Dr Franco M Buonaguro
Dr Buonaguro is currently the Director of Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, in the Department of Experimental Oncology at the Natl Cancer Institute “Fondazione Pascale”, Naples - Italy.
Dr Buonaguro has worked on various aspects of cancer pathogenesis including chemical, physical and viral carcinogenesis. His current research area is mainly focused on pathogen-associated cancers, including HPV and genital cancers, HHV-8 and Kaposi’s sarcoma, HBV/HCV and liver cancer.
Dr Buonaguro gained his doctoral degree from Frederick II University in Naples and has subsequently worked in Chicago, at Argonne National Laboratory, and in Seattle, at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. He was a recipient of WHO Fellowship in 1983; and has served as WHO Virology Consultant of WHO/ UNAIDS Network for HIV Isolation and Characterization (since 1996) and WHO HPV DNA International Collaborative Study Group (2003).
He is also currently Director of the East Africa AIDS Research Center in Uganda, established by the World Laboratory, Geneva.
Cancers related to infectious diseases represent a very significant component of the cancer burden in humans spanning from 20% of all malignancies in industrialized countries to 40% in developing countries. Studies on pathogen-related cancers allow the identification of mechanisms relevant to oncogenesis as well as molecular markers for diagnostic/prognostic methods and targets for therapeutic strategies. Furthermore their relevance is due to the concrete possibility of preventive strategies, which are always cost-effective and can usually be implemented with relatively modest investments. The open access policy of Infectious Agents and Cancer represents a key factor to foster an even participation and contribution by Western as well as Eastern/Southern Countries' colleagues.
