MODHEP film debuts at European Parliament

“MODHEP: Understanding liver cancer” was shown yesterday at European Parliament to delegates of a special event celebrating collaboration between the EU and other countries.

The EC-funded MODHEP project is one of the most comprehensive research efforts ever undertaken to describe the mechanisms behind liver cancer, particularly hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most common malignancies worldwide and in essence still an incurable disease.

Insight Publishers produced the film that follows the MODHEP project through a five-day symposium held in January at RIKEN Yokohama Campus in Japan. The film provides an in-depth explanation of the nature of liver cancer. The film also explains how the project has pioneered the development of new technologies to aid cancer research, while the global nature of the partnership emphasises the importance of international collaboration in the fight against all cancers.

Young scientists were offered training in the use and analysis of CAGE technology during the MODHEP symposium

The symposium in Japan involved talks by academics from around the world, and provided a platform for a wider discussion into the current understanding of liver cancer development at every level. A full day of special training was also offered to young scientists at the event in the use and analysis of CAGE technology, a method for genome wide identification of transcription start sites that was devised at RIKEN.

The film was shown yesterday as part of the “Building Together Knowledge-oriented and Forward-looking EU Neighbourhood – Developing A Common Knowledge and Innovation Space” event in the European Parliament, Brussels. The main objective of the event was to illustrate the potential and results of international cooperation in research and innovation, which can help drive Europe towards its objective of creating a common knowledge and innovation space between itself and its neighbours. The MODHEP film was selected due to the international nature of the project, which includes partners from all over Europe as well as Japan and Australia.

For more information about the MODHEP project, please visit www.modhep.eu.