During the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), director Christopher Wild reviewed 50 years of research on cancer. “The original vision was for IARC to promote international collaboration in cancer research.” Over the last 50 years, through the outstanding cooperation of thousands of cancer researchers worldwide, this vision has become a “practical reality” Wild said. “Sadly, while the level of comprehension of molecular cancer biology is unrecognisable compared to fifty years ago, many of the global disparities in cancer incidence and outcomes evident to IARC scientists in the mid-1960s are still all too easily recognisable today.”

During the conference the epidemiologist Paolo Vineis (Imperial College, London) presented two important research projects, both of which are funded by the European Commission – EXPOsOMICS (FP7 framework) and LIFEPATH (Horizon 2020).

Exposomics aims to develop a novel approach to the assessment of exposure to high priority environmental pollutants by characterizing the external and the internal components of the exposome, focusing on air and water contaminants during critical periods of life.

On the other hand, Lifepath aims to understand the mechanisms through which healthy ageing pathways diverge by (Socio-Economic-Status (SES), by investigating life-course biological pathways using omic technologies. “In the Lifepath project we are also examining the consequences of the current economic recession on health and the biology of aging, and the consequent increase in social inequalities” stated Vineis. “Our main goal is to show that healthy ageing is an achievable goal for society, as it is already experienced by individuals of high socio-economic position”.

Source:
- http://www.wcrf.org/int/blog/articles/2016/06/50-years-researching-cancer
- http://www.lifepathproject.eu

File:
- Paolo Vineis “Systems perspectives of the exposome” (pdf)