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Cervical Cancer Patients More Likely to Survive if Treated at High-Volume Medical Facilities

Posted by andrewsj3 on Monday, March 11th 2013     
PITTSBURGH, March 11, 2013 – Patients with locally advanced cervical cancer have better treatment outcomes and are more likely to survive the disease if they receive  care at a high-volume medical center than patients treated at low-volume facilities, according to research presented today at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology’s annual meeting on women’s cancers in Los Angeles.
 
The study evaluated the relationship between treatment facility volumes and survival outcomes, using data from the National Cancer Database, a joint program of the American College of Surgeons and the American Cancer Society, which has tracked 26 million cancer patients treated at 1,500 hospitals across the U.S. Researchers from UPMC,; the University of California, San Francisco; Saint Joseph’s Hospital of Creighton University and Drexel University College of Medicine examined the data of cervical cancer patients from Jan. 1, 1998 to Dec. 31, 2010.
 
“Successful treatment requires that multiple medical professionals, including gynecologic oncologists and radiation oncologists, coordinate internal and external radiation treatments and concurrent chemotherapy,” said Jeff Lin, M.D., the study’s principal investigator and a fellow in the division of gynecologic oncology at  Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC. “This treatment plan can be very effective for patients with this disease and higher volume centers are more likely to be able to coordinate the multidisciplinary approach necessary for this kind of care.”
 
According to Dr. Lin, the study tallied patient volumes from centers tracked by the National Cancer Database, and found patients were 22 percent more likely to receive brachytherapy, the recommended radiation treatment approach for locally advanced cervical cancer, and nine percent more likely to receive the recommended chemotherapy, if they attended a center that treats a high volume of cervical cancer patients. Overall, patients’ risk of dying from their disease dropped by four percent and they were more likely to receive the standard of care, if they attended such a facility.
 
“Thanks to previous research, we’ve known that ovarian cancer patients show improved outcomes if they receive their care from centers that treat a high volume of cases each year,” said Thomas C. Krivak, M.D., Dr. Lin’s mentor and the director of the Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship program at Magee. “This study indicates the same holds true for patients with cervical cancer. Now we can act on that knowledge.”
 
While effective screening techniques coupled with the human papillomavirus vaccine prevent many early stage cervical cancers from occurring, approximately 12,000 women will be diagnosed with the disease this year in the U.S. When found early, cervical cancer can be highly treatable.
category: Cancer
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Pitt Cancer Institute Researchers Reveal Mechanism to Halt Cancer Cell Growth, Discover Potential Cancer Therapy

Posted by andrewsj3 on Monday, February 4th 2013     
PITTSBURGH, Feb. 4, 2013 – University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) researchers have uncovered a technique to halt the growth of cancer cells, a discovery that led them to a potential new anti-cancer therapy.
 
When deprived of a key protein, some cancer cells are unable to properly divide, a finding described in the cover story of the February issue of the Journal of Cell Science. This research is supported in part by a grant from the National Institutes of Health.
 
“This is the first time anyone has explained how altering this protein at a key stage in cell reproduction can stop cancer growth,” said Bennett Van Houten, Ph.D., the Richard M. Cyert Professor of Molecular Pharmacology at UPCI and senior author of the research paper. “Our hope is that this discovery will spur the development of a new type of cancer drug that targets this process and could work synergistically with existing drugs.”
 
All cells have a network of mitochondria, which are tiny structures inside cells that are essential for energy production and metabolism. Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) helps mitochondria undergo fission, a process by which they split themselves into two new mitochondria.
 
In breast or lung cancer cells made to be deficient in Drp1, the researchers observed a huge network of highly fused mitochondria. These cancer cells appear to have stalled during a stage in cell division called G2/M. Unable to divide into new cells, the cancer growth stops.  Those cells that do try to divide literally tear their chromosomes apart, causing more stress for the cell.
 
The cover of the Journal of Cell Science includes a colorful image of a breast cancer cell deficient in Drp1 that is stuck during the process of separating its chromosomes into two identical sets to be divided among two new cells. Lead author Wei Qian, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Van Houten’s laboratory, captured the image using a confocal microscope at Pitt’s Center for Biologic Imaging run by Simon Watkins, Ph.D., a co-author of this study.
 
“Once we revealed this process for halting cancer cell growth by knocking out Drp1, we began looking into existing compounds that might utilize a similar mechanism,” said Dr. Van Houten. “Now that we know affecting mitochondria in this manner inhibits cell growth, we could target drugs to this biological process to treat cancer.”
 
The researchers found a compound called Mdivi-1 that makes cancer cells behave much the way they do when deficient in Drp-1. When used in combination with cisplatin, a drug already used to treat many solid cancers, rapid cell death can be induced in a wide range of cancer cells. This means that Mdivi-1 makes cisplatin work better.
 
Mdivi-1 is being tested in cancer cells in a laboratory setting. Those tests show that, while the compound acts as though it is depriving cancer cells of Drp1, it is actually using a different mechanism.
 
“To me, that’s the serendipity of science, and it’s really exciting,” said Dr. Van Houten, who hopes eventually to move his laboratory tests on Mdivi-1 to clinical trials. “We were on the hunt for a drug that could make cancer cells deficient in Drp1 and, instead, we found a new cancer therapy that seems to work really well.”
 
Additional co-authors include Serah Choi, Gregory A. Gibson, and Christopher J. Bakkenist, Ph.D., all of the University of Pittsburgh.
 
This work was funded in part by a grant with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, PA CURE. It also was supported by funding from NIH grants R01CA148644, P30CA047904, P50CA097190, and P50CA121973.
category: Cancer
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Inaccurate Diagnoses of Melanoma by Smartphone Apps Could Delay Doctor Visits, Life-Saving Treatment

Posted by andrewsj3 on Wednesday, January 16th 2013     
PITTSBURGH, Jan. 16, 2013 – Smartphone applications that claim to evaluate a user’s photographs of skin lesions for the likelihood of cancer instead returned highly variable and often inaccurate feedback, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The findings, published in JAMA Dermatology  and available online today, suggest that relying on these “apps” instead of consulting with a physician may delay the diagnosis of melanoma and timely, life-saving treatment.
 
“Smartphone usage is rapidly increasing, and the applications available to consumers have moved beyond communication and entertainment to everything under the sun, including health care,” said lead researcher Laura Ferris, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. “These tools may help patients be more mindful about their health care and improve communication between themselves and their physicians, but it’s important that users don’t allow their ‘apps’ to take the place of medical advice and physician diagnosis.”
 
In fact, the study found that three out of the four smartphone applications tested incorrectly diagnosed 30 percent or more melanomas as “unconcerning” based on their evaluation of user images.
 
The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the University of Pittsburgh Clinical and Translational Science Institute, reviewed applications available in the two most popular smartphone platforms and found that such tools often are marketed to nonclinical users to help them decide, using a digital image for analysis, whether or not their skin lesions are potential melanomas or otherwise concerning, or if they likely are benign. Researchers uploaded 188 images of skin lesions to each of the four applications, which then analyzed the images in different ways, including automated algorithms and images reviewed by an anonymous board-certified dermatologist. The applications often are available for free or at a very low cost, and are not subject to any regulatory oversight or validation.
 
Only the application that utilized dermatologists for a personal review of user images, essentially functioning as a tool to facilitate teledermatology, provided a high degree of sensitivity in diagnosis – just one of the 53 melanomas was diagnosed as “benign” by the experts reading the images. This application also was the most expensive, costing users $5 per image evaluation. Although the tools included disclaimers stating they were providing information for educational purposes only, researchers noted the risk that patients might rely on the application’s evaluation rather than seek the advice of a medical professional.
 
The likelihood of relying on the application’s free or low-cost evaluation is particularly concerning for the uninsured or economically disadvantaged, especially because a substantial number of melanomas are first detected by patients, noted the study authors. “If they see a concerning lesion but the smartphone app incorrectly judges it to be benign, they may not follow up with a physician,” said Dr. Ferris. “Technologies that decrease the mortality rate by improving self- and early-detection of melanomas would be a welcome addition to dermatology. But we have to make sure patients aren’t being harmed by tools that deliver inaccurate results.”
 
Co-authors of the study include Oleg Akilov, M.D., Timothy Patton, D.O., Joseph C. English III, M.D., Jonhan Ho, M.D., Joel A. Wolf, and Jacqueline Moreau, all of the University of Pittsburgh.
 
The study was funded by NIH grants UL1RR024153 and UL1TR000005.
category: Cancer
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UPMC Brings Most Advanced Radiosurgery to Cancer Patients in Rome

Posted by andrewsj3 on Tuesday, January 15th 2013     
PITTSBURGH, Jan. 15, 2013 – Already known for its world-class transplant care in Italy, UPMC today officially opened the Advanced Radiosurgery Center of Excellence at San Pietro Fatebenefratelli (FBF) Hospital in Rome, where it will offer patients precisely delivered, high-dose radiation to treat the most challenging tumors.
 
The new center, located on the campus of the 500-bed San Pietro FBF Hospital, will be the first to offer stereotactic radiosurgery to cancer patients in Rome and the surrounding region, where this treatment currently is not available.
 
“Starting with the establishment of ISMETT in 1996 to perform transplants in Palermo, UPMC has a long history of working with the Italian government and other partners to bring state-of-the-art health care to the people of Italy,” said Bruno Gridelli, M.D., medical and scientific director of UPMC’s International and Commercial Services Division and of ISMETT. “The creation of this radiosurgery center at San Pietro will give more patients access to innovative and effective treatments close to home.” 
 
Building on its expertise in managing the largest cancer treatment network in the United States, as well as two cancer centers in Ireland, UPMC will manage and operate the facility on the San Pietro campus in the northwest of Rome.
 
“UPMC is a pioneer in using the most advanced radiosurgery to treat patients for cancers in a way that is designed to minimize disabling side effects while maximizing patient survival. With the ‘Novalis powered by TrueBeam STx’ system, one of the most advanced linear accelerators, we can offer the same treatments that have proven so effective for our patients at UPMC CancerCenter in Pittsburgh,” said Dwight E. Heron, M.D., vice chairman of radiation oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. 
 
UPMC was the first to establish a multi-organ transplant program in Sicily. It also was the first to bring intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to Ireland, where it now performs the most radiosurgery treatments annually in that country. These efforts are part of a global footprint that now includes UPMC operations or services in China, Singapore, Kazakhstan and Japan, as well as Italy and Ireland.
 
In addition to ISMETT, a public-private partnership with the Sicilian government, and the UPMC San Pietro FBF Advanced Radiosurgery Center of Excellence, UPMC’s operations in Italy soon will include the management of a new government-funded Biomedical Research and Biotechnology Center (BRBC) near Palermo. Expected to open in 2016, the BRBC will put Italy in the forefront of drug discovery, vaccine development, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, molecular imaging, and computational and structural biology, while serving as a catalyst for economic development throughout the region.
 
“We are pleased to expand our presence in Italy, where our excellent physicians and staff are transforming the way that health care is delivered. By sharing our medical and technological expertise around the world, we are improving the lives of patients while generating revenue that is reinvested into our medical and research mission,” said Charles Bogosta, president of UPMC’s International and Commercial Services Division.
category: Cancer

Pitt Vaccine Triggers Immunity to Prevent Colon Cancer

Posted by andrewsj3 on Monday, January 7th 2013     
PITTSBURGH, Jan. 7, 2013 – A first-of-its-kind vaccine developed by University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) researchers successfully prompted the immune system to respond to early indications of colon cancer in people at high risk for the disease.
 
The results of the first human clinical trials of the preventive colon cancer vaccine are reported in the January issue of the journal Cancer Prevention Research and available online. The research was funded in part by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
 
“This prophylactic colon cancer vaccine boosts the patient’s natural immune surveillance, which potentially could lead to the elimination of premalignant lesions before their progression to cancer,” said Olivera Finn, Ph.D., distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Immunology at Pitt’s School of Medicine, who developed the vaccine. “This might spare patients the risk and inconvenience of repeated invasive surveillance tests, such as colonoscopy, that currently are used to spot and remove precancerous polyps.”
 
Colon cancer takes years to develop and typically starts with a polyp, which is a benign but abnormal growth in the intestinal lining. Polyps that could become cancerous are called adenomas and typically are removed before cancer develops.
 
The study involved people with a previous history of an advanced adenoma, which places them at higher risk for subsequent colorectal cancer.
 
“Around 30 to 40 percent of these patients will develop a new polyp within three years,” said Robert E. Schoen, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine and epidemiology with Pitt’s Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, and clinical leader of the study.  “In this study, we demonstrated the ability of the vaccine to boost immunity. Subsequent trials need to evaluate the vaccine for its ability to lower or prevent polyp recurrence and thus progression to colon cancer.”
 
The Pitt vaccine is directed against an abnormal variant of a self-made cell protein called MUC1, which is altered and produced in excess in advanced adenomas and cancer.  MUC1 also is abnormally present in pancreatic, breast, lung and prostate cancer and will be tested in the future in patients with premalignant lesions leading to some of those cancers. 
 
To date, no vaccine based on cell proteins made by tumors has been tested in humans to prevent cancer. Preclinical models show the vaccine works by targeting the abnormal cells that grow the cancer.
 
The Pitt vaccine was tested in 39 patients ages 40 to 70 without cancer, but with a history of advanced adenomas. It produced a strong protective response in 17 of the patients, or 44 percent. Researchers said the lack of response in the other 22 patients was likely due to already high levels of cells that suppress the immune system’s ability to fight cancer.
 
“This suggests that it might be better to vaccinate people against colon cancer at an even earlier stage, or  vaccinate only people who do not already have suppressed immune systems,” said Dr. Finn, co-leader of UPCI’s immunology program.
 
The patients in the clinical trial received an initial dose of the vaccine and then additional shots two and 10 weeks later. Blood samples were drawn to measure immune response at those time points, as well as 12 weeks, 28 weeks and one year later.  A booster injection was given at one year to confirm the durability of the immune response.
 
The vaccine was well-tolerated and safe. Side-effects included red skin and discomfort at the injection site and flu-like symptoms after the first injection. Safety of the vaccine and its ability to cause an immune response support plans for a larger randomized trial that will examine its efficacy at polyp prevention.   
 
Colorectal cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer death in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates that 2012 will end with 103,170 new cases of colon cancer and 40,290 new cases of rectal cancer. The overall lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer is 1 in 20, and it is expected to cause about 51,690 deaths this year.
 
This study was supported by NCI grant no. P01 CA73743, NIH grant nos. UL1RR024153 and UL1TR000005 and by The Nathan Arenson Fund. The vaccine’s adjuvant component, which enhances the immune system’s ability to respond to the target protein, was developed and provided by Washington, D.C.-based Oncovir Inc.
 
Co-authors include Takashi Kimura, M.D., Ph.D., John R. McKolanis, Ph.D., Lynda A. Dzubinski, R.N., and Kazi Islam, all of Pitt’s School of Medicine; Douglas M. Potter, Ph.D., Pitt Graduate School of Public Health; and Andres M. Salazar, M.D., Oncovir Inc.
category: Cancer
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Pitt Cancer Institute Finds New Targets for Drugs to Defeat Aggressive Brain Tumor

Posted by andrewsj3 on Friday, December 14th 2012     
PITTSBURGH, Dec. 14, 2012 – University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) researchers have identified over 125 genetic components in a chemotherapy-resistant, brain tumor-derived cell line, which could offer new hope for drug treatment to destroy the cancer cells.
 
The results will be reported in the cover story of December’s issue of the journal Molecular Cancer Research, to be published Dec. 18 and currently available online.
 
The potential drug targets were identified after testing more than 5,000 genes derived from glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive brain tumor. The genes were evaluated for their role in responding to the chemotherapy drug temozolomide.
 
“The current standard of care for people with this type of cancer is to remove as much of the tumor as possible, and then treat with radiation and temozolomide,” said lead author David Svilar, Ph.D., a student in the Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. “However, glioblastoma multiforme is highly resistant to this chemotherapy drug, so we need to find better treatments to improve the patient survival rate.”
 
According to the National Cancer Institute, glioblastoma multiforme is the most common type of brain tumor in adults. It accounts for about 15 percent of all brain tumors, and typically occurs in people between the ages of 45 and 70 years.
 
Patients with glioblastoma multiforme usually survive less than 15 months after diagnosis, and there are no effective long-term treatments for the disease.
 
Temozolomide, also known by the brand name Temodar, works by modifying the cancer’s DNA in a way that triggers cell death. It has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in brain tumors and is in clinical trials for other cancers, such as melanoma and leukemia. It is well-tolerated in most patients.
 
“Unfortunately, some cancers – particularly glioblastoma multiforme – are able to repair the DNA damage done to the tumor by Temozolomide before the cancer cells are destroyed,” said senior author Robert W. Sobol, Ph.D., a scientist at UPCI and an associate professor in the departments of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology and Human Genetics. “Clinical trials are underway to test drugs and chemotherapy dosing schedules to inhibit this repair, but none have proven effective to date.”
 
Dr. Sobol and his colleagues identified multiple “druggable” targets that could make the cancer more sensitive to temozolomide, as well as the processes that allow the tumor to survive the onslaught of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.
 
“Our hope is that drug companies will use our findings to develop adjuvant chemotherapy drugs that will vastly improve patient survival from this deadly cancer,” said Dr. Sobol.
 
 
This research was supported by grants from the National Brain Tumor Society and National Institutes of Health (GM087798, CA148629 and ES019498) and a NYSTAR James Watson Award.
 
Co-authors include Madhu Dyavaiah, Ph.D., and Thomas J. Begley, Ph.D., both of the University at Albany; Ashley R. Brown, Jiang-bo Tang, Ph.D., Jianfeng Li, Ph.D., Peter McDonald, Ph.D., Tong Ying Shun, Andrea Braganza, Xiao-hong Wang, Salony Maniar, Claudette M. St Croix, Ph.D., John S. Lazo, Ph.D., and Ian F. Pollack, M.D., all of the University of Pittsburgh.
category: Cancer
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Radioactive ‘Seeds’ Save Time, May Improve Outcomes for Breast Cancer Patients at Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC

Posted by andrewsj3 on Monday, September 24th 2012     
PITTSBURGH, Sept. 24, 2012 – Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC is the first and only hospital in western Pennsylvania to offer radioactive seed localization, an innovation allowing breast tumors that cannot be felt to be precisely located before surgery.
 
The procedure offers greater convenience and may potentially improve outcomes for some breast cancer patients. The seed is a tiny metal capsule containing a small amount of radioactive material which is inserted into the breast using a small-gauge needle and mammographic or sonographic guidance to mark the tumor site.  During surgery, the seed can be detected using a special probe designed to detect the radioactive signature of the seed, allowing the surgeon to choose an incision site strictly based on cosmetic concerns and the location of the tumor. At Magee, the seed can be placed within the week prior to surgery, although most often it is placed shortly before surgery.
 
Without the availability of radioactive seed localization, certain breast cancer surgeries require patients to undergo a procedure called breast needle localization in which a preoperative wire is inserted into the breast to identify the location of the breast lesion. The wire can remain in the breast for several hours and is used to guide the surgeon during the operation later the same day.
 
“From a scheduling perspective, breast needle localization requires the patient to arrive at the hospital well in advance of her surgery, which often causes significant inconvenience for her, especially if an early-morning operation is planned,” said Jules Sumkin, D.O., chief of radiology at Magee. “In addition, the entrance site of the wire through the skin often is not where the surgeon prefers to make an incision when taking tumor location and cosmetic concerns into consideration. Radioactive seed localization solves both issues.”
 
To date, Magee radiologists have performed over 500 radioactive seed localization procedures, making it the most experienced program in the country.
 
“This technology is convenient for the patient, surgeon and the radiologist, and, more importantly, shows promise in improving surgical outcomes,” said Marguerite Bonaventura, M.D., a surgical oncologist with Magee who worked with Dr. Sumkin to bring the technology, which was pioneered at the Mayo Clinic, to Pittsburgh. “Studies suggest radioactive seed localization results in more precise removal of small breast cancers and reduces the need for a second surgery due to incomplete removal of the abnormal tissue.”
category: Cancer
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Pitt Cancer Institute Researchers Say Decoy Shows Promise as Cancer-Fighter in Novel Phase 0 Trial

Posted by andrewsj3 on Friday, August 10th 2012     
PITTSBURGH, August 10, 2012 – A critical protein that had been deemed “undruggable” can be effectively targeted by using a decoy to fool the body into a cancer-fighting response, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. In a report in the August issue of Cancer Discovery, they showed the decoy was successful in a phase 0 study, an uncommon but useful preface to the commencement of standard human trials.
 
Activation and increased signaling of a protein known as Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3) has been identified in many cancers and is associated with poor prognosis, said senior author Jennifer Grandis, M.D., professor of otolaryngology and pharmacology and chemical biology, Pitt School of Medicine, and director of the Head and Neck Program at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI). Transcription factors such as STAT3 regulate the activity, or expression, of other genes; in adult tissues, STAT3 triggers the production of other proteins that promote the growth and survival of cancer cells.
 
“Lab experiments have shown that inhibiting STAT3 activity or function limits the proliferation and survival of a variety of cancer cell lines,” she explained. “But the drugs that have been tested in patients are not selective for STAT3 and haven’t been effective.”
 
So her research team tried an unusual approach: they fooled the STAT3 protein into binding to a harmless decoy that they engineered, rather than the real gene sequence that would have initiated the production of cancer-promoting proteins. Preclinical experiments showed that the strategy was tolerated well and didn’t produce toxic side effects.
 
To further justify clinical development, the team conducted a phase 0 study to see if the decoy would work in humans. First, they took biopsies of head and neck cancers in 30 patients who were having surgery to remove the tumors. At the start of the operation, the tumors were injected with either the decoy or a salt-water placebo. After surgery, about four hours after injection, the cancerous tissue that had been taken out of each patient was biopsied again. Tests were conducted in the specimens to determine the activity of genes regulated by STAT3.
 
“We found reduced expression of the STAT3 target genes in tumors that had been treated with the decoy compared to those that got a placebo injection and to pre-treatment samples,” Dr. Grandis said. “This indicates we were able to selectively inhibit STAT3, which is a significant step forward.”
 
The researchers also developed a version of the decoy that could be injected into the bloodstream, which inhibited tumor growth in a mouse model of head and neck cancer.
 
Co-authors of the paper include researchers from the departments of Otolaryngology, Structural Biology, Bioengineering, Medicine, Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Pathology and Biostatistics at the University of Pittsburgh; Carnegie Mellon University, The Ohio State University; and the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
 
The project was funded by grants GM068566 and CA137260 of the National Institute of General Medical Services, part of the National Institutes of Health, the American Cancer Society and the PNC Foundation. Dr. Grandis receives research support for Bristol-Myers Squibb.
category: Cancer
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Brian J. Druker, M.D., Will Receive Pitt’s Dickson Prize at Science 2012— Translation

Posted by andrewsj3 on Wednesday, August 8th 2012     
PITTSBURGH, Aug. 8, 2012 – An internationally known cancer researcher who developed a drug for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) has been named this year’s recipient of the University of Pittsburgh’s Dickson Prize in Medicine.
 
Brian J. Druker, M.D., will accept the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine’s most prestigious honor during Science 2012—Translation, a showcase of the region’s latest research in science, engineering, medicine, and computation that will be held on Oct. 3 through 5 at Alumni Hall, Oakland. Dr. Druker is director and JELD-WEN chair of leukemia research at the Oregon Health and Science University Knight Cancer Institute and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator.
 
“Dr. Druker’s work revolutionized the development of cancer treatment by showing that an understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of this disease can lead to targeted drug development. This is a powerful example of taking science from the laboratory to the bedside. We are pleased to honor Dr. Druker with the Dickson Prize for his tremendous contribution to medicine,” said Arthur S. Levine, M.D., Pitt’s senior vice chancellor for the health sciences and dean, School of Medicine.
 
On Thursday, Oct. 4, at 11 a.m., Dr. Druker will deliver the Dickson Prize in Medicine Lecture. His talk is titled “Imatinib as a Paradigm of Molecularly Targeted Cancer Therapies.”  Dr. Druker led the development of imatinib, also known as Gleevec, which is approved for use with CML, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, and five other cancers. His current research projects are aimed at learning why a small percentage of CML patients develop resistance to Gleevec and why most patients on the drug have minute levels of cancer that linger, even after successful treatment. His laboratory is also working to identify the molecular defects that drive the growth of other leukemias and to use this information to develop new, targeted treatments to improve the outcomes for patients with these leukemias.
 
Other renowned researchers also will deliver plenary lectures at Science 2012:
 
Provost Lecture, 4 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 4
  • “Sustainable Energy Innovators: Moving Toward a Low-Carbon Future” presented by Miranda A. Schreurs, Ph.D., director of the Environmental Policy Research Centre and professor of comparative politics at the Freie Universität Berlin. Dr. Schreurs specializes in science and politics, and her work focuses on comparative environmental politics and policy in the U.S., Europe, and East Asia. 
Mellon Lecture, 11 a.m., Friday, Oct. 5
  • “Riboswitches: Biology’s Ancient Regulators” presented by Ronald R. Breaker, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at Yale University and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. As a postdoctoral researcher at the Scripps Research Institute, Dr. Breaker pioneered a variety of “test-tube evolution” strategies to isolate novel RNA enzymes and was the first to discover catalytic DNAs or “deoxyribozymes” using this technology. He co-founded Archemix, a biotechnology company that developed engineered RNA sensors and aptamers for therapeutic applications, and cofounded BioRelix, a biotechnology company developing antibiotics that target bacterial riboswitches.
Klaus Hofmann Lecture, 4 p.m., Friday, Oct. 5
  • “Optogenetics: Development and Application” presented by Karl Deisseroth, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor of bioengineering and psychiatry at Stanford University and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute early career scientist. Dr. Deisseroth pioneered the development and application of optogenetics, a technology that uses light to control millisecond-precision activity patterns in genetically defined cell types within the brains of freely moving mammals.
category: Cancer
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UPMC to Assist Kazakhstan in Creating National Center for Cancer Care and Research

Posted by andrewsj3 on Monday, July 9th 2012     
PITTSBURGH, July 9 – Based on its worldwide reputation for advanced cancer treatment and research, UPMC has been selected by Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan to conduct a feasibility study related to the development of a national oncology treatment and research center in that country.
 
Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev in January outlined a bold plan to build the nation’s most advanced oncology treatment and research center for its citizens and those of Eurasia. More than 30,000 new cases of cancer are detected in Kazakhstan annually—with over half of all cancer patients being diagnosed at a late stage.
 
The government-funded National Research Cancer Center, to be managed by Nazarbayev University, is expected to include a 300-400 bed hospital, outpatient care, a research facility and a hotel complex.
 
“The building of a world-class research and treatment center for cancer in Kazakhstan is a top national priority. The partnership with UPMC will hasten and deepen our ability to help so many families in Kazakhstan and Eurasia deal with the challenges of cancer. It is Nazarbayev University’s goal to bring the world’s best treatment to our people,” said Nazarbayev University President Shigeo Katsu.
 
Under a consultative agreement between UPMC and Nazarbayev University, UPMC will assess the types of oncology services needed in Kazakhstan and the feasibility of developing a national cancer center in the capital of Astana. The center will incorporate the tactics used by UPMC to successfully integrate care, research and medical education at UPMC CancerCenter and its more than 35 locations in western Pennsylvania, Ireland and Italy. In partnership with the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI), the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in western Pennsylvania, UPMC CancerCenter accelerates research breakthroughs into clinical practice around the world.
 
“This agreement underscores the excellent reputation that our clinicians and staff have developed worldwide for offering high-quality cancer care through an extensive network of sites, providing easy access to patients,” said Charles Bogosta, president of UPMC CancerCenter and UPMC’s International and Commercial Services Division. “This is a first step in what we hope will be a long and positive relationship with the people and government of Kazakhstan. We look forward to executing a plan that will ensure the highest standards of cancer care, provide access to the most advanced technologies, and serve as a catalyst for ground-breaking research and economic development.”
 
At the same time, he noted, the agreement is part of UPMC’s broader strategy of exchanging scientific expertise and innovation globally to produce better patient outcomes and a stronger health system for all of its patients.
 
Kenneth Alibek, M.D., Ph.D., chairman of the Republican Research Center for Medical Emergency Care, was chosen by the government of Kazakhstan to lead the working group to establish the National Research Cancer Center.
 
The financial terms of UPMC’s agreement with Nazarbayev University were not disclosed.
category: Cancer, UPMC
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