The proposed Cancer Biology Training Program is a resubmission of an application for an institutional training grant. We request funds to support 2 predoctoral and 2 postdoctoral trainees. Despite all the advances made in cancer research, it has become the number one killer of people under 85 in the U.S. The goal of the Cancer Biology Training Program is to educate the next generation of cancer researchers to meet the growing demands for scientists trained in the multiple facets of cancer biology.

Charged with the responsibility of educating future health professionals and scientists, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) has enthusiastically embraced this mission, training the second highest percentage of Hispanic physicians in the country and providing a steady stream of scientists and health professionals to South Texas and the nation. Historically however, less than 15% of doctoral students in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) are from underrepresented minority (URM) groups.

This new application entitled 'Training in drug abuse research: behavior and neurobiology' requests five years of funding to support a maximum of four postdoctoral fellows per year for interdisciplinary training in drug and alcohol abuse. Fellows primarily engaged in drug and alcohol research take two required courses and attend seminars, journal clubs, an annual retreat, and monthly chalk talks.

The applicant's career goal is to become a surgeon-scientist studying translational research in regenerative medicine. A comprehensive mentoring plan with a team of mentors of diverse backgrounds will ensure the applicant's career development. The proposed studies will address the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) on the regulation of macrophage polarization in vitro and in the dynamic tissue events during skeletal muscle injury, macrophage recruitment, angiogenesis, and muscle regeneration.

Experimental evidence indicates that cannabis or ?9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) use precipitates psychotic symptoms and is associated with a greater risk to develop schizophrenia and worsen its outcome. These observations led to the formulation of the cannabinoid hypothesis of schizophrenia, which postulates that over-activity of the brain endocannabinoid system may contribute to the etiology of this pathology. Recent studies, however, have challenged this hypothesis: for example, drugs aimed at blocking cannabinoid CB1 receptor activity have failed as antipsychotics in clinical trials.

The long latency in clinically significant prostate cancer development provides numerous intervention opportunities. The existence of oxidative stress markers in prostate cancer patients suggests that oxidative stress signaling may be a reasonable target to prevent clinical prostate cancer. Although the failure of the SELECT trial argues against this approach; we propose that a cocktail of antioxidants with the capacity to neutralize several classes of reactive species would be an excellent prophylactic remedy.

Action is urgently needed to address persistent disparities in cancer control and prevention that harm the health of Hispanic/Latino (HL) populations.

The proportion of underrepresented minorities (URMs) earning doctorate degrees in the basic biomedical sciences has increased modestly over the past few decades. Our proposed Program, the South Texas Advanced Research Training Undergraduate Program (START-UP) is a response to a Funding Opportunity Announcement from the Blueprint Program for Enhancing Neuroscience Diversity through Undergraduate Research Education Experiences (BP-ENDURE).