The level of support is dependent on the receipt of a sufficient number and diversity of applications of high scientific merit and the availability of funds. Because the nature and scope of the research proposed in response to the PA may vary, the sizes of awards will vary. It is expected that four or five awards will be made. AIDS patients have an unusually large incidence of highly aggressive malignancies related to their attenuated immune functions. New and more effective methods to treat AIDS associated cancers are badly needed.
Recent evidence suggests that apoptosis is an important component of cancer therapy.
The intrinsic killing power of drugs or radiation may be less important than the ability of these agents to stimulate tumor cells to kill themselves. Apoptosis may also be relevant to some aspects of drug resistance and may explain why tumor cells are more sensitive to cell killing than are normal cells. Exploitation of this concept of tumor cell death for the development of new and more effective therapies provides an exciting and potentially fruitful challenge. Apoptosis is a topic of considerable research interest. Numerous research projects have been undertaken to delineate the mechanisms and molecular factors that regulate the process.