The origin of the name comes from The "Fox Chase Inn" which opened in 1705...

 section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The main facilities of the center are located on property adjoining Burholme Park
Burholme park
Burholme Park is a public park in the Fox Chase neighborhood of Philadelphia. The park and the Robert W. Ryerss Museum and Library was a gift of the last descendant of the Ryerss family, a prominent Philadelphia family. Robert W. Ryerss died on Feb...

. The center is an independent, non-profit institution which specializes in the treatment and prevention of cancer.

The center was formed in 1974 by the merger of the American Oncologic Hospital, which was founded in 1904 as the first cancer hospital in the United States, and the Institute for Cancer Research, founded in 1927.

Today it has almost 2,400 employees and an operating budget of $281.7 million for fiscal year 2006. Research is conducted in more than 80 laboratories by a staff of more than 325 physicians and scientists who hold medical degrees, Ph.D.s or both.

Fox Chase's 100-bed hospital is one of the few facilities in the country devoted entirely to cancer care. Annual hospital admissions average about 4,100 and outpatient visits to physicians exceed 69,000 a year. As of 2011, the Fox Chase Cancer Center was ranked as the thirty-eighth best cancer hospital in the United States by U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...

.

In 1995, Fox Chase also became a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
National Comprehensive Cancer Network
National Comprehensive Cancer Network is an alliance of twenty-one cancer centers in the United States, most of which are designated by the National Cancer Institute as comprehensive cancer centers...

, an alliance of 21 of the nation’s leading academic cancer centers.

History of Research Advances at Fox Chase Cancer Center

A short history of notable achievements by Fox Chase researchers:
  • 2011 The 6th Albert Szent-Györgyi Prize for Progress in Cancer Research was awarded to Beatrice Mintz
    Beatrice Mintz
    Beatrice Mintz is an American female embryologist who has contributed to the understanding of genetic modification, cellular differentiation and cancer, particularly melanoma....

     by the National Foundation for Cancer Research
    National Foundation for Cancer Research
    The National Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1973 on the initiative of Albert Szent-Györgyi and Franklin Salisbury as a non-profit organization under U.S. tax code 501. Over the past 30 years, NFCR has provided more than $200 million in support of discovery-oriented basic science...

     for her discoveries of the relationship between development and cancer, based on construction and analysis of chimeric and transgenic mouse models.
  • 2004 The Kyoto Prize
    Kyoto Prize
    The has been awarded annually since 1985 by the Inamori Foundation, founded by Kazuo Inamori. The prize is a Japanese award similar in intent to the Nobel Prize, as it recognizes outstanding works in the fields of philosophy, arts, science and technology...

     in Basic Science is awarded to Alfred G. Knudson
    Alfred G. Knudson
    Alfred George Knudson, Jr. M.D., Ph.D. is a geneticist specializing in cancer genetics. Among his many contributions to the field was the formulation of the Knudson hypothesis in 1971, which explains the effects of mutation on carcinogenesis .Born in Los Angeles in 1922, Knudson received his B.S...

     for life-time achievement and contributions to the betterment of mankind.
  • 2004 The Nobel Prize in Chemistry
    Nobel Prize in Chemistry
    The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outstanding contributions in chemistry, physics, literature,...

     is awarded to Irwin Rose
    Irwin Rose
    Irwin A. Rose is an American biologist. Along with Aaron Ciechanover and Avram Hershko, he was awarded the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation.-Biography:...

     and his colleagues Aaron Ciechanover
    Aaron Ciechanover
    Aaron Ciechanover is an Israeli biologist, and Nobel laureate in Chemistry.- Biography :Ciechanover was born in Haifa, British mandate of Palestine, a year before the establishment of the State of Israel...

     and Avram Hershko
    Avram Hershko
    Avram Hershko is a Hungarian-Israeli biochemist and Nobel laureate in Chemistry.-Biography:Born Herskó Ferenc in Karcag, Hungary, Hershko emigrated to Israel in 1950. Received his M.D. in 1965 and his Ph.D in 1969 from the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel...

     for their discovery of ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation.
  • 1993 Beatrice Mintz
    Beatrice Mintz
    Beatrice Mintz is an American female embryologist who has contributed to the understanding of genetic modification, cellular differentiation and cancer, particularly melanoma....

     produces the first mouse model of human malignant melanoma, in which the disease resembles the human malignancy.
  • 1991 Philip Tsichlis, Alfonso Bellacosa, and Joseph Testa clone the Akt1 and Akt2 genes - the first viral oncogenes described that inhibit programmed cell death.
  • 1991 Timothy Yen discovers that a molecular motor controls the way human cells sort their chromosomes when cells divide during mitosis
    Mitosis
    Mitosis is the process by which a eukaryotic cell separates the chromosomes in its cell nucleus into two identical sets, in two separate nuclei. It is generally followed immediately by cytokinesis, which divides the nuclei, cytoplasm, organelles and cell membrane into two cells containing roughly...

    .
  • 1982 William Mason and Jesse Summers demonstrate that the hepatitis B virus utilizes reverse transcription for genome replication, previously thought to be unique to retroviruses.
  • 1981 Beatrice Mintz's laboratory is one of the first to introduce a cloned gene into fertilized mouse eggs and prove that it is retained in animals developing from those eggs, and is transmitted to their progeny.
  • 1980 Discovery of critical aspects of ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation by Avram Hershko and Irwin Rose.
  • 1980 Alfred Knudson develops the "two-hit" theory, predicting the existence and behavior of tumor suppressor genes.
  • 1980 Discovery of the SCID mouse, a mouse strain with no natural immunity, by Melvin Bosma. The SCID mouse is an essential research tool in devising new treatments.
  • 1979 Beatrice Mintz shows that a fatal genetic anemia of mice can be prevented in utero by injecting normal blood-forming stem cells into the fetus through a placental blood vessel.
  • 1976 The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
    Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
    The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine administered by the Nobel Foundation, is awarded once a year for outstanding discoveries in the field of life science and medicine. It is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in his will...

     is awarded to Baruch Blumberg for his discovery of the Hepatitis B virus and development of the HBV vaccine, the first "anti-cancer vaccine", which has reduced the incidence of liver cancer.
  • 1975 The first transgenic mammals containing foreign DNA are produced by Beatrice Mintz and Rudolf Jaenisch.
  • 1974 Discovery by Robert Perry that the messenger RNAs of mammalian cells and their precursors contain a novel structure at their leading ends.
  • 1972 Helen Berman and Jenny Glusker report the crystal structure of a nucleic acid-drug complex as a model for anti-tumor agent and mutagen action.
  • 1968 Development of the first Hepatitis B vaccine
    Hepatitis B vaccine
    Hepatitis B vaccine is a vaccine developed for the prevention of hepatitis B virus infection. The vaccine contains one of the viral envelope proteins, hepatitis B surface antigen . It is produced by yeast cells, into which the genetic code for HBsAg has been inserted...

     by Baruch Blumberg and Irving Millman.
  • 1967 Discovery of the Hepatitis B virus
    Hepatitis B virus
    Hepatitis B is an infectious illness caused by hepatitis B virus which infects the liver of hominoidea, including humans, and causes an inflammation called hepatitis. Originally known as "serum hepatitis", the disease has caused epidemics in parts of Asia and Africa, and it is endemic in China...

     and development of the blood test for Hepatitis B by Baruch Blumberg.
  • 1962 The first demonstration, by Robert Perry, that ribosomal RNA is synthesized in the nucleolus as a large precursor molecule that is subsequently processed into mature components.
  • 1962 Beatrice Mintz's development of the first mammal comprising two genetically different cell populations in all tissues, as a tool for analyses of embryonic development and disease in mouse models.
  • 1960 Discovery of the Philadelphia chromosome
    Philadelphia chromosome
    Philadelphia chromosome or Philadelphia translocation is a specific chromosomal abnormality that is associated with chronic myelogenous leukemia . It is the result of a reciprocal translocation between chromosome 9 and 22, and is specifically designated t...

    , the first genetic abnormality associated with a human cancer, by David Hungerford of the Fox Chase Cancer Center and Peter Nowell of the University of Pennsylvania
    University of Pennsylvania
    The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...

    .
  • 1952 First nuclear transplantation (or 'cloning
    Cloning
    Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...

    ') experiment is performed by Robert Briggs and Thomas King using eggs of the frog Rana pipiens.
  • 1946 Mary Bennett identifies an essential nutrient later revealed to be Vitamin B12
    Vitamin B12
    Vitamin B12, vitamin B12 or vitamin B-12, also called cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin with a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, and for the formation of blood. It is one of the eight B vitamins...

    .

Notable Current and Former Fox Chase Cancer Center Researchers

  • Helen M. Berman
    Helen M. Berman
    Helen M. Berman is the director of the – one of the member organizations of the Worldwide Protein Data Bank and a Board of Governors Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Rutgers University. A structural biologist, her work includes structural analysis of protein-nucleic acid complexes,...

    , director of the Protein Data Bank
    Protein Data Bank
    The Protein Data Bank is a repository for the 3-D structural data of large biological molecules, such as proteins and nucleic acids....

  • Baruch Blumberg, awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
    Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
    The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine administered by the Nobel Foundation, is awarded once a year for outstanding discoveries in the field of life science and medicine. It is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in his will...

     in 1976 for discovery of Hepatitis B and the Hepatitis B vaccine
  • Jenny Pickworth Glusker, noted crystallographer
  • V. Craig Jordan
    V. Craig Jordan
    Virgil Craig Jordan, OBE is a scientist specializing in drugs for breast cancer treatment and prevention...

    , "Father of Tamoxifen
    Tamoxifen
    Tamoxifen is an antagonist of the estrogen receptor in breast tissue via its active metabolite, hydroxytamoxifen. In other tissues such as the endometrium, it behaves as an agonist, hence tamoxifen may be characterized as a mixed agonist/antagonist...

    "
  • Alfred G. Knudson
    Alfred G. Knudson
    Alfred George Knudson, Jr. M.D., Ph.D. is a geneticist specializing in cancer genetics. Among his many contributions to the field was the formulation of the Knudson hypothesis in 1971, which explains the effects of mutation on carcinogenesis .Born in Los Angeles in 1922, Knudson received his B.S...

    , architect of the "two-hit hypothesis" (Knudson hypothesis
    Knudson hypothesis
    The Knudson hypothesis is the hypothesis that cancer is the result of accumulated mutations to a cell's DNA. It was first proposed by Carl O. Nordling in 1953, and later formulated by Alfred G. Knudson in 1971. Knudson's work led indirectly to the identification of cancer-related genes...

    ) about the role of accumulated genetic errors in cancer development, awarded the Kyoto Prize
    Kyoto Prize
    The has been awarded annually since 1985 by the Inamori Foundation, founded by Kazuo Inamori. The prize is a Japanese award similar in intent to the Nobel Prize, as it recognizes outstanding works in the fields of philosophy, arts, science and technology...

     in 2004 and the Albert Lasker Award
    Lasker Award
    The Lasker Awards have been awarded annually since 1946 to living persons who have made major contributions to medical science or who have performed public service on behalf of medicine. They are administered by the Lasker Foundation, founded by advertising pioneer Albert Lasker and his wife Mary...

     in 1998
  • Beatrice Mintz
    Beatrice Mintz
    Beatrice Mintz is an American female embryologist who has contributed to the understanding of genetic modification, cellular differentiation and cancer, particularly melanoma....

    , pioneering female cancer researcher, noted for many embryonic and genetic advances, and member of the National Academy of Sciences
    United States National Academy of Sciences
    The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...

     and of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences
    Pontifical Academy of Sciences
    The Pontifical Academy of Sciences is a scientific academy of the Vatican, founded in 1936 by Pope Pius XI. It is placed under the protection of the reigning Supreme Pontiff. Its aim is to promote the progress of the mathematical, physical and natural sciences and the study of related...

  • Arthur Lindo Patterson
    Arthur Lindo Patterson
    Arthur Lindo Patterson was a pioneering British X-ray crystallographer. Patterson was born to British parents in New Zealand in 1902. Shortly afterwards the family moved to Montreal, Canada and later to London, England. In 1920 Patterson moved to Canada for college at McGill University, Montreal...

    , who developed the Patterson function
    Patterson function
    The Patterson function is used to solve the phase problem in X-ray crystallography. It was introduced in 1935 by Arthur Lindo Patterson while he was a visiting researcher in the laboratory of Bertram Eugene Warren at MIT....

    , a key step in determining the structures of molecules using X-ray crystallography
  • Irwin Rose
    Irwin Rose
    Irwin A. Rose is an American biologist. Along with Aaron Ciechanover and Avram Hershko, he was awarded the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation.-Biography:...

    , awarded Nobel Prize in Chemistry
    Nobel Prize in Chemistry
    The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outstanding contributions in chemistry, physics, literature,...

     in 2004 for the discovery of ubiquitin
    Ubiquitin
    Ubiquitin is a small regulatory protein that has been found in almost all tissues of eukaryotic organisms. Among other functions, it directs protein recycling.Ubiquitin can be attached to proteins and label them for destruction...

    -mediated protein degradation
  • Shirley M. Tilghman
    Shirley M. Tilghman
    Shirley Marie Tilghman, FRS is a scholar in molecular biology and an academic administrator, the President of Princeton University. She is the first woman to hold the position and only the second female president in the Ivy League...

    , president of Princeton University
    Princeton University
    Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....

    since 2001

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