German Research Minister Schavan: 'Rapid knowledge transfer can s...(ered together. The joint project present...)

Key tasks of the national consortium include the creation and use of effective translational research units at partnering sites within a network throughout Germany. The DKFZ in Heidelberg as the core research center will collaborate with selected partners at university hospitals at up to six sites. "In this collaboration, DKFZ will be supported by excellent partners that will provide access to patients, samples and an effective clinical environment. In return, the sites will be given access to DKFZ's research programs," said Schavan. The sites will be selected by a committee of international experts by early 2010.

"Cancer research in Germany has gained an enormous amount of new findings in recent years. We understand more and more of the fundamental causes and development processes of cancer what matters now is that we transport this knowledge as swiftly and directly as possible into the clinical care of cancer patients," Professor Otmar D. Wiestler explained. "At the German Cancer Research Center, we have been able to gather a unique body of expertise for tight networking among basic research and clinical practice thanks to the foundation of the National Center for Tumor Diseases. Thus, we have created the best prerequisites for coordinating and advancing translational, i.e. application-oriented, cancer research in Germany under the leadership of our Center."

At the same time, research minister Schavan announced that the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and German Cancer Aid will jointly support the participation of a German research consortium in the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC). Both partners will jointly provide funds of approximately 15 million euros over a period of five years. This is intended as a contribution to the fight against tumor diseases with particularly high m
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