You are cordially invited to join the MED Frontiers in Medical Research Seminar to be delivered by Prof. Young-Joon Surh on June 25, 2025 (Wednesday). The lecture is entitled "From Chimney Sweeps to Oncogenes: Historical Perspectives and Future Directions in Cancer Research ".

Please find the details as follows:

Date: June 25, 2025 (Wednesday)

Time: 10:30-11:30

Location: TD102

Speaker: Prof. Young-Joon Surh

Host: Prof. CHEN Jihang

Abstract

Cancer arises when sophisticated cellular growth signaling network is deregulated or disrupted as a consequence of mutations or other abnormal alterations, in particular (proto)oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Over the past few dacades, enormous investment has been made to discover the novel reliable molecular markers for use in diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Recent studies have been conducted with the global biochemical profiling technologies, such as DNA microarray, RNAseq analysis, proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, etc., to identify and characterize a series of critical oncogenic molecules or events. However, cancer still remains to be a major medical challenge that is difficult to be defeated. As with other illnesses, prevention can be the best policy in the management of cancer. A primary way to prevent cancer is to avoid or reduce exposure to known carcinogens, but as this can often demand drastic changes in living habits/life-style, it can be difficult to practice. In this context, ‘chemoprevention’ has been considered a more fundamental and practical strategy to reduce the cancer incidence and mortality rates by inhibiting, delaying or even reversing the cancerization process using toxin-free safe compounds. Unlike chemotherapy using antitumor agents in patients, special safety precautions are required since chemoprevention primarily targets the normal population. Therefore, chemical compounds that originate from several edible plants verified for safety are advisable as potential cancer chemopreventives. Since the cellular signaling network often goes awry in carcinogenesis, it is fairly rational to target intracellular signaling cascades for achieving chemoprevention effectively. By portraying cancer as a formidable enemy to actively combat, we are less likely to maintain healthy lifestyle or enact behaviors to prevent cancer. Nonetheless, therapeutic attacks have been prioritized over strategies to prevent the cancer. We should stop using such misguided war game analogies of winning and losing, and had better focus on prevention to make long-term progress against this elusive enemy.

Biography

Prof. Young-Joon Surh graduated from College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University. He gained a PhD degree at the McArdle Lboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison. He had postdoctoral training at MIT and then served as Assistant Professor at Yale University School of Medicine. Prof. Surh is currently Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Cancer Prevention, Associate Editor of Molecular Carcinogenesis, and Editorial Board member of many journals including International Journal of Cancer, Cancer Letters, and Free Radical Biology & Medicine. Prof. Surh has published more than 450 papers in peer-reviewed international journals. The total number of citations of his publications is over 30,000 with H-Index 90. He is a member of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology.

All of you are warmly welcome!