2008 ACS-IRG Cycle Now Open
Cancer Center Comes of Age: Celebrating Anniversaries
Amazing – From Bench to Bedside in One Year
Branz Receives MCC Appreciation Award
Retirement: Wasserman Waves Au Revoir
Jamora Receives ACS Scholars Award
Cancer Center Hosts AACR Reception
Two Nab Prestigious Young Investigator Award
Meet Our New Member
Member Grants – March
Save The Date: Cancer Survivorship XI
2008 ACS-IRG Cycle Now Open
The Cancer Center is offering up to $30,000 each for 1-year pilot projects. Eligible investigators are within six years of their first faculty appointment and have no national peer review research funding. For the first time this year, a single “Special Interest Award” of $30,000 will also be given for the highest rated proposal that focuses on tobacco, nutrition, health education or other lifestyle issues.
Selected projects, following an internal peer-review process, will clearly demonstrate relevance of the work to cancer. Deadline for submission is May 1, 2008, and is facilitated through the Center's online application process. Because these are intramural grants, no internal routing or signatures are required and no indirect costs are factored – all funds apply directly to the outlined research. The RFA, forms package, and eligibility/ budgetary/scientific criteria are available for review and access at: http://cancer.ucsd.edu/AboutUs/AdminServices/grants-in-aid.asp
Cancer Center Comes of Age: Celebrating Anniversaries
Thirty years ago, on April 1, 1978, the UCSD Cancer Center received its first federal designation from the National Cancer Institute as a clinical cancer center. It was a big deal then and it still is! A lot has happened, such as achieving our designation as a comprehensive cancer center in 2001, the highest ranking given to cancer centers by the federal government.
It has been a road of achievements in basic, prevention, clinical and translational research, as well as outstanding growth in our clinical enterprise and community outreach efforts to benefit patients, survivors, friends and family.
We have grown in all areas: space; faculty membership; fund raising; employees; and research funding. Click here for an overview of growth between 1978 and 2008. We still have a few “old-timers” around, who were pleased to provide a nostalgic snapshot of our past when:
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there were a total of six faculty taking care of cancer patients, including one radiation oncologist (1979) |
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the first chemo room, located in the South Annex of the Medical Center in Hillcrest, consisted of a recliner, a rocking chair, and one desk shared by three staff (1980). |
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the Heme/Onc offices were also located in South Annex, right next to the Mental Health ward, making for some interesting background sounds (1981). |
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we moved into the newly-constructed Gildred facility (1982). |
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there were no Case Managers; all nurses were responsible for patient management issues, from treatment regimen to clinical trials and follow-up (1983). |
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patient records fit into one lateral file drawer (1986). |
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Barbara Parker, M.D., Medical Director, Oncology Services, was a Fellow (1987). |
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Center Director Mark Green used his computer as a paperweight for an entire year (1988). |
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the chemo room had grown to become three beds and seven chairs in two rooms (1988). |
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you could count the number of chemo drugs on fingers and toes; we now have 10 times as many (1988). |
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the oncology nursing certification had only been in existence for 6 years (1988). |
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Patty Kormanick, now a Nurse Practitioner in the Breast Program, was the Nurse Manager (1988). |
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first autologous bone marrow transplants occurred (1989). |
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we had a 1'x2' processing “tower” and only 10 computers in the Gildred facility (1990) |
"Old-timer" contributers: Diane Amox; Charlie Cates; Sheila Hoff; Carol Horton; Dan MacManus; Anita Meyer; Georgia Sadler.
This month also marks the 3rd anniversary of occupancy in our building. Phased move-in began with the David Cheresh lab, followed closely by Cancer Center administration. The months of April, May and June 2005 saw the arrival of other large groups in basic, clinical and prevention research. Relocation activity ended in July with the final phase of transferring the cancer clinics from Hillcrest and Perlman – a choreography of herculean proportions. Imagine hundreds of computers awaiting hook-up as just one of the challenges we faced and conquered. Great care was taken by the health care team to ensure that patients experienced minimal inconvenience and uninterrupted care. Overall, due to the dedicated efforts of many, transition was hugely successful.
Amazing – From Bench to Bedside in One Year
A unique partnership between industry and academia has led to human clinical trials of a new drug for a rare class of blood diseases called myeloproliferative disorders (MPD), which are all driven by the same genetic mutation and can evolve into leukemia. In just one year, collaborative discoveries by stem cell researchers moved from identification of the most promising drug candidate to clinical trials for a new drug to fight this degenerative blood disorder, which affects more than 100,000 Americans. The study was headed by Catriona H.M. Jamieson, M.D. Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine and Director for Stem Cell Research at the Cancer Center, with colleagues from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the Mayo Clinic and a San Diego pharmaceutical company, TargeGen. They found an inhibitor that can stop the over-proliferation of blood cells that results in problems with blood clotting, heart attacks and, in some cases, leukemia. (Full Story)
Branz Receives MCC Appreciation Award
Patricia A. Branz, Community Health Program Representative, has received the first Moores Cancer Center Appreciation Award in diversity to recognize of her significant contributions to promote cultural competency of the deaf community.
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l-r: Patricia A. Branz; Georgia Sadler, Ph.D. |
Patricia has been a member of the community outreach team led by Georgia Sadler, Ph.D., Clinical Professor of Surgery, since 2002, and has been very busy! She has developed and promotes cancer awareness educational videos used by physicians, and educates the deaf community about cancer issues in communities across California and nationally. Patricia recruits members of the deaf community to participate in cancer research studies and recruits deaf students and volunteers to work at the Cancer Center. Additionally, she cultivates deaf-community partnerships through participation in many organizations, including the National Association of the Deaf, Deaf Community Services of San Diego Inc., Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, and Captioned Media Resources.
Overall, Patricia's dedicated efforts bring vital cancer health information to the underserved, deaf community. Congratulations for your outstanding contribution Patricia!
Retirement: Wasserman Waves Au Revoir
A decade of service to the Cancer Center winds up with the retirement of Linda M. Wasserman, M.D., Ph.D., Clinical Professor of Medicine. To acknowledge her many contributions, an informal ceremony was hosted by Center Director Dennis Carson, M.D., on March 26. Since her appointment to head the Center's Molecular Pathology Shared Resource in 1998, and later as leader for our DNA Sequencing service, Wasserman has focused her energies on providing high-quality, outstanding research assistance to her UCSD colleagues. Wasserman's collaborative spirit has inspired those who were fortunate to work with her.
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| l-r: Dennis Carson, M.D.; Linda M. Wasserman, M.D., Ph.D.; Jean YJ Wang, Ph.D. |
Wasserman's passion, though, is her work as a medical geneticist. She was responsible for counseling members from the community who were faced with concerns regarding possible inherited risk for cancer and the difficult medical decisions which could follow. Her pioneering efforts in medical genetics at UCSD have paved the way for current plans to fully integrate this important service into our clinical enterprise. “My years and activities at the Cancer Center have been very important to me,” says Wasserman, “as well as the chance to work with outstanding clinical professionals, researchers, and the administrative staff who work hard to make the operation run efficiently. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in the incredible growth in size and impact of the Center, both physically and in terms of service and research.”
Although lots of time is planned for children and grandchildren, putting plenty of flight time in between here and Washington D.C. to enjoy them, Wasserman is maintaining active professional duties. She recently joined the Board of Planned Parenthood of San Diego and Riverside Counties, where her psychology training and background are directly applicable. In addition, Wasserman is on the Biochemical and Molecular Genetics Committee of the College of American Pathologists, and sits on an NIH Study Section for New Diagnostics and Prognostic Tests in Cancer.
Brinda Rana, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, has assumed leadership of the DNA Sequencing Shared Resource.
Wasserman obtained her Ph.D. in Psychology from UCLA, and devoted the next 20 years as a psychologist in Boston and San Diego. She obtained an M.D. from UCSD in 1988 at age 41, and took her Residency in Anatomic Pathology at UCSD until her fellowship in the laboratory of Webster K. Cavenee, Ph.D., Director, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research from 1992 to 1995. Wasserman joined the faculty as Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine in 1997. In addition to her roles for us, she was the medical director of the clinical Molecular Genetics Laboratory in the Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine.
Calling attention to herself just isn't Wasserman's style, so you may have missed the chance to extend a personal au revoir. If you wish to do so, please feel free to contact her at lwasserman@ucsd.edu. Although Linda's “official” time with us has passed, her valuable contributions will be felt for many years to come. Congratulations and job well done!
Jamora Receives ACS Scholars Award
Colin Jamora, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, has been granted a 4-year American Cancer Society Research Scholars Award of $813,000 for his project entitled, “Cadherin Signaling During Epidermal Development.” Jamora is interested in how a special balancing act in the body works.
Individual cells are normally held together to form tissues and organs by proteins on the cell's surface, called E-cadherin that function much like Velcro. Removal of E-cadherin from the surface of many different cancer cells is required for them to move away from their original site of growth and spread to other parts of the body. Interestingly, the unlimited capacity of these cancer cells to multiply is reminiscent of stem cells which are capable of reproducing themselves. Because of this common ability to continuously grow, some believe that cancer cells are stem cells that have lost the controls that keep their growth in check.
Another interesting feature of stem cells is their ability to become any organ in the body -- a process called differentiation. The question Jamora wishes to tackle is how the stem cell normally decides whether to multiply or to stop reproducing itself and instead build an organ?
His project will investigate whether E-cadherin is the molecular switch that determines this choice. When this balance between replenishing and withdrawing is upset, the consequences are dire – stem cells that divide too much can lead to cancer; conversely, if too many cells are withdrawn from the reserves there is not enough “starting material” to constantly rebuild the epidermis. The basic knowledge gained from Jamora's studies may provide important insights into how these normal mechanisms malfunction and cause the cells to multiply too much in skin cancers, which account for the most common form of all human cancers.
Cancer Center Hosts AACR Reception
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l-r: Bill Carley, Pfizer and Catriona Jamieson, M.D., Ph.D. |
The Cancer Center hosted a reception at the American Association for Cancer Researchers (AACR) 2008 Annual Meeting, held at the San Diego Convention Center on April 13. Individually-sponsored receptions, hosted by research centers and industry, are a standard feature of large society meetings, providing festive, casual venues to make connections and mingle with old colleagues.
Our reception attendance of 65, by invitation only, included researchers from M.D. Anderson, Memorial-Sloan Kettering, San Diego State University and The Burnham Institute. Attendees enjoyed a wonderful selection of hors d'ouevres, and a harpist provided a light, airy musical backdrop.
“The reception brought together senior faculty, collaborators from academia and industry, and national leaders in cancer research, to discuss the excitement we feel at the Moores Cancer Center,” said Dennis Carson, M.D., “and to work out how we can work together even more effectively to find a prevention and cure.”
We owe the success of this event to the AACR Reception Committee: Gaylene Eisenach, Mary Carpenter, and Meghan Monahan, with on-site event assistance from Allison Tobin, and ad hoc input by senior faculty. We also wish to acknowledge Bob Coates and Charles Prussak of Memgen LLC for their generous financial support.
Two Nab Prestigious Young Investigator Award
The following individuals have each received a 2008 American Society of Clinical Oncology Young Investigator Award of $50,000 for one year, beginning in July. This prestigious grant is awarded to promising young scientists to encourage and promote quality research in clinical oncology.
Danelle James, M.D.
Mentor: Thomas J. Kipps, M.D., Ph.D.
Title: “Lenalidomide Treatment and the CLL Microenvironment”
Increasing evidence suggests that the Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) microenvironment, which is a novel therapeutic target, contributes to the incurable and resistant nature of this common leukemia. James's translational research proposal will investigate lenalidomide, an agent that potentially modulates the survival support provided to the leukemia by the microenvironment.
The evaluation of lenalidomide as a frontline treatment of CLL will be conducted within the setting of a national CLL Research Consortium clinical study. Two potential novel biomarkers representing the CLL microenvironment will be evaluated; one prospectively and one retrospectively for utility in predicting clinical response to this agent. Investigation of the mechanisms responsible for the clinical activity of lenalidomide in CLL will be performed by ex vivo evaluation of the subject's leukemia cells during therapy. Specific aims of this proposal are to advance the understanding of the mechanism of this promising therapy and assist in identifying which patients are most likely to benefit from this treatment in the future.
Loren Mell, M.D.
Mentor: Arno J. Mundt, M.D. (in the IMRT field while at University of Chicago)
Mell will join the UCSD radiation oncology faculty in July, 2008.
Title: Image-Guided Bone Marrow-Sparing Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy for Carcinoma of the Cervix and Anal Canal
Mell's grant focuses on image-guided techniques to augment bone marrow sparing in patients with cervical and anal cancer undergoing intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Conventional radiotherapy ports for cervical and anal cancer encompass a large volume of bone marrow, likely contributing to acute hematologic toxicity during standard treatment with chemoradiotherapy. Mell is investigating the ability of bone marrow-sparing IMRT to reduce hematologic toxicity and improve chemotherapy delivery in the treatment of these and other diseases.
The proposed study would involve obtaining MRI and PET scans in each of five cervical and five anal cancer patients prior to radiotherapy planning, and then correlating them with the planning computed tomography to identify active bone marrow. The goal is to compare dose delivered to active bone marrow, the target volumes, and other organs at risk for image-guided bone marrow-sparing IMRT versus standard IMRT, and to gather preliminary data on the potential for the image guided process to reduce hematologic toxicity. If the hypothesis is correct, target coverage should be optimized without risk to other organs, such as bowel, bladder, rectum, and femoral heads.
Meet Our New Member
Pieter C. Dorrestein, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science
Program: Cancer Biology
Research: Dr. Dorrestein is developing mass spectrometric and chemical biology tools to harvest the therapeutic potential of microbial orphan gene clusters for possible application to anti-cancer agents. (Research Summary)
Member Grants – March
Congratulations to Cancer Center members! The combined total of new and renewal grants awarded for March 2008 to those featured is: $12,260,108. Of this, the National Cancer Institute funded 19%, or $2,330,108.
Save The Date: Cancer Survivorship XI
The 11th Annual Celebration of Life – called "Cancer Survivorship XI" – is scheduled on Sat., June 8, 2008 at Block Cancer Survivors Park. The event is for cancer patients, their families, health care providers, and the general public. It features a health fair, fashion show, medical lectures, door prizes, cancer screenings, and much more. Attendance is free. Contact cancersurvivorshipSD@gmail.com. (Brochure)
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