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New DiscoveriesJune 1, 2011

Blocking stem-like cells in triple-negative breast cancers

William C. Hahn, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow ‘98-‘99), Serena J. Silver, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow ‘05-‘06), Kornelia Polyak, MD, PhD (Clinical Investigator Award Committee Member), and colleagues at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, reported new findings about stem cells in triple-negative breast cancers, which tend to be aggressive and highly resistant to current therapies. The researchers discovered that these cells have elevated activity of genes in the Jak2/Stat3 pathway.

New DiscoveriesMay 3, 2011

New members of National Academy of Sciences elected

Election to the National Academy of Sciences is one of the highest honors that can be earned by a U.S. scientist. In recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original biomedical research, two Damon Runyon alumni were inducted this May:
Alexander D. Johnson, PhD (Fellow ‘81-‘83 and Former Sponsor), Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco

New DiscoveriesApril 6, 2011

Genetic link to lung cancer metastasis

Monte Winslow, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow ‘06-‘09), Matthew Meyerson, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow ‘95-‘98, former Fellowship Sponsor), Tyler Jacks, PhD (Former Fellowship Award Committee Member and Fellowship Sponsor) and colleagues at MIT, Cambridge, identified the important role of a gene called NKX2-1 in metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma. In animal studies, the researchers linked reduced activity of the gene to enhanced tumor seeding activity and metastasis.

New DiscoveriesApril 2, 2011

New biomarkers to predict response to therapy in lung cancer patients

John V. Heymach, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon-Lilly Clinical Investigator ‘04-‘09), Waun Ki Hong, MD (Former Clinical Investigator Committee Member and Mentor), and colleagues at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, reported the identification of two sets of genes that predict response to Tarceva/erlotinib, a targeted therapy used for treatment of certain non-small cell lung cancers.

New DiscoveriesMarch 25, 2011

2011 AACR Awards

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) has recognized leading cancer researchers whose work has significantly contributed to progress in the fight against cancer. Among those honored are 5 Damon Runyon scientists:

New DiscoveriesMarch 24, 2011

Novel immune therapy for pancreatic cancer

Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon-Lilly Clinical Investigator ‘00-‘05) and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, reported the success of an experimental antibody that activates the immune protein CD40 and targets pancreatic cancer. In a preliminary study, on average, patients with advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who were treated with the CD40 antibody survived longer and experienced temporary tumor regression.

New DiscoveriesMarch 23, 2011

2011 Gairdner International Awards announced

Adrian P. Bird, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow ‘71-‘73) of the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh has been named one of five recipients of the 2011 Canada Gairdner International Award. This highly prestigious award recognizes individuals who have made significant tangible achievements in the field of medical science. Dr.

New DiscoveriesMarch 23, 2011

First sequencing of multiple myeloma genome

A team of scientists including Rafael Fonseca, MD (Damon Runyon-Lilly Clinical Investigator ‘00-‘05), William C. Hahn, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow ‘98-‘99), Matthew Meyerson, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow ‘95-‘98) and Todd R. Golub, MD (Innovation Award Committee Member, Board Member) reported the first-ever sequencing of genomes from 38 patient samples of multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer.

New DiscoveriesMarch 23, 2011

Identification of new oncogene in melanoma

Craig J. Ceol, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow ‘05-‘07) of University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, and colleagues, reported the identification of the gene SETDB1 which is capable of accelerating melanoma formation in zebrafish. SETDB1 cooperates with BRAF(V600E), the most common mutation in human melanoma; the SETDB1 gene encodes a histone modifying enzyme often upregulated in those tumors. This finding supports the model that disruption of histone modification promotes cancer. SETDB1 may also be a promising drug target.

New DiscoveriesMarch 16, 2011

2011 Albany Medical Center Prize recipients announced

Elaine V. Fuchs, PhD (Damon Runyon Board Member, Damon Runyon Fellow ‘77-‘79) of The Rockefeller University, New York, and James A. Thomson, VMD, PhD (Current Fellowship Sponsor) of the Morgridge Institute for Research at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, have been named recipients of the 11th annual Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research. They are honored for their pioneering work in the field of stem cell biology.