New Discoveries and Honors

A team of researchers including Akinyemi I. Ojesina, MBBS, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow ‘08-‘11) and Matthew L. Meyerson, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow ‘95-‘98) of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Broad Institute, Cambridge, reported genome sequencing results for 115 cervical cancer patient tumor samples. The researchers identified genetic mutations not previously found in cervical cancer, including at least one for which targeted treatments exist for other forms of cancer.

Nathanael S. Gray, PhD (Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovator ‘08-‘10), of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, was honored as the recipient of the prestigious 2013 Meyenburg Cancer Research Award. He was recognized for his groundbreaking work in developing first-in-class chemical inhibitors for protein kinases, which are potential targets to treat cancer and other diseases.

Election to the Institute of Medicine is one of the highest honors that can be earned in the fields of medicine and health.  In recognition of their outstanding achievements, two Damon Runyon alumni were inducted this month:

James E. Rothman, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow ‘76-‘78) of Yale University, New Haven, was named a recipient of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He shares the honor with Randy W. Schekman (Former Damon Runyon Fellowship Sponsor) and Thomas C. Südhof “for their discoveries of machinery regulating vesicle traffic, a major transport system in our cells.”  Dr. Rothman is the twelfth Damon Runyon Scientist to be named a Nobel Laureate. 

The intent of the NIH High-Risk High-Reward Research Awards is to encourage investigators to explore bold ideas that have the potential to catapult fields forward and speed the translation of research into improved health.  We congratulate the Damon Runyon scientists who are recipients of these awards.

Andrew T. Chan, MD, MPH (Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator ‘08-‘13) of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, and colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health reported the results of a large, long-term study demonstrating that 40% of all colorectal cancers could be prevented through regular colonoscopy screening. The new research also supports existing guidelines recommending that people with an average risk of colorectal cancer should have a colonoscopy every 10 years.

The W. M. Keck Foundation awarded 2013 Medical Research Program Grants to scientists conducting high-risk research with the potential for transformative impact.  Three Damon Runyon scientists received grants of $1,000,000 each: 

Sreekanth H. Chalasani, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow ‘04-‘07), Salk Institute, La Jolla

Joshua E. Elias, PhD (Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovator ‘11-‘13), Stanford University, Stanford

Catherine J. Wu, MD (Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator ‘07-‘12) and colleagues at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, reported the success of a new strategy to boost leukemia patients’ immune systems after transplant. In a phase I clinical study, patients with advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) were given a “personalized” tumor vaccine composed of their own inactivated leukemia cells combined with an immune stimulant called GM-CSF.

Andrew T. Chan, MD, MPH (Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator ‘08-‘13) of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, and colleagues, reported that the association between aspirin use and risk of colorectal cancer was affected by mutation of the gene BRAF. Researchers found that regular aspirin use was associated with a lower risk of BRAF-wild-type colorectal cancer but not with risk of BRAF-mutated cancer. These results were published in the journal JAMA.

Alice Tsang Shaw, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow ‘04-‘05) of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, and colleagues, reported that treatment with the investigational drug LDK378 resulted in an overall response rate of 60% to 78% in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with mutations in the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene.

Marcia S. Brose, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator ‘05-‘10) of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and colleagues, reported results from a Phase 3 clinical trial (DECISION trial) demonstrating that the FDA-approved drug Nexavar (sorafenib) stopped metastatic thyroid cancers from progressing – nearly doubling progression-free survival from 5.8 to 10.8 months. This result is particularly exciting because no new drugs have been approved for this form of thyroid cancer in 40 years.

Jedd D. Wolchok, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon-Lilly Clinical Investigator ‘03-‘08) of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, and colleagues, reported the success of a new combination therapy for advanced metastatic melanoma. The therapy combines two drugs (Yervoy and nivolumab) to block “checkpoint” pathways, thus stimulating T cells in the immune system to attack cancers. In a Phase I clinical trial, the combination was demonstrated to be more effective than either drug administered alone.

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) selected 27 of the nation’s top biomedical researchers to become new HHMI investigators. HHMI investigators are widely recognized for their creativity and research accomplishments. The new group of HHMI investigators were selected for their individual scientific excellence from a group of 1,155 applicants. Four of the new investigators are Damon Runyon alumni:

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, three Damon Runyon alumni were inducted this April: 

Stephen M. Beverley, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow ‘79-‘81), Marvin A. Brennecke Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Chair, Department of molecular microbiology, Washington University, St. Louis

Matthew G. Vander Heiden, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovator ‘11-‘13, Damon Runyon Fellow ‘06-‘08) of MIT, Cambridge, and colleagues, reported the results of a large study analyzing gene expression data from 22 tumor types. They identified multiple changes in genes that regulate metabolism in cancer cells. The analysis also identified hundreds of potential drug targets that could block tumor growth. The study was published in the journal Nature Biotechnology.

James E. Bradner, MD (Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovator ‘11-‘13) of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, and colleagues, discovered a set of powerful gene regulators -“super-enhancers” that control cell state and identity. Important for gene control in healthy cells, super-enhancers are co-opted by cancer cells to overexpress oncogenes that lead to aggressive tumors. Treatment of multiple myeloma tumor cells with the drug JQ1 blocked the super-enhancer of the MYC oncogene and resulted in tumor growth arrest.

Oren J. Becher, MD (Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator ’12-’15) of Duke University, Durham, Laura A. Banaszynski, PhD (Angelo Family Fellow ‘08-‘11) of The Rockefeller University, New York, and colleagues, reported results that, for the first time, link a mutated histone protein to a rare brain stem cancer in children called diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPG).

Renier J. Brentjens, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon-Lilly Clinical Investigator ‘06-‘11) and colleagues at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, reported the success of immunotherapy treatment of adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Patients were treated with their own T immune cells, which had been genetically modified to target and attack the cancer cells. The treatment induced rapid remissions in these patients.

Elaine V. Fuchs, PhD (Damon Runyon Board Member, Damon Runyon Fellow ‘77-‘79) of The Rockefeller University, New York, is one of three recipients of the Robert J. and Claire Pasarow Foundation Medical Research Awards in Cancer Research. She is honored for her extraordinary achievement, creativity and distinction in the field of skin stem cells. Matthew P. Scott, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellowship Sponsor) of Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, is also a recipient of the award.  

Jean Y. Tang, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator ‘11-‘14) of Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, and colleagues, reported that women who take aspirin regularly have a reduced risk of developing melanoma. Overall the risk is reduced by over 20 percent. The findings, based on a study of nearly 60,000 women aged 50 to 79, suggest the anti-inflammatory effects of aspirin may help protect against this type of skin cancer. The study was published in the journal Cancer.

Catherine J. Wu, MD (Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator ‘07-‘12), Matthew L. Meyerson, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow ‘95-‘98), and colleagues at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, and the Broad Institute, Cambridge, demonstrated how genetic mutations evolve over time in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells.

David G. Kirsch, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovator ‘08-‘10), and colleagues at Duke University Medical Center, Durham, reported that epidermal growth factor (EGF) speeds the recovery of blood-making hematopoietic stem cells after exposure to radiation. Mice with high levels of EGF were protected from radiation damage. EGF may be able to accelerate the recovery of the blood system in cancer patients treated with chemotherapy or radiation. The study was published in the journal Nature Medicine.