2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005

Members of the Damon Runyon scientific circle regularly publish findings on the latest cancer research and are frequently recognized for their contributions to the fight against cancer.  Below, you will find new discoveries in cancer research and the most recent honors bestowed upon Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation awardees, alumni and friends.

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005

Members of the Damon Runyon scientific circle regularly publish findings on the latest cancer research and are frequently recognized for their contributions to the fight against cancer.  Below, you will find new discoveries in cancer research and the most recent honors bestowed upon Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation awardees, alumni and friends.

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005

Members of the Damon Runyon scientific circle regularly publish findings on the latest cancer research and are frequently recognized for their contributions to the fight against cancer.  Below, you will find new discoveries in cancer research and the most recent honors bestowed upon Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation awardees, alumni and friends.

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005

Members of the Damon Runyon scientific circle regularly publish findings on the latest cancer research and are frequently recognized for their contributions to the fight against cancer.  Below, you will find new discoveries in cancer research and the most recent honors bestowed upon Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation awardees, alumni and friends.

Alonzo H. Ross, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow '77-'78) of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, discovered that combining chemotherapy (temozolomide, TMZ) with a targeted therapy that blocks Notch signaling (γ-secretase inhibitor, GSI) blocks glioblastoma brain tumor recurrence in mice.  In patients, these tumors are typically treated with surgery, radiation and TMZ, but these therapies ultimately fail due to tumor recurrence.  GSIs are thought to block the cancer stem cells that resist chemotherapy/radiation and allow tumor recurrence.  The researchers hope to ultimately translate these findings into the clinic.  This study was published in the journal Cancer Research.   

Click here for more.

Raffaella Sordella, PhD (Island Outreach Foundation Innovator '10-'12) of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, reported the discovery of a subpopulation of cells in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors that are intrinsically resistant to the targeted therapy erlotinib/Tarceva.  These cells have features suggestive of a fate change termed epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and the researchers showed that these features are dependent on signaling by TGF-β and secretion of a factor called IL-6.  Both TGF-β and IL-6 trigger inflammation.  Interestingly, this study suggests that inflammation (e.g., in the tumor microenvironment) can reduce the tumor response to Tarceva; this represents an important new understanding of how tumor cells develop resistance.  These findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Runyon 5K runners take their first lap on the warning track at Yankee Stadium	Many Runyon 5K teams included family members of all ages
Participants listened as speakers thanked and motivated the crowd	These women used special tribute bibs to dedicate their run/walk to loved ones affected by cancer
As the bullhorn sounded, elite runners launched off of the Runyon 5K starting line	Runners began the Runyon 5K on Concourse 1 at Yankee Stadium
Friends and family took photos and cheered from the DeltaSky360 Suite at Yankee Stadium	The Yankee Stadium jumbotron showed live video of Runyon 5K participants on the warning track
Three of the youngest Runyon 5K participants celebrated their finish in Yankee Stadium's Great Hall	Damon Runyon scientists Erik Debler, Laura Banaszynski, & Duncan Smith chatted with participants during the Runyon 5K
Several Runyon 5K teams came with creative names and coordinated uniforms	Finishers were greeted by volunteers handing out water, fruit, pretzels and more
Top male finisher Lou Dinuzzo crossed the finish line at 19:08:54	Every Runyon 5K participant who finished the race received a medal
NBC's DeMarco Morgan and Damon Runyon Executive Director Lorraine Egan pumped up the crowd	Dozens of Runyon 5K volunteers helped make the event a success, handing out goody bags, t-shirts and more

> View videos from the 2010 Runyon 5K at Yankee Stadium

Participants Run Their Own Victory Laps Inside the Home of the World Champions

New York, NY, August 16, 2010 — On August 15, 2010 thousands of cancer research supporters, including survivors and patients, took part in the second annual Runyon 5K, the cancer fundraiser that takes place inside Yankee Stadium. The event reached capacity at 4,000 registrants who raised more than $375,000 for the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, which funds the 'Derek Jeters of cancer research.' On an overcast, mild summer day, fans aged from 5 to 81 years old ran their own victory laps around the famous field in support of cancer research. Cancer survivors and patients were joined by exhuberant Yankees fans and the Foundation's own scientists.
	The top male finisher was Lou Dinuzzo of Albany, NY with a time of 19:08:54. The top female finisher was Heather Stephens from Danbury, CT with a time of 19:53:88. Many walkers and participants who ran at slower paces were content to take their 'winning' photos from the warning track surrounding the field. DeMarco Morgan, Anchor/Reporter for WNBC 4 kicked off the 5K and later reported on the event and his own experience of running the course for NBC 4's 6pm newscast.
EVENT DETAILS The Runyon 5K is a unique charity run/walk that uses the Stadium as its course. The event began at 9:30am with the 5K run, and ended near 2pm. Participants explored the Stadium from the basement level to the upper concourses, and ran their own victory laps around the warning track circling the field. Friends and family of participants cheered on their heroes from the DeltaSky360° Suite overlooking home plate. More details can be found at www.damonrunyon.org/yankeestadium.
SPONSORS In addition to the New York Yankees' support, other event sponsors include 24 Hour Fitness, Walgreens, White Rose, Unilever, SIRIUS XM Radio, New York Daily News and WNBC 4 New York. > View photos from the event. > Watch Runyon 5K videos on Youtube. > Read My Fox New York coverage. > Read a feature story on participant Jen Reynolds in the New Haven Register.

ABOUT THE FOUNDATION

To accelerate breakthroughs, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation provides today's best young scientists with funding to pursue innovative cancer research. We support emerging leaders who have great potential to achieve breakthroughs in the how we diagnose, treat and prevent cancer.

The Foundation was created in 1946 in memory of Damon Runyon, a New York writer who began his career as a baseball journalist and revolutionized how the game was covered. Of the more than 3,300 scientists funded since, 11 are Nobel Laureates and many lead cancer centers nationwide. Today more than 119 scientists currently funded by Damon Runyon are working at labs and major research institutions around the country, including 15 awardees in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

CONTACT

Catherine Bright
Communications Director
Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation
212.455.0506
catherine.bright@damonrunyon.org

John L. Rinn, PhD (Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovator '09-'11, Damon Runyon Fellow '05-'07) of Harvard Medical School and the Broad Institute, Boston, Laura D. Attardi, PhD (Damon Runyon Scholar '02-'04) of Stanford University, Stanford, and colleagues, discovered that one particular non-coding RNA, lincRNA-p21, acts as a repressor of p53-dependent gene expression and apoptosis (cell death).  p53 is the most commonly-mutated gene in human cancers.  These findings were published in the journal Cell.  In a separate study, Howard Y. Chang, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon Scholar '06-'08, former Fellowship Sponsor) and colleagues at Stanford University, Stanford, reported that lincRNAs may function by serving as scaffolds to bring together select enzymes that regulate the expression of target genes by modifying histones.  This report was published in the journal Science.

Click here and here for more.

Hong Wu, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow '92-'95, Former Sponsor) and a team of researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, have developed a new technology that can measure signaling pathway levels in a single cell from tissues, including brain tumors.  The new technology, microfluidic image cytometry (MIC), combines microfluidics and microscopy-based cell imaging.  These molecular "fingerprints" are a new advance in diagnostics that could ultimately help physicians predict patient prognosis and guide personalized treatment.  This study was published in the journal Cancer Research.

Click here for more.

Grants totaling over $2.8M give early career investigators independence to pursue novel ideas

New York, NY (July 8, 2010) — The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on supporting exceptional early career researchers and innovative cancer research, named 18 new Damon Runyon Fellows at its spring Fellowship Award Committee review.  The recipients of this prestigious, three-year award are outstanding postdoctoral scientists conducting basic and translational cancer research in the laboratories of leading senior investigators across the country. The Fellowship encourages the nation's most promising young scientists to pursue careers in cancer research by providing them with independent funding ($156,000 each) to work on innovative projects.

May 2010 Damon Runyon Fellows

Niels Bradshaw, PhD, with his sponsor Richard M. Losick, PhD, at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, is studying the regulation of an enzyme called protein phosphatase that acts in specific cells to promote cellular differentiation.  Protein phosphatases are required for many processes, including cell growth, division, differentiation and stress adaptation.  He hopes that understanding phosphatase regulation will clarify the role of these enzymes in cancer and potentially aid in the development of anti-cancer therapies that target phosphatases.

Elizabeth M. Duncan, PhD [HHMI Fellow] with her sponsor Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado, PhD, at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, is examining how DNA-sequence-independent (epigenetic) mechanisms regulate gene expression during regeneration in the planarian flatworm.  Such mechanisms are involved in the establishment and maintenance of cellular memory; understanding the normal function of epigenetics will lead to a better understanding of how their misregulation leads to cancer.

Kimberly Evason, MD, PhD, with her sponsor Didier Y.R. Stainier, PhD, at the University of California, San Francisco, California, is studying liver development and liver tumor formation in zebrafish. Her focus is on hepatic stellate cells, support cells that surround both normal liver tissue and liver tumors.  She hopes to improve our understanding of how these cells influence liver cancer, including ways by which hepatic stellate cells might promote formation of liver tumors and/or lead to more aggressive tumor behavior.

Christopher J. Hale, PhD [HHMI Fellow] with his sponsor Steven E. Jacobsen, PhD, at the University of California, Los Angeles, California, is focusing on the basic biological processes that allow cells to coordinate the replication of their genes with the regulation of when those genes are turned on/off.  By studying the interplay of these two biological processes, he hopes to elucidate how tumor cells are able to bypass the strict controls that a cell uses to normally operate each process.

Daniel A. Heller, PhD, with his sponsor Robert S. Langer, ScD, at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, is developing a method to direct gene therapies to cancerous tissues.  He is synthesizing polymer nanoparticles that can target tumors using specific receptors on their surface.

David G. Hendrickson, PhD, with his sponsor John L. Rinn, PhD, at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, aims to identify and describe RNA molecules called lincRNAs that may regulate how cancer cells read genetic information. Defining the roles of lincRNAs in cancer could open new avenues for more accurate diagnostics and effective therapeutics.

Sujun Hua, PhD, with his sponsor Ronald A. DePinho, MD, at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, aims to complete a comprehensive, genome-wide assessment of regulatory networks governing self-renewal and fate-determination programs in normal and malignant neural stem cells.  Tumor progression of certain tumor types, including glioblastoma, depends on a subpopulation of cells within the tumor called tumor stem cells.  Understanding the shared and distinct features of normal and malignant stem cells is critical to develop novel therapies that selectively target tumor stem cells but spare their normal counterparts.

Nikhil S. Joshi, PhD, with his sponsor Tyler Jacks, PhD, at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, is studying the response of the body’s immune system to tumors.  The goal of his research is to understand how cells of the immune system interact with growing tumors and why these cells are not able to effectively kill tumors.  One particular type of immune cell, the regulatory T cell, blocks anti-tumor immune cells from killing tumor cells.  Understanding how regulatory T cells function and how they promote tumor growth may be critical to developing future immune-based treatments and therapies for cancer patients.

Kristin A. Krukenberg, PhD, with her sponsor Timothy J. Mitchison, PhD, at Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, is studying the role of a molecule called poly(ADP-ribose) in cell division and mitotic spindle formation. By understanding poly(ADP-ribose) function and regulation in both cancer and non-cancer cells, she will investigate new avenues for the design of more effective and selective cancer therapeutics.

Gabriel C. Lander, PhD, with his sponsor Eva Nogales, PhD, at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, is using electron microscopy to examine the mechanism by which cells initiate division.  His research will help explain why cancer cells form and will potentially lead to new molecular targets for cancer treatment.

John R. Lydeard, PhD, with his sponsor Jeffrey W. Harper, PhD, at Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, is interested in studying how proteins are targeted for destruction. Defects in maintaining the balance between newly made proteins and those to be destroyed are often linked with cancer progression. Better understanding of how these processes are regulated will help to develop more effective anticancer therapeutics.

Costas A. Lyssiotis, PhD, with his sponsor Lewis C. Cantley, PhD, at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, is studying the underlying differences in cellular metabolism between cancer cells and normal cells.  In particular, he is interested in understanding (i) how cancer cells rewire their metabolic networks to satisfy the demands of continuous proliferation and (ii) what happens to cancerous cells when they are forced to behave metabolically like normal cells. While his initial studies will be aimed at addressing these questions in breast cancer, these studies have the potential to provide new ways to treat many types of cancers.

Dale Muzzey, PhD [HHMI Fellow] with his sponsor Jonathan S. Weissman, PhD, at the University of California, San Francisco, California, is studying how both the sequence and structure of mRNAs affect the efficiency by which they are translated into protein in the yeast Candida albicans.  Defects in mRNA translation have been linked to several cancers, and he hopes to reveal features of translational control that generalize to humans.  Additionally, his project may highlight potential ways to combat Candida infections, which frequently afflict immune-compromised cancer patients undergoing therapy.

Jason A. Reuter, PhD, with his sponsor Michael P. Snyder, PhD, at Stanford University, Stanford, California, is investigating the role of a new class of RNAs (long non-protein-coding RNAs) in regulation of cellular differentiation, a process that generates the specialized cell types found throughout our bodies.  Aberrant differentiation is commonly observed in human tumors; poorly differentiated tumor cells are associated with the worst prognosis.  Research on the regulation of normal cellular differentiation may, therefore, provide insight into the mechanisms underlying tumor progression.  These RNAs may also represent exciting possibilities as novel anti-cancer therapies.

Volker Schweikhard, PhD, with his sponsor Steven M. Block, PhD, at Stanford University, Stanford, California, is investigating, at the single molecule level, how certain transcription factors assist an enzyme called RNA polymerase II in faithfully copying the genetic information stored in our DNA to messenger RNA—the blueprint for the proteins in our body. Aberrant gene expression lies at the heart of cancer, and thus, a detailed understanding of the activities of specific transcription factors may open up a potential route toward cancer therapy.

Lara C. Skwarek, PhD, with her sponsor David Bilder, PhD, at the University of California, Berkeley, California, is examining epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs), cellular changes that are required for normal development.  EMTs are also crucial benchmarks in tumor progression towards metastasis.  She will be performing a genetic screen for new molecules involved in EMTs.  These studies will broaden our knowledge of the role of EMTs in cancer progression with the additional goal of identifying new targets for cancer therapeutics.

Ian Y. Wong, PhD, with his sponsors Mehmet Toner, PhD, and Daniel Irimia, MD, PhD, at Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, is developing a new experimental platform for characterizing how cancer cells migrate in response to biochemical signals and 3D structural architectures. This approach may yield novel insights into how malignant cancer cells invade, which would aid the development of anti-metastatic therapies.

Dong Yan, PhD [HHMI Fellow] with his sponsor Norbert Perrimon, PhD, at Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, is aiming to generate profiles of phosphorylation for each kinase and phosphatase enzyme in the genome, and to relate these profiles to their in vivo functions during development.  Given the large number of kinase mutations associated with various cancers, understanding the phosphorylation network could prompt treatment tailored to aberrant signaling of specific pathways.

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DAMON RUNYON CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION

To accelerate breakthroughs, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation provides today’s best young scientists with funding to pursue innovative research.  The Foundation has gained worldwide prominence in cancer research by identifying outstanding researchers and physician-scientists.  Eleven scientists supported by the Foundation have received the Nobel Prize, and others are heads of cancer centers and leaders of renowned research programs.  Each of its award programs is extremely competitive, with less than 10% of applications funded.  Since its founding in 1946, the Foundation has invested over $220 million and funded more than 3,300 scientists.  This year, it will invest approximately $10 million in the most outstanding young investigators in the nation.

100% of all donations to the Foundation are used to support scientific research.  Its administrative and fundraising costs are paid from its Damon Runyon Broadway Tickets Service and endowment.

For more information visit www.damonrunyon.org

to Support Early Career Physician-Scientists

Public release date: 01-Jul-2010

New York, NY (July 1, 2010) — The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation (DRCRF) and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) are pleased to announce their partnership in supporting an early career physician-scientist.  Tobias J.E. Carling, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Yale University School of Medicine has been named as the first Doris Duke-Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator.
 
Dr. Carling will receive a total of $486,000 over three years for his project “Molecular Genetics of Endocrine Tumor Disease” (see below for lay summary).  In addition, DRCRF will retire up to $100,000 of any qualifying outstanding medical school debt still owed by Dr. Carling. 

“It is a great honor to receive the Doris Duke-Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award for my research and scientific career development and to be supported by two of the most prestigious private medical research foundations in the country,” said Dr. Carling.

The Damon Runyon and Doris Duke Foundations support young physician-scientists through similar grant programs, the Clinical Investigator Award and Clinical Scientist Development Award, respectively.  Dr. Carling was recommended to receive each of these awards following rigorous independent peer review processes by both Foundations.

“There is a significant shortage of talented physician-scientists dedicated to translating research from the laboratory to the patient’s bedside in search of breakthrough treatments,” said Lorraine Egan, Executive Director of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation.  “Both Foundations are highly committed to encouraging the careers of these unique individuals.”

 “We’re delighted to be partnering with the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation to fund Dr. Carling’s project,” said Ed Henry, president of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.  “This award allows Dr. Carling the financial and professional benefits of being affiliated with both DDCF and DRCRF.”

Lay Summary of Research

Dr. Carling focuses on endocrine tumors, a type of cancer which affects hormone-producing tissues in the body (such as the thyroid, pituitary gland, adrenal gland and islet cells of the pancreas).  The underlying genetic basis for endocrine tumors is not yet known.  Dr. Carling’s goal is to complete a comprehensive genomic analysis of patients with endocrine tumor disease in order to identify individual genes involved in early cancer formation.  His research will provide important insights into the development of endocrine tumors as well as other cancer types, laying the basis for future individualized medical and surgical management of cancer. 

Dr. Carling works under the mentorship of Richard P. Lifton, MD, PhD, and Robert Udelsman, MD, MBA.

DAMON RUNYON CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION

The Clinical Investigator Award program is specifically intended to help address the shortage of physicians capable of translating scientific discovery into new breakthroughs for cancer patients.  In partnerships with industry sponsors (Eli Lilly and Company, Amgen, Genentech, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, and Siemens Medical Solutions), the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has committed more than $35 million to support the careers of 53 physician-scientists across the United States since 2000.

100% of all donations to the Foundation are used to support scientific research.  Its administrative and fundraising costs are paid from its Damon Runyon Broadway Tickets Service and endowment.

For more information visit www.damonrunyon.org

CONTACT
Yung S. Lie, PhD
Scientific Director
Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation
yung.lie@damonrunyon.org
212.455.0521

THE DORIS DUKE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

Since 1998, the Doris Duke Medical Research Program has committed approximately $360 million to strengthen and support clinical research, which advances the translation of basic biomedical discoveries into new treatments, preventions and cures for human diseases.  To learn more about the program or to receive competition announcements, visit www.ddcf.org/mrp.

The mission of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation is to improve the quality of people’s lives through grants supporting the performing arts, environmental conservation, medical research and the prevention of child maltreatment, and through preservation of the cultural and environmental legacy of Doris Duke’s properties.

CONTACT
Reiko Fitzsimonds, PhD
Program Officer
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
rfitzsimonds@ddcf.org
212.974.7105

Public release date: 01-Jul-2010

New York, NY (July 1, 2010) — The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation named five new Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators at its April 2010 Clinical Investigator Award Committee review.  The recipients of this prestigious three-year award are outstanding early career physician-scientists conducting patient-oriented cancer research at major research centers under the mentorship of the nation’s leading scientists and clinicians. Each will receive $450,000 to support the development of his/her cancer research program.

For the second time, the Foundation also awarded Continuation Grants to three Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators.  Each award will provide an additional two years of funding totaling up to $300,000.  The Continuation Grant is designed to support Clinical Investigators who are approaching the end of their original awards and need extra time and funding to complete a promising avenue of research or initiate/continue a clinical trial.  This program is possible through the generous support of the William K. Bowes, Jr. Foundation, and Connie and Robert Lurie.

The Clinical Investigator Award program is specifically intended to help address the shortage of physicians capable of translating scientific discovery into new breakthroughs for cancer patients.  In partnerships with industry sponsors (Eli Lilly and Company, Amgen, Genentech, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer and Siemens Medical Solutions), the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has committed more than $35 million to support the careers of 53 physician-scientists across the United States since 2000.

2010 Clinical Investigator Awardees

Tobias J.E. Carling, MD, PhD [Doris Duke-Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator]
Dr. Carling focuses on endocrine tumors, a type of cancer that affects hormone-producing tissues in the body (such as the thyroid, pituitary gland, adrenal gland and islet cells of the pancreas).  The underlying genetic basis for endocrine tumors is not yet known.  Dr. Carling’s goal is to complete a comprehensive genomic analysis of patients with endocrine tumor disease in order to identify individual genes involved in early cancer formation.  His research will provide important insights into the development of endocrine tumors as well as other cancer types, laying the basis for future individualized medical and surgical management of cancer.
Dr. Carling works under the mentorship of Richard P. Lifton, MD, PhD, and Robert Udelsman, MD, MBA, at the Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut. 

N. Lynn Henry, MD, PhD [Lilly Investigator]
Due to advances in cancer screening and treatments, the majority of women diagnosed with breast cancer will be cured of their disease.  However, many will require at least five years of therapy with medications called aromatase inhibitors, which greatly reduce the amount of estrogen circulating in the body.  These drugs cause new or worsening aches and pains in about half of women, resulting in decreased quality of life. 

One hypothesis is that medication-induced lowering of estrogen levels may affect pain perception, resulting in increased sensation of pain during therapy.  In order to evaluate this hypothesis, Dr. Henry will conduct a clinical trial to assess change in pain threshold and development of aches and pains in women who are being treated with an aromatase inhibitor.  In addition, she will determine if there is a link between pain symptoms during treatment and inherited mutations in genes involved in pain perception; this will address whether some women are predisposed to developing symptoms during aromatase inhibitor therapy. The overall goal is to gain a better understanding of why pain symptoms occur, so that these symptoms can be prevented or treated, thereby improving the quality of life of breast cancer survivors.
Dr. Henry works under the mentorship of Daniel F. Hayes, MD, at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. 

Kevin R. Kozak, MD, PhD [Genentech Investigator]
Tumors depend on new blood vessel formation for growth and spread.  This process, known as angiogenesis, is an attractive target for cancer therapy.  Unfortunately, antiangiogenic agents have proven less efficacious than anticipated.  Preclinical results suggest that combinations of antiangiogenic agents and radiation may have great therapeutic utility; however, it remains unclear how these treatment modalities interact and how best to integrate them. 

Dr. Kozak will use biochemical, cellular and animal models to develop strategies to optimally integrate antiangiogenic therapies with radiation.  Positron emission tomography (PET) will be used for non-invasive monitoring of angiogenesis in mouse tumor models, and these results will be correlated to treatment responses. Guided by results of these studies, he plans to initiate a pilot human trial of antiangiogenic therapy to determine if PET imaging can identify a therapeutic window during which radiation may be particularly effective. The proposed project represents an integrated “bench-to-bedside” effort to optimize antiangiogenic therapy.
Dr. Kozak works under the mentorship of Paul M. Harari, MD, at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin.

Igor Matushansky, MD, PhD
Novel therapeutic approaches are necessary to improve the outcome of patients with sarcomas and other solid tumors.  Dr. Matushansky aims to test his hypothesis that chromatin remodeling agents, which alter gene expression, can induce solid tumors to undergo biological and morphological changes that lead them to resemble their corresponding normal tissue, a process referred to as maturation or differentiation.  Maturation or differentiation therapy provides an opportunity to fundamentally change the biology of the underlying cancer (and thus its overall prognosis).  While a change of an undifferentiated/high grade sarcoma (or carcinoma) into completely normal tissue remains an ideal, albeit likely unrealistic goal, a change from a ‘poorly differentiated/high grade’ tumor to a ‘well differentiated/low grade’ tumor is attainable; this can improve an individual’s median time of survival from months to decades.  Dr. Matushansky hopes to implement this therapeutic approach for sarcomas and other solid tumors.
Dr. Matushansky works under the mentorship of Carlos Cordon-Cardo, MD, PhD, at Columbia University, New York, New York.

Brian G. Till, MD [Pfizer Investigator]
Certain types of lymphoma, such as the indolent B cell lymphomas and mantle cell lymphoma, are incurable with standard therapies. These diseases can, however, be cured using stem cell transplantation, in which immune T cells from the donor kill lymphoma cells.  This procedure unfortunately carries the serious risk of graft-versus-host disease, which can be life-threatening.

In order to provide safer therapy options, Dr. Till’s goal is to develop a new treatment for lymphoma using patients’ own T cells to fight their cancers: patient cells are collected, a gene is inserted into the cells that allows them to recognize and kill lymphoma cells, and then the cells are infused back into the patient.  He is leading a phase I clinical trial testing this treatment in lymphoma patients. He is optimistic that this strategy will translate into a safe, curative treatment for patients with lymphoma; insights from this work may help to advance similar treatments for other types of cancer.
Dr. Till works under the mentorship of Oliver W. Press, MD, PhD, at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington.
 

2010 Clinical Investigator Continuation Grants

Colleen Delaney, MD, MSc [Novartis Investigator]
Dr. Delaney completed a Phase I clinical trial demonstrating that expanded cord blood cells infused into acute leukemia patients resulted in successful rapid engraftment (recovery of the immune system after transplantation).  The Continuation Grant will be used to examine the immune mechanism of how these transplanted cord blood cells persist in the patient.  These studies will be important for improving the success of transplants in patients.
Dr. Delaney works under the mentorship of Irwin Bernstein, MD, and Frederick Appelbaum, MD, at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington.

Douglas K. Graham, MD, PhD [Novartis Investigator]
Dr. Graham focuses on Mer, a receptor tyrosine kinase that plays a role in hematological cancers, such as leukemias, as well as brain cancer (glioblastoma) and certain lung cancers.  He has demonstrated that blocking Mer activity leads to enhanced leukemia cell death, particularly when combined with chemotherapy.  The Continuation Grant will provide support for Dr. Graham to continue research evaluating two biological inhibitors of Mer (an antibody and a small molecule inhibitor) as potential new therapeutics for pediatric leukemias.  Current therapies are highly toxic both in the short-term and long-term; highly targeted treatments such as a Mer inhibitor could offer less toxic, more effective therapy for patients.
Dr. Graham works under the mentorship of James V. DeGregori, PhD, and Sue Gail Eckhardt, MD, at the University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado.

Catherine J. Wu, MD
Dr. Wu’s goal is to develop new immune-based treatments for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).  Current treatments for these diseases are effective for a short time, but patients ultimately relapse and die of their disease.  The Continuation Grant will enable Dr. Wu to continue developing tumor-specific immunotherapy with minimal side effects that will target the leukemia cells and ultimately lead to a non-toxic therapy to cure CLL.
Dr. Wu works under the mentorship of Jerome Ritz, MD, at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts. 
 

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DAMON RUNYON CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION

To accelerate breakthroughs, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation provides today’s best young scientists with funding to pursue innovative research.  The Foundation has gained worldwide prominence in cancer research by identifying outstanding researchers and physician-scientists.  Eleven scientists supported by the Foundation have received the Nobel Prize, and others are heads of cancer centers and leaders of renowned research programs.  Each of its award programs is extremely competitive, with less than 10% of applications funded.  Since its founding in 1946, the Foundation has invested over $220 million and funded more than 3,300 scientists.  This year, it will invest approximately $10 million in the most outstanding young investigators in the nation.

100% of all donations to the Foundation are used to support scientific research. Its administrative and fundraising costs are paid from its Damon Runyon Broadway Tickets Service and endowment.

For more information visit www.damonrunyon.org

CONTACT
Yung S. Lie, PhD
Scientific Director
Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation
yung.lie@damonrunyon.org
212.455.0521

Ken Cadwell, PhD (Lallage Feazel Wall Fellow '08-'11) and colleagues at Washington University, St. Louis, reported that the combination of a genetic mutation in Atg16L1 plus a specific viral infection induces Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory disease of the gut.  The mutation alone is not sufficient to promote the disease.  In addition, their research suggests that the genetic and viral combination harms the gut microbial community.  Treatment with an antibiotic clears out the gut microbes and eliminates disease symptoms in mice.  This study indicates that viruses may play an important role in disease onset.   These findings were published in the journal Cell. 

Click here for more.

The following Former Fellows are four of the 21 early career scientists named 2010 Pew Scholars in the Biomedical Sciences.  The Pew Charitable Trusts grants Scholars $240,000 over four years for this prestigious award, which helps support their work in areas ranging from cancer to Alzheimer's to Autism.

David A. Guertin, PhD (Fellow '03-'06) University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts
Valerie Horsley, PhD (Fellow '04-'07) Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
Rajat Rohatgi, MD, PhD (Fellow '06-'07) Stanford University, Stanford, California
Susan R. Schwab, PhD (Fellow '04-'06) New York University, New York, New York

Click here for more.

William Y. Kim, MD (Damon Runyon-Merck Clinical Investigator '09-'12) of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and colleagues reported that the SRC, PI3K and MEK1/2 kinase signaling pathways act together in metastatic lung tumors that have deletions of the tumor suppressor LKB1.  These findings suggest that unique combinatorial therapies may be successful for treatment of lung cancers.  The research was published in the journal Cancer Cell.    

Click here for more.