The James Graham Brown Cancer Center has honored Dr. Jason Chesney and Dr. Sucheta Telang as the 2011 Scientists of the Year for their cancer research on “inhibiting tumor cell metabolism.”

The award was presented to the scientists by Nobel Laureate and DNA structure co-discoverer Dr. James D. Watson on Derby Eve at the annual Julep Ball event.

But what will these physician/scientists’ work do to advance cancer research?  What exactly does “inhibiting tumor cell metabolism” mean?

Did you know cancer cells have a “sweet tooth?” They do, in fact, cancer cells metabolize (take up) about ten times more sugar than other cells. Doctors actually use that identifier when they are detecting cancerous cells through the use of testing such as PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scans at the Brown Cancer Center.

Because cancer cells require sugar to survive and grow, Dr. Chesney and Dr. Telang are targeting the development of drugs that block the uptake of sugar and cause the tumor cells to die.

Developing the key to unlock the mystery of tumor growth will have radical effects on how we treat all cancers. According to Dr. Chesney, this research has enormous potential and broad applicability across a wide spectrum of cancers including leukemia and breast, lung, colon and prostate cancers.

The drug being developed will be targeting some of the hardest cancers to fight.

“With this work, we know that patients with the highest sugar uptake in their scans have the most aggressive cancers and unfortunately, can experience the worst outcomes,” Dr. Chesney said.

“So if we can inhibit that key enzyme required for that glucose intake in those cancer cells, we could not only shrink tumors or slow their growth, but also improve survival rates, and of course, that is our ultimate goal,” he said.

The culture, infrastructure and resources provided by the Brown Cancer Center are also key to continuing the march towards developing a cure for cancer, said Dr. Chesney.

"There are an incredible range of scientists and oncologists that cover the entire gamut of cancer research available at the Brown Cancer Center. This is what cancer research needs – innovation, collaboration and synergy between different areas of research," Chesney said. This trait enables us to move from very basic concepts to clinical trials in a very short period of time."

In fact, the award-winning scientists are on track to have their research ready to advance to the clinical trials stage by the year 2012.