CYTOLOGY PROGRAM AREA REPORT
September 1977 to October 1978
| Program Coordinators: |
Dr. Kyoji Kimura
Dr. Chestcr J. Herman |
Summary of Activities
Activities in this program area during the past year focused on scientist exchanges.
EXCHANGE OF SCIENTISTS
The exchange of scientists continues to be one of the most productive activities of the Cytology Program Area. With the rapid development and application of new techniques in this field, scientists from both the United States and Japan benefit markedly from these visits.
During this reporting period, several exchanges took place:
1. Dr. Iwao Nishiya, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, visited the Laboratory of Pathology, NCI, October 1977 to August 1978.
Sponsor: Dr. Chester Herman
Subject: Cytochemical probes of chromatin structure and their application to hormonal effects on tumor cells.
2. Dr. Chester Herman, Laboratory of Pathology, NCI, visited the National Cancer Center, Tokyo, May 1978 to November 1978.
Sponsors: Dr. Kiyoji Kimura and Dr. Yoshio Uei
Subject: New clinical applications of quantitative cytology.
Five-Year Summary Report
During the first five years of the U.S.-Japan Cooperative Cancer Research Program, the initial objective of the Cytology Program Area has been achieved: The scientists of both countries have acquired a thorough working knowledge of the objectives, design, and in-service operation of each others quantitative cytologic techniques.
Beyond this initial objective, the impact of this exchange of meetings and individual scientists has been tremendous. As a result of this program, there has been a surge of interest in flow analysis and sorting systems in Japan, with over two dozen groups now applying these techniques to a wide variety of basic and clinical research problems. Similarly, in response to the stimulus provided by the U.S.-Japan Cooperative Cancer Research Pro-gram, a renewed interest in the development and application of static slide-based image processing systems has arisen in the United States. Several new groups have been organized under the U.S. Cytology Automation Program to pursue the best in modern design and application of these techniques.
In addition to these major areas, extensive collaborative research between Japanese and American scientists has resulted in markedly improved specimen collection and preparation techniques in gynecologic cytology automation. Other new techniques such as indexed cell sorting have been explored by collaborative efforts.
Future Objectives
In Japan and the United States, quantitative cytology is a rapidly growing field, analogous to electron microscopy 25 to 30 years ago. Applications of quantitative cytologic techniques are being vigorously pursued in many areas of basic cell biology and applied oncology including: screening of cytology specimens for cancer cells; design and development of chemotherapeutic and radiotherapeutic protocols in model tumor systems and subsequent evaluation of these protocols in clinical specimens; basic research on macromolecules, cytoskeleton, and surface structure of malignant cells; and response of the immune system to tumors and their eradication.
With the restructuring of the U.S.-Japan Cooperative Cancer Research Program, involvement in essentially all of the areas of major interest by Japanese and U.S. scientists utilizing quantitative cytologic techniques should be sought.
Since quantitative cytologic methods are still in the phase of rapid development and application in a number of different biologic areas, there is a great need for continued contact at an intensive level among U.S. and Japanese scientists working with these techniques. For this purpose, the exchange of scientists has been demonstrably productive during the first five years of the Program and should be vigorously encouraged.
In addition, regular meetings of scientists working in this field are of great value. In the past, the regular conferences organized by the Engineering Foundation/Society for Analytic Cytology have represented the most current and complete worldwide exchange of methodology and applications in this area. Bilateral meetings of Japanese and U.S. scientists in conjunction with these conferences would be exceptionally cost-effective in stimulating expanded U.S.-Japan cooperation and collaboration in quantitative cytology.