ATLANTA JOINS NATIONAL EFFORT TO RAISE CANCER AWARENESS ON LIVESTRONG DAY MAY 13
(Atlanta, Georgia) — May 5 — On May 13, 2008, there will be so much YELLOW shining in Atlanta that you might think it’s the start of summer. That day has been selected by the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) to shed light on cancer issues at 500 venues around the country.
In Atlanta, Governor Sonny Perdue has proclaimed it LIVESTRONG Day in GEORGIA 2008. Participants will be cancer survivors, health care professionals, cancer researchers, and others touched by cancer. Local organizations participating include Southeastern Gynecologic Oncology (SEGO); the Georgia Cancer Coalition; Piedmont Hospital and Cancer Wellness at Piedmont; WellStar’s Kennestone Cancer Center; Northside Hospital; Camp Sunshine House and the River Room at Post Riverside Town Square. These organizations will educate their communities about cancer and cancer advocacy; serve and eat healthy yellow foods; wear yellow T-shirts to show their support for making cancer a national priority, and offer various cancer wellness events including a survivorship bell ringing ceremony, spin to wellness, and much more. (See attached schedule of events.)
Activities in Atlanta have been organized and will be documented in film thanks to the efforts of ovarian cancer survivor Janet Kempe, who coordinates the “Buddies Program” for Southeastern Gynecologic Oncology. This is her second year of volunteering to organize the local event, and the biggest yet. Volunteering to film the event is Atlanta videographer Tom Burke. Kathy Pollard, Cancer Advocate and Captain of the Atlanta LIVESTRONG Army, is serving as advisor and participating in the event. Brenda Stutzman, three-time cancer survivor and assistant to the LAF Chief Operating Officer will be attending all of Georgia’s filmed LIVESTRONG Day events.
“Georgia supports the efforts of the Lance Armstrong Foundation to focus on cancer prevention, access to screening and care, research, and quality of life for cancer survivors,” says Angie Patterson, a breast cancer survivor and Chief Operating Officer for the Georgia Cancer Coalition. “This day symbolizes the need for survivors and those touched by cancer to unite in support of efforts being made to improve cancer control in Georgia, where cancer remains the second leading cause of death, taking nearly 15,000 lives annually.”
In year’s past, approximately 200 LAF delegates have advocated in Washington, D.C., to demand that our nation’s leaders invest in resources, treatment and services for people affected by cancer and to emphasize the importance of making cancer a national priority. This year the foundation has shifted the focus from legislators and lobbyists to the American people in their local communities.
“We believe that by uniting people in the fight against cancer we will remind our decision-makers that their constituents care about cancer and demand change,” says Janet Kempe.
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MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE INITIATES MASTER’S PROGRAMS IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
(April 15, 2008) Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) is accepting applications for two programs in the medical school’s new Master’s Program in Biomedical Sciences. The MSM board of trustees, during its Spring 2008 meeting, approved the development of the programs — the M.S. in Biomedical Research and M.S. in Biomedical Technology.
MSM already has an active and successful Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences program focused on training leaders in scientific research and education.
The M.S. in Biomedical Research program provides a core-didactic and thesis-based curriculum for college graduates seeking a terminal, thesis-based Master’s degree or considering the pursuit of doctoral degrees in research or the health sciences. The program will allow students to obtain a graduate degree; further explore career options in the biomedical sciences; document their ability to handle graduate-level coursework; and conduct a mentored research project in an area of interest to them. The M.S. in Biomedical Technology program is a non-thesis program for college graduates preparing for, or already engaged in, biomedical technology careers. The classroom curriculum is similar to that of the thesis-based program. Beyond the classroom, students in this program will focus on gaining experience in developing and applying experimental design, and a variety of state-of-the-art methods and instrumentation. A key goal of this program is to enhance the biotechnology workforce serving the expanding state and national academic and corporate research enterprise.
“Job opportunities in academic, government and corporate biomedical sciences have remained strong even in tough economic times,” said Douglas Paulsen, associate dean for graduate studies at Morehouse School of Medicine. “We're excited to offer a new gateway to these opportunities for students from all backgrounds and to help create a biomedical science workforce that better reflects the increasing diversity of the general population.”
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TEST CAN REDUCE RECURRENCE OF BREAST CANCER
ScienceDaily (Feb. 28, 2008) — A new test that examines large sections of the sentinel lymph node for genes expressed by breast cancer could reduce the risk of recurrence and multiple surgeries, doctors say.
The GeneSearch Breast Lymph Node Assay, manufactured by Veridex, L.L.C., a Johnson & Johnson company, is being used at the Medical College of Georgia to examine half of the tissue in the sentinel lymph node, the first place breast cancer typically spreads. The sample represents more than 10 times the amount of tissue examined in traditional biopsies.
And because the test examines the tissue with molecular tools, it is more sensitive, says Dr. Zixuan (Zoe) Wang, molecular biologist and scientific director of MCG’s Georgia Esoteric and Molecular Diagnostic Labs, L.L.C.
“When we look at the tissue with the GeneSearch test, we are looking for excessive amounts of mamoglobin and cytokeratin 19, both genes that are expressed more in breast cancer tissue,” Dr. Wang says. “If those genes are present in excessive amounts, we know the cancer has metastasized.”
Done during a lumpectomy, the GeneSearch test uses molecular diagnostic methods to examine more tissue than traditional sentinel node biopsies, reducing the chance of false negative results, says Dr. Stephen Peiper, chair of the MCG Department of Pathology and Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Clinician and Scientist.
The sentinel node, located in the armpit, filters fluid from the breast.
“During a traditional sentinel node biopsy, a surgeon would remove a node, then the pathologist would cut that section in half and cut that section to a quarter of the original sample size,” Dr. Peiper says. “They then would cut wafer-thin slices from those sections, freeze and stain them, and look for cancer cells under a microscope. This technique, called frozen section, would be done during the lumpectomy surgery. If the tissue is positive for cancer cells, the surgeon removes more nodes from the patient, but if it is negative, the surgery is over.”
The problem with that type of test, he says, can come when pathologists review more tissue slices during a confirmatory second test, called a permanent section and done a day later.
Permanent section tests are done the day after surgery because the tissue is set with a fixative that causes proteins in cells to harden for better examination.
“The cancer cells may not have been present in the part of the node that we looked at the day before in the frozen section,” Dr. Peiper says. “But on the second day, we may find them in the other section. We perform both the traditional test and the new GeneSearch molecular test in parallel to provide the best care for our patients.”
The larger the sample, he says, the better the chance of catching the cancer during the intraoperative test.
“If there are small amounts of cancer cells in the whole node, we may or may not see those with the traditional tests, because we only examine a small section of tissue,” he says. “With this technology, we increase the chance of detecting them.”
Nearly 20 percent of women with negative nodes confirmed by a traditional biopsy end up having a recurrence and metastasis, Dr. Peiper says.
“There is a higher false-negative rate with traditional sentinel node biopsies,” says Dr. Scott Lind, professor and chief of the MCG Section of Surgical Oncology. “If that happens, the patient has to come back in for another surgery to take out more lymph nodes that have likely harbored the breast cancer cells.”
In clinical trials, the new test correctly identified more than 95 percent of patients whose cancer had spread to their lymph nodes, according to Veridex, L.L.C.
"This will help us provide better care to patients and better overall treatment,” Dr. Lind says.
Adapted from materials provided by Medical College of Georgia.
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AJC STORY: STATE PUTS LITTLE INTO SMOKING CESSATION EFFORTS
By ALISON YOUNG
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
2/08/08: Georgia receives about $150 million a year from the 1998 tobacco manufacturers' settlement with the states. It spends just 2 percent of it on programs to prevent residents from smoking or to help them quit.
By spending just a small fraction of what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends for tobacco control programs, the state has 214,000 more smokers than it might otherwise, according to new research.
"Throwing money doesn't solve problems, but investing in effective programs can," said Terry Pechacek, associate director for science at CDC's Office on Smoking and Health and a co-author of the study. "We have the ability now to end this epidemic. It is a matter of political will and social commitment."
Scientists at the Atlanta-based CDC and RTI International, a North Carolina research group, have found that there is strong and direct relationship between the amount of money states have spent on tobacco-control programs and how rapid a decline they've had in adult smoking rates.
Previous research has found that increasing the cost of cigarettes through state taxes reduces smoking. But the new study, published in the February issue of the American Journal of Public Health, found declines in smoking were directly related to the amount of funding given to tobacco-control programs — separate from cigarette prices.
Based on evidence of effectiveness, the CDC has for years recommended a variety of actions states should be taking. They include media campaigns designed to counter the effects of tobacco company marketing, expanding programs that help people get smoking-cessation counseling, eliminating cost barriers to treatment for tobacco use, and working with community organizations, schools, offices and places of worship to influence people's attitudes toward tobacco.
In Georgia, most of the $2.6 million the state spends on tobacco control goes to school anti-smoking programs and for a telephone counseling hotline to help smokers quit.
If all states had funded their programs at the minimal levels recommended by CDC, the researchers estimate there would have been 2.2 million fewer smokers nationwide. Researchers estimate funding at the optimal level would have resulted in 7.1 million fewer smokers by 2003.
In Georgia, the minimal and optimal levels would have translated into between 68,264 and 214,054 fewer smokers. About 20 percent of Georgians smoke, similar to the national average, CDC data show.
Yet despite the financial windfall from the 1998 master settlement with tobacco manufacturers — which will give states $206 billion over 25 years —few states are funding tobacco-control programs at even the minimal levels recommended by the CDC. As states have faced budget crises, they've increasingly turned to the tobacco funds to pay for other needs.
For fiscal year 2008, which ends June 30, Georgia has received $148.3 million in settlement funds. Just 2 percent went for smoking cessation and prevention. About 45 percent of the money went to general health care expenses, such as Medicaid hospital costs and mental retardation programs. Less than one-quarter of the money was spent on general cancer research, screening and treatment. And 32 percent went for rural economic development programs, budget documents show.
To effectively reduce rates of smoking and tobacco use, the CDC recommends that Georgia spend a minimum $42.6 million, and optimally spend $114.3 million this year.
Instead Georgia will spend only $2.6 million. Six years ago, Georgia spent $26.5 million of the settlement money on smoking-prevention programs.
One program that's taken a major hit has been the state's Tobacco Quit Line (1-877-270-STOP), a free, personalized counseling service that helps smokers quit.
Research has shown that such programs increase quit rates by 56 percent compared with smokers who try to quit on their own.
Dr. Stuart Brown, director of the Georgia Division of Public Health, said there is no longer any money to run media campaigns
about the dangers of smoking and direct smokers to the Quit Line.
In 2002, the line received nearly 23,000 calls. Last year, it got just 3,595, the division's records show.
"The media buys that drove people to the Quit Line have essentially gone away, and as a result, we're getting many fewer calls now than we did," Brown said.
Brown said his division requested an additional $5.6 million, for a total of $8.2 million in funding this year. He said the additional funds would have gone to promote the Quit Line and provide services to the increased callers they would get, as well as to add some nicotine replacement therapies to the program. But Gov. Sonny Perdue did not include the additional money in his budget proposal, and funding remained at $2.6 million.
Still, Brown said state health officials are working to maximize the funds they have, working through schools and substance-abuse programs to reduce smoking as part of a comprehensive approach to promoting health and reducing risky behaviors.
Bert Brantley, Perdue's spokesman, said that the governor has to balance many financial needs in the state when making budget decisions. He said Perdue has focused on spending the tobacco settlement money on three main areas: health care, cancer research and bolstering rural economic development.
"There's a balance in the spending you see in those priorities," Brantley said.
But some advocates question how little of the settlement money goes to prevent and stop smoking — the leading preventable cause of premature death.
"I believe people wanted this money to go for tobacco-use prevention. And most people think that it is — but it's not," said June Deen, vice president of public affairs for the American Lung Association of Georgia. "It's a missed opportunity."
The Georgia Tobacco Quit Line is a free service for Georgians age 13 and older that provides a trained counselor to help tailor an individual quit process for each person. Call 1-877-270-STOP. Help in Spanish is available at 1-877-2NO-FUME; and for the hearing impaired at 1-877-777-6534.
The Quit Line is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. until midnight. It's closed Sundays.
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CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY’S CENTER FOR CANCER RESEARCH AND THERAPEUTIC DEVELOPMENT RECEIVES $ 6.5 MILLION FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH FOR PR
ATLANTA (October 4, 2007) – Clark Atlanta University today announced that the Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development (CCRTD) at CAU was awarded a $6.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD), to establish a Center of Excellence
for Prostate Cancer Research, Education and Community Services.
The grant will support research, training and community outreach activities at CAU as they relate to prostate cancer in the African-American community. The funds will support three individual research projects and six pilot projects in the area of cell and molecular biology of prostate cancer. Funding will also be available to support scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students in the area of prostate cancer.
“In addition to outreach and research projects, the new center will provide initial funding to develop a community education component in prostate cancer and will establish a community-based educational program for raising awareness on prevention, screening, early detection and treatment of prostate cancer,” said CCRTD Director and GRA Eminent Scholar, Dr. Shafiq A. Khan. Dr. Khan will serve as principal investigator on the grant and serve as the director of the new center. “This grant will greatly support CCRTD’s mission and long history of carrying out productive basic research in cancer cell biology and offers continuous contributions to the development of successful therapeutic strategies to combat cancer.”
“I am most pleased that CAU’s Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development’s reputation as a resource for strategies to combat a disease that disproportionately affects African-American men, has been recognized with a major grant from an organization with the prominence of the National Institutes of Health,” said Dr. Walter D. Broadnax, president of Clark Atlanta University.
“This grant will serve to support CCRTD in fulfilling its vision of becoming one of the best cancer research centers in the world by conducting leading-edge research, advancing human knowledge, training and developing scientists and developing community outreach programs that will impact the treatment of a disease that disproportionately affects African-American men.”
The activities associated with the grant will be executed in collaboration with Clark Atlanta University‘s Whitney M. Young, Jr. School of Social Work, Division of Communication Arts and Midtown Urology Educational Foundation.
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among American men after skin cancer, and the incidence of prostate cancer among African Americans is the highest in the world. More than twice as many African-American men die of this disease when compared with Caucasian men. The onset of the disease in African- American men also occurs at an earlier age, and they usually develop more aggressive forms of prostate cancers. The reasons for this racial disparity in incidence and mortality in African-American men are not entirely clear but may involve both biological (genetic) and environmental reasons, such as differences in diets, lifestyle and socioeconomic background.
Established in 1999, the Clark Atlanta University Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development (CCRTD) was established with the help of a grant from RCMI (Research Centers in Minority Institutions) Program at NIH/NCRR.
About Clark Atlanta University
Clark Atlanta University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia, 30033-4097: Telephone 404-679-4501) to award the Bachelor's, Master's, Specialist and Doctor's Degrees. The Carnegie Classification lists CAU as a Research University - High Research Activity. National business and consumer publications rank Clark Atlanta high among the best buys in American higher education.
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LUNG CANCER CELLS' SURVIVAL GENE SEEN AS DRUG TARGET
ATLANTA--One of the deadliest forms of cancer appears to carry a specific weakness. When a key gene called 14-3-3zeta is silenced, lung cancer cells can't survive
on their own, researchers have found.
The gene is a potential target for selective anti-cancer drugs, says Haian Fu, PhD, professor of pharmacology and of hematology and oncology at Emory
University School of Medicine and Emory Winship Cancer Institute.
The research results were published on line Dec. 27, 2007 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and are scheduled for publication in the
Jan. 8, 2008 print issue. The paper's first author is Zenggang Li, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Fu's laboratory.
Lung cancer kills more Americans annually than any other type of malignancy, according to the National Cancer Institute. Yet teatment options are very
limited, Dr. Fu says.
"The recent trend towards targeted therapies requires us to understand the altered signaling pathways in the cell that allow cancer to develop," he says.
"If you think about genes that are dysregulated in cancer as drivers or passengers, we want to find the drivers and then, aim for these drivers during drug discovery."
Dr. Fu and his collaborator, Fadlo Khuri, MD, deputy director of clinical and translational research at Emory Winship Cancer Institute, chose to focus on the
> gene 14-3-3zeta because it is activated in many lung tumors. In addition, recent research elsewhere shows that survival of lung cancer patients is worse if the gene is on overdrive in their tumors, Dr. Fu says.
The 14-3-3 genes are found in mammals, plants and fungi. In the human body, they come in seven varieties, each given a Greek letter. Scientists describe the
proteins they encode as adaptors that clamp onto other proteins. The clamping function depends on whether the target protein is phosphorylated, a chemical
switch that regulates processes such as cell division, growth or death.
> "We knew that 14-3-3 is important in controlling EGFR (epidermal growth factor
receptor) signaling, which is a main pathway driving lung cancer," Dr. Fu says.
In the PNAS study, the authors used a technique called RNA interference to
selectively silence the 14-3-3zeta gene. They found that when 14-3-3zeta is turned off, lung cancer cells become less able to form new tumor colonies in a laboratory test.
One of the most important properties of cancer cells is their ability to grow and survive without touching other cells or the polymers that connect them.
While the authors found that the cells with 14-3-3 zeta turned off do not grow more slowly, the cells are vulnerable to anoikis (Greek for homelessness), a
form of cell death that happens when non-cancerous cells that are accustomed to growing in layers find themselves alone.
Further experiments showed that 14-3-3zeta regulates a set of proteins called the Bcl2 family that control programmed cell death, and its absence upsets the
balance within the family.
"You can see how control of anoikis means 14-3-3zeta could play a critical role in cancer invasion and metastasis," Dr. Fu says. "The mechanistic question we
still haven't answered is: what makes zeta unique so that it canŐt be replaced by the others."
The finding has implications beyond lung cancer, in that 14-3-3zeta is also activated in other forms of cancer such as breast and oral, he notes.
"Dr. Fu and his team's findings unmask the role of 14-3-3 zeta in the survival advantage of lung cancer cells and their dependence on it," Dr. Khuri says.
"Targeting this critical molecule could lead to meaningful therapeutic progress."
Since 14-3-3zeta was identified as a promising target for drugs, Dr. Fu and his co-workers are making use of a robot-driven screening program at the Emory
Chemical Biology Discovery Center to sort through thousands of chemicals that may disrupt its interactions specifically.
They hope to identify these compounds rapidly and move them from bench into clinic testing to benefit patients.
Other authors were Jing Zhao, Yuhong Du and Hae Ryoun Park, all in Emory's Department of Pharmacology. Additional contributions came from Shi-Yong Sun and Leon Bernal-Mizrachi at Emory Winship Cancer Institute and Alastair Aitken from the University of Edinburgh.
The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, Emory's University Research Committee, Golfers against Cancer, the Georgia Cancer Coalition and the Georgia Research Alliance.
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MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE CANCER RESEARCHER WINS DOD AWARD
Dec. 19, 2007 ATLANTA — E. Shyam P. Reddy, Ph.D., professor and co-director, Cancer Biology Program, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), Georgia Cancer Center for Excellence (GCCE) at Grady Health System and Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Scholar has received a $500,000 grant from the Department of Defense (DOD) to continue his groundbreaking work on prostate cancer. (Function based Therapeutic Strategies to Human Prostate Cancer, $532,000, 2008-2011).
The Erg gene identified by Reddy and his wife — noted MSM cancer researcher Veena Rao, Ph.D., also a Coalition Distinguished Scholar — is involved in the majority (60 to80 percent) of prostate cancers. Reddy and his MSM colleagues Rao, Roland Mathews, M.D. (another Coalition Distinguished Scholar), Yasuo Fujimura, Ph.D., Shubha Kayarthodi, M.S., and graduate student Wendell Fortson, developed a test to identify small molecules that interfere with the function of the Erg gene product. They identified two small molecules that inhibit the function of the Erg protein. These molecules were found to be anticancerous agents against prostate cancer. These agents do not have any major effect on normal cells — suggesting that the molecules function as targeted therapeutic agents. Reddy said he believes the molecules may have a great future as therapeutic agents targeted against prostate and other cancers.
Reddy’s pioneering work was recently recognized and awarded this three-year grant to take these drugs to the next level.
“This award is a great certification of our novel targeted drugs that are effective on prostate cancer cells. The award will lead us to more drugs targeted against prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, triple negative breast cancers, ovarian cancers and colorectal cancers. With this DOD grant, we are confident that we can win the war against a variety of cancers,” says Reddy.
Reddy and Rao also have identified several other novel drugs that function as targeted therapeutic agents.
“I am grateful for the Georgia Cancer Coalition’s support and encouragement, without which I would not have discovered these new drugs,” states Reddy.
Reddy, Rao and Mathews’ laboratories are located in the satellite site of MSM at the Georgia Cancer Center for Excellence at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. This research is partly supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health NIH) RO1, MSM/UABU56/U54, as well as the Distinguished Cancer Scholar Award given to Reddy.
“We have found that some of our drugs are effective on Breast cancer (including triple negative cancers), pancreatic cancers, colorectal cancers, Ewing sarcoma and malignant melanoma of soft parts.. Two other drugs for pancreatic cancer were also tested in a pilot project at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Pancreatic Spore-funded center. No effective drugs are available to treat pancreatic cancer patients at this time. Therefore,our novel drugs have great potential in the future treatment of these cancers,” says Reddy.
“The Distinguished Cancer Clinicians and Scientists program is the cornerstone of the Georgia Cancer Coalition’s research agenda. We select nationally renowned cancer clinicians and scientists, like Dr. Reddy, whose discoveries hold promise for making significant progress against cancer. Our investment is maximized when scientists can bring additional grant funding to their university and our state. We believe that such research talent plays an important role in making Georgia a national leader in cancer research,” says Bill Todd, President and CEO of the Georgia Cancer Coalition.
Reddy and Rao are co-directors of the Cancer Biology Program in the OB/GYN department at MSM at the Georgia Cancer Center for Excellence at Grady. Mathews is the chairman of the OB/GYN department at MSM.
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CANCER GROUP MEETS WITH GINGREY
12/18/07 by Bryant Steele, Rome News-Tribune Business Editor
The Georgia Cancer Coalition briefed U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey on its statewide initiatives to treat, cure and prevent cancer at a meeting Monday morning at Harbin Clinic in Rome.
“We wanted Congressman Gingrey to understand what we’re doing throughout the state and especially Rome,” said Dr. Ken Davis, president and chief executive officer of Harbin Clinic.
Programs highlighted at Monday’s presentation included the Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education (Georgia Core), the Georgia Cancer Quality Exchange and the National Cancer Institute Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP).
The coalition recognizes that Gingrey is receptive to learning about its efforts because he was a practicing obstetrician and gynecologist for 26 years.
“Every family in this state has been touched in some way by cancer,” said Gingrey, R-Marietta.
“I commend Harbin Clinic and the Georgia Cancer Coalition for taking the lead in cancer research and treatment — not only to improve the health of Georgia’s citizens, but the health of our nation as a whole.
“Programs such as the Georgia CORE will help establish our state as a national center for cancer research and one of the premiere locations for cancer care.”
“The coalition has strong partners in Rome who are committed to improving cancer care through innovations in quality, research and technology. Together we are working to attract public and private investments to enable us to make these opportunities available not only in Northwest Georgia but across the state,” said Bill Todd, president and chief executive officer of the Georgia Cancer Coalition.
The Georgia Cancer Coalition is an independent, not-for-profit organization that unites government agencies, academic institutions, civic groups, corporations and health-care organizations in a concerted effort to strengthen cancer prevention, research and treatment in Georgia, with the ultimate goal of making Georgia one of the nation’s premier states for cancer care.
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EMORY RESEARCHERS IDENTIFY SIGNALING PROTEIN FOR MULTIPLE MYELOMA;
(ATLANTA) Sept. 20, 2007: Researchers at Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute are the first to discover a mechanism that plays a critical role in the multiple myeloma cell cycle and survival. Their research may result in identification of a new therapeutic target for treating multiple myeloma.
The results of the study appear in the September issue of Cancer Cell. Jing Chen, PhD, assistant professor of hematology and oncology at Emory Winship and a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Scholar, is senior author on the paper. Sumin Kang, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at Emory Winship, is the paper's first author.
Multiple Myeloma is among the most common hematologic malignancies in patients over 65. About15 percent of multiple myeloma patients harbor a genetic abnormality called “t(4;14) chromosomal translocation” that causes over-expression of a tyrosine kinase called fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3).
Tyrosine kinases are molecules that act as biological switches inside cells, regulating processes including cell division and growth. Abnormal kinases have been identified as a driving force in many forms of cancer.
“We are interested in how FGFR3 mediates transforming signals,” says Dr. Chen. “We wanted to know which protein factors in cells are activated by FGFR3 and then transform normal cells to highly malignant cells. We identified Ribosomal S6 kinase 2 (RSK2), which is a protein factor that mediates signaling in cells as critical in downstream signaling of FGFR3 in myeloma cells.”
Dr. Chen and his colleagues are the first to discover a mechanism to “turn-on” RSK2 by FGFR3. FGFR3 impacts downstream proteins through phosphorylation at special “tyrosine” sites.
“We found that FGFR3 directly phosphorylates RSK2, which is a critical step in the process to activate (turn-on) RSK2,” says Dr. Chen.
The researchers observed that elimination of RSK2 proteins or shutting down RSK2 activity blocks FGFR3 transformation signaling in myeloma cells. This means FGFR3 requires RSK2 to transform normal cells.
“This is a beautiful model,” says Dr. Chen. “We are able to mark the connection between the oncogenic FGFR3 and its downstream protein kinase RSK2, which plays a critical role in regulation of cell cycle and survival. These findings extend our understanding of pathogenesis of multiple myeloma in a signaling basis.”
Collaborators on the project include Roberto Polakiewicz, PhD, and Ting-Lei Gu, PhD, both of Cell Signaling Technologies (CST), developers of the “PhosphoScan” technology, which enables investigators to identify hundreds to thousands of phosphorylated sequences and observe the global state of protein tyrosine phosphorylation in cells and tissues.
“Using this technology,” says Dr. Chen, “we identified RSK2 as a critical downstream signaling protein effector of FGFR3 in myeloma cells.” Other authors include researchers from the University of California at San Francisco, Harvard Medical School, Mayo Clinic and Novartis Pharma AG.
Dr. Chen and his colleagues also tested a drug called fmk that was designed by co-author Jack Taunton, PhD, at UCSF to specifically target RSK2 in treatment of human malignant myeloma cells from laboratory culture or primary samples from multiple myeloma patients, and saw that fmk effectively kills t(4;14) myeloma cells with abnormal over-expression of FGFR3.
“This study shows the potential utility of drugs that block the downstream effectors of mutant tyrosine kinases, and that these drugs are opening more doors to treating hematologic malignancies and cancers," explains Dr. Chen. In addition to the t(4;14) in multiple myeloma that is caused by abnormal over-expression of FGFR3, abnormality of FGFR3 has also been identified in human bladder and cervical cancers. The findings suggest, the authors write, that targeting RSK2 with RSK inhibitors such as fmk may be effective in treating t(4;14) multiple myeloma, as well as other diseases and cancers where mutant FGFR3 is the culprit.
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SANTORO RECIPIENT OF OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE AWARD
(ROME, GA) James Santoro, M.D., a Harbin Clinic Radiation Oncologist, has been selected as a recipient of the 2006 Cancer Liaison Physician Outstanding Performance Award given by the Commission on Cancer, a multidisciplinary program of the American College of Surgeons.
Dr. Santoro is one of 55 physicians nationwide to receive this award. The Cancer Liaison Physician Outstanding Performance Award recognizes those who provide extensive leadership and direction to the local Commission on Cancer approved cancer program.
Dr. Santoro was nominated for excellence in improving the quality of care delivered at his facility; contributing to the approval status of the cancer program; demonstrating cancer control leadership in the community; and serving as a champion and role model for other staff.
Dr. Santoro received his medical doctorate degree from the University of Bologna in Italy. He completed a residency at SUNY Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, NY and Mallinkrodt Institute of Radiology at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. Dr. Santoro completed a Research Fellowship at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, MA.
Dr. Santoro joined Harbin Clinic in 2005 and his office is located at Harbin Clinic Radiation Oncology, 321 W. Fifth St. in Rome. He is a member of the American Medical Association; American Society of Clinical Oncology; American Society of Therapeutic Oncology; and Tri-County Medical Society.
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EMORY WINSHIP CANCER INSTITUTE EARNS $12.5 MILLION GRANT
The National Cancer Institute has awarded a five-year, $12.5 million Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant in head and neck cancer to Emory University's Winship Cancer Institute. This is the first SPORE grant ever received in the state of Georgia.
SPORE grants are large, multidisciplinary federal grants that fund scientific research aimed at bringing new laboratory findings quickly to the clinic. They are highly competitive grants and are sought after by the most prestigious research and medical facilities across the country.
With an expected 40,000 new cases and 11,500 deaths in 2007, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck accounts for four percent to five percent of all newly diagnosed cancers in the U.S. When the more than two-thirds of head and neck cancer patients first receive a diagnosis it is considered a locally advanced disease, which has a poor five-year survival rate after treatment with surgery, radiation or chemotherapy. According to recent National Cancer Institute statistics, southeastern states rank among the highest in the nation in head and neck cancer incidence.
"Head and neck cancer can be a devastating disease," says Dong Moon Shin, MD, professor of hematology and oncology at Emory Winship and principal investigator of the grant. "Our focus on this grant is to facilitate, critically review and rapidly move new discoveries to patients. Our goal is to decrease the morbidity, suffering, disability and death caused by this disease.
"Because of the large number of aging smokers and ex-smokers in the U.S. population, the incidence of aerodigestive cancers, including lung cancer and head and neck cancers, will remain high for the next two-to-three decades despite the overall decline in smoking," says Dr. Shin, a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Scholar.
"This is an extremely important grant for Emory University and for Georgia," says Brian Leyland-Jones, MD, PhD, director of the Emory Winship and a GRA Eminent Scholar. "This SPORE grant is a testament to Emory Winship's position as a national leader in research and patient care, particularly in aerodigestive tract cancers. It is also important to note that Dr. Shin's grant received the highest score out of seven applicants."
There are only four other head and neck cancer SPORE grants in the U.S.: University of Texas MD Anderson, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins.
"The SPORE grant earned by Dr. Shin and his colleagues is an important milestone for scientific research at Emory University," says Michael Johns, MD, executive vice president of health affairs at Emory University and a head and neck cancer surgeon. "The National Cancer Institute continues to recognize the important work conducted at Emory Winship through awards such as this grant. Last year, Emory Winship earned a $7.9 million federal grant in lung cancer research."
The Emory Winship SPORE program will consist of four major translational research projects, which will test hypotheses about biology, prevention and novel therapies driven by molecular science and nanotechnology. The four main projects are:
Chemoprevention with Green Tea Polyphenon: Investigators will use a combination of green tea Polyphenon E, a chemical substance found i n plants, and Erlotinib (Tarceva), a growth factor inhibitor, to prevent advanced premalignant lesions of the head and neck. Preliminary studies show that the combination of the polyphenol, extracted from green tea, and Erlotinib together inhibits growth of SCCHN both in the laboratory and in animal models.
Targeting Death Receptors-Mediated Apoptosis for Head and Neck Cancers: Researchers will work to develop therapies aimed at blocking cellular pathways that allow metastatic cancer cells to proliferate.
Development of Novel Curcumin Analogs for the Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer: Curcumin is a principal ingredient in the Indian curry spice Tumeric. Curcumin has shown anti-cancer activitiy in earlier studies. While its anticancer effects are limited, curcumin does exhibit an ability to induce apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells without affecting healthy cells. In this project, a group of Emory researchers has modified the chemical structure of curcumin and tested its anti-cancer activity in the laboratory. "The analog we developed appears to be more potent than the original curcumin compound," says Shin. "This is very exciting because it was developed here at Emory by our own researchers." The project will test the anti-cancer effectiveness of the new analog in head and neck cancer cell lines. Eventually, researchers will develop a clinical trial to test its effectiveness.
Biodegradable Nanoparticle Formulated Taxol for Targeted Therapy of Head and Neck Cancer: Emory Winship and Georgia Tech investigators will work to develop a new class of biodegradable nanoparticles, which will be designed to carry the chemotherapy drug Taxol for targeted therapy of head and neck cancers. "One of the most important areas of nanotechnology research is development of new cancer drug delivery systems," says Shin. "Nanotechnology drug delivery techniques can potentially overcome current, non-specific drug delivery, in which the anti-cancer agents are delivered not only to cancer cells but to normal cells as well, causing unwanted side-effects."
Fadlo Khuri, MD, deputy director for translational research at Emory Winship and co-prinicpal investigator of the grant, says, "Emory investigators will work as a team and will collaborate with investigators from Head and Neck Cancer SPORES at other institutions. We earned this grant thanks to the exceptional science that will be conducted here; however, it's important to note that the NCI places great value on the strong commitment of support including space, recruitment, shared resources and matching funds from the Emory University School of Medicine, Emory's Woodruff Health Sciences Center, the Georgia Cancer Coalition and the Georgia Research Alliance. This grant truly represents a team effort." Khuri is a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Scholar.
About Specialized Programs of Research Excellence: SPORE grants were established in 1992 to support translational research, which are studies that apply the lessons of the laboratory to patients and, conversely, use what is learned from patients to advance study of a disease. For more information, log onto the National Cancer Institute website at www.spores.nih.nci.gov
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NEW INITIATIVE TO STUDY THE GLYCOBIOLOGY OF CANCER COULD AID UNDERSTANDING OF CANCER RISK AND DETECTION: UGA AMONG PROJECTS FUNDED
(August 21): The National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is funding a new $15.5 million, five-year initiative to discover, develop, and clinically validate cancer biomarkers by targeting the carbohydrate (glycan) part of a molecule. Biomarkers are substances sometimes found in the blood, other body fluids, or tissues that measure biological processes, and in addition to genes and proteins, can be complex carbohydrate (sugar) structures that are attached to protein and lipid (fat) molecules.
Seven NCI-funded Tumor Glycome Laboratories are now searching for glycan-based biomarkers for melanoma, and breast, ovarian, lung, prostate, colon, and pancreatic cancers.
"Scientists have long recognized that certain sugar structures, which are attached to protein and lipid molecules, may be important as markers for cancer development," said NCI Director John E. Niederhuber, M.D.
"While this area has compelling scientific interest, its biological and chemical complexities have often discouraged investigation. Today, with the advent of advanced technologies to conduct protein and carbohydrate chemistry, research into this intriguing area has experienced renewed interest."
Numerous studies comparing normal and tumor cells have shown that changes in the glycan structures of cells correlate with cancer development. Glycans are extremely abundant, but recent advances in technology have only now allowed a systematic study of these structures. Many protein biomarkers also have glycan components and analysis of these two molecular structures together may improve the value of tests such as those for prostate-specific antigen (PSA), CA-125, and carcinoembryonic antigen, which are sometimes used in prostate, ovarian, and colon cancer detection, respectively.
The NCI's Tumor Glycome Laboratories are the principle component of the new trans-NIH Alliance of Glycobiologists for Detection of Cancer and Cancer Risk. The other components of the alliance are the Consortium for Functional Glycomics funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and several Glycomics and Glycotechnology Resource Centers supported by the National Center for Research Resources. The NCI's Early Detection Research Network (EDRN) is also an alliance member, providing support for design and statistical analysis, patient accrual, and collection of clinical specimens to facilitate validation studies using EDRN's existing components.
"Looking at different types of biomarkers and new ways to identify them is critically important to both the basic understanding of cancer and the ability to identify early cancer and risk for cancer," said Sudhir Srivastava, Ph.D., chief of the Biomarkers Research Group in NCI's Division of Cancer Prevention. "We believe this new Alliance of Glycobiologists will accelerate the pace of biomarker development and discovery." The project is headed by Karl Krueger, Ph.D., a program director in the Biomarkers Research Group in NCI's Division of Cancer Prevention.
The seven Tumor Glycome Laboratories projects funded by NCI are:
PROJECT TITLE: Discovery And Clinical Validation Of Cancer Biomarkers Using Printed Glycan Array
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR:
Margaret Huflejt, Ph.D.
INSTITUTION: Cellexicon, Inc., La Jolla, Calif.
OBJECTIVES OF PROJECT: Determine the diagnostic or prognostic anti-glycan auto-antibody signatures in patients. For breast cancer, determine how many years prior to diagnosis that progression to cancer can be predicted.
CANCER TYPE UNDER STUDY: Breast, Ovary, Lung, Melanoma
PROJECT TITLE: Immunogenic Sugar Moieties Of Prostate Cancers PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Denong Wang, M.D., Ph.D.
INSTITUTION: Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif.
OBJECTIVES OF PROJECT: Identify anti-glycan autoantibody signatures in prostate cancer patients.
CANCER TYPE UNDER STUDY: Prostate
PROJECT TITLE: Early Cancer Detection And Prognosis Through Glycomics PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Milos Novotny, Ph.D.
INSTITUTION: Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind.
OBJECTIVES OF PROJECT: Identify biomarkers from glycans released from serum glycoproteins and develop high-throughput platforms to measure biomarkers suitable for the clinic.
CANCER TYPE UNDER STUDY: Prostate, Ovary, Lung, Colon
PROJECT TITLE: Glycan Markers For The Early Detection Of Breast Cancer PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: William Hancock, Ph.D., Sc.D.
INSTITUTION: Northeastern University, Boston, Mass.
OBJECTIVES OF PROJECT: Identify breast cancer biomarkers based on aberrant glycan modifications on defined amino acid residues of serum glycoproteins CANCER TYPE UNDER STUDY: Breast
PROJECT TITLE: Tumor Glycomics Laboratory For Discovery Of Pancreatic Cancer Markers PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: J. Michael Pierce, Ph.D.
INSTITUTION: University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.
OBJECTIVES OF PROJECT: Identify glycoprotein and glycolipid biomarkers for pancreatic cancer in pancreatic ductal fluid that can also be found in serum. Develop assays for promising biomarkers.
CANCER TYPE UNDER STUDY: Pancreas
PROJECT TITLE: Autoantibodies Against Glycopeptide Epitopes As Serum Biomarkers Of Cancer PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Michael Hollingsworth, Ph.D.
INSTITUTION: University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb.
OBJECTIVES OF PROJECT: Determine auto-antibody signatures to mucin glycopeptides in pancreatic and breast cancer patients.
Cancer Type Under Study: Pancreas, Breast
PROJECT TITLE: Neu5gc And Anti-Neu5gc Antibodies For Detection Of Cancer And Cancer Risk PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Ajit Varki, M.D.
INSTITUTION: University of California San Diego, San Diego, Calif.
OBJECTIVES OF PROJECT: Expand on research showing that cancer patients express cell surface glycans containing the sialic acid N-glycolylneuraminic Acid (Neu5Gc) and produce autoantibodies to these structures.
Cancer Type Under Study: Lung, Pancreas, Ovary
For more information on the Tumor Glycome Laboratories and the NIH Alliance of Glycobiologists for Detection of Cancer and Cancer risk, visit:
-- The NCI's Division of Cancer Prevention website at:
-- The National Institute of General Medical Sciences Consortium for Functional Glycomics at , and
-- The National Center for Research Resources' Glycomics and Glycotechnology Research Centers at .
For more information about cancer, visit the NCI Web site at or call NCI's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- The Nation's Medical Research Agency -- includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit .
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NCI LAUNCHES A PILOT OF ITS COMMUNITY CANCER CENTERS PROGRAM
Atlanta, Georgia- July 14,2007 - Georgia is one of only 14 states in the country where community hospitals have been named by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to participate in a three-year pilot for the NCI Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP).
The state is proud to announce that St. Joseph’s / Candler in Savannah, Georgia, is one of the 14 sites named today by the NCI to participate in this pilot program.
St. Joseph’s / Candler’s oncology program, the Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion( LCRP), will participate in the pilot phase of a new program that, if fully implemented, will help bring state-of-the-art cancer care to patients in community hospitals across the United States.
The program is designed to encourage the collaboration of private-practice medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists -- with close links to NCI research and to the network of 63 NCI-designated Cancer Centers principally based at large research universities.
Evidence from a wide range of studies suggests that cancer patients diagnosed and treated in such a setting of multi-specialty care and clinical research may live longer and have a better quality of life.
The pilot program will research new and enhanced ways to assist, educate, and better treat the needs of underserved populations—including elderly, rural, inner-city, and low-income patients—as well as racial and ethnic groups with unusually high cancer rates.
The proposal brought forth by St. Joseph’s/Candler’s LCRP included collaborations with the Georgia Cancer Coalition (GCC), a statewide cancer control initiative, as well as other Georgia community cancer facilities. Facilitated by the Georgia Cancer Coalition, SJ/C was able to develop clinical alliances with two other community cancer centers, allowing it to propose a program that would allow SJ/C to gather data and input from southeast, southwest and northwest Georgia. This information exchange from each region will provide collective experience and resources to demonstrate and provide evidence based approaches to meet the requirements of the NCCCP.
“Being selected to lead this program not only impacts Savannah but the entire state of Georgia,” states Paul P. Hinchey, SJ/C President and CEO. “By working with the Georgia Cancer Coalition as well as other prestigious facilities in Rome and Columbus, our state can make an enormous contribution to the treatment and eventual eradication of cancer. I can’t think of a more worthwhile endeavor and the Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion is honored to accept this task through this pilot project.”
SJ/C proposal to the NCI included clinical affiliations with The Harbin Clinic in Rome, Georgia,and the John B. Amos Cancer Center in Columbus, Georgia. The Harbin Clinic is the largest, privately-owned, multi-specialty physician clinic in the state. It is also providing leadership in Exchange, serving as the clearinghouse for information on progress at the second demonstration site in Rome. The John B. Amos Cancer Center is a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary cancer center serving a 14-county service area in Southwest Georgia.
SJ/C and the GCC have already demonstrated that working collaboratively can show results. As part of the Georgia Cancer Quality Information Exchange’s first demonstration project, SJ/C developed a standardized framework or “toolkit” for providers and validated the use of the specific measurements in a clinical care delivery setting. The “Exchange” is an initiative to develop a method of measuring the quality of cancer care: from cancer prevention, to early detection, to cancer diagnoses, treatment, follow-up and palliative care. "In step with the National Cancer Institute, the Georgia Cancer Coalition is developing statewide alliances that support the building of clinical trials networks, biospecimen collection, information technology capability, cancer research and methods of effectively serving the uninsured.
The Georgia Cancer Quality Information Exchange has the potential of being the first statewide evidence-based cancer quality measurement program. This new model is a bridge between the academic medical centers and the community hospitals, where approximately 85% of cancer care is delivered," says Bill Todd, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Georgia Cancer Coalition.
The national pilot will begin at eight free-standing community hospitals and six additional locations that are part of national health care systems. The sites will be funded for a collective total of $5 million per year. An NCI panel of experts and an independent group of outside experts will set milestones, monitor progress, and evaluate success of the three-year pilot and then issue recommendations for a full-fledged program.
NCCCP pilot sites will study how community hospitals nationwide could most effectively develop and implement a national database of voluntarily-provided electronic medical records accessible to cancer researchers. The sites will also study methods of expanding and standardizing the collection of blood and tissue specimens voluntarily obtained from patients for cancer research.
“It is becoming clear that one of the greatest determinants of cancer mortality in the years ahead will be access to care,” said NCI Director John E. Niederhuber, M.D. “This program will succeed if it can bring the benefits of our latest science to people in the communities where they live.”
The Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion (LCRP), a 56,000 square foot freestanding facility located in Savannah, Georgia, houses the complete continuum for cancer care from prevention and early detection through treatment, survivorship and palliative care. Access to national cooperative group trials is made possible through an affiliation with NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Care Center, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer & Research Institute. A recent partnership with the Medical College of Georgia enhances the overall program’s services through increased research opportunities and medical staff development.
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For more information about the NCI Community Cancer Centers Program, please visit the home page at http://ncccp.cancer.gov
For more information about cancer, please visit the NCI Web site at http://www.cancer.gov, or call NCI's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).
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HOSKINS CENTER FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH DEDICATED AT MEMORIAL HEALTH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER IN SAVANNAH
SAVANNAH – October 11, 2007 -A new 60,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art cancer research and education facility – dedicated the William and Iffath Hoskins Center for Biomedical Research – celebrated its grand opening last week on the Memorial Health University Medical Center (MHUMC) campus. MHUMC is one of two teaching hospitals for the Mercer University School of Medicine.
"Mercer has been in partnership with Memorial Health University Medical Center since the mid-1990s," said William D. Underwood, president of Mercer University. "One-third of our third- and fourth-year students complete their medical education at Memorial. This wonderful facility is the logical next step in enhancing medical education opportunities for our students."
The new cancer research and education facility is designed for medical and translational research. Translational or "bench to bedside" research allows scientists and physicians to work together to quickly translate laboratory findings into new cancer treatments or prevention techniques.
The $22-million, two-story building has 30,000 square feet of space devoted exclusively to cancer research, including research on the molecular genetics and biology of cancer. The facility also includes classrooms for medical students from Mercer's School of Medicine.
"The facility houses a new student lounge and a virtual education center," said Edward E. Abrams, D.Ed., who serves as associate dean for the School of Medicine's Savannah campus and as executive director of medical education at Memorial Health. "It is an excellent venue for medical education on this campus."
There are also classrooms open to any educational needs the students may have, and two computer labs for student use. A virtual lab, said Abrams, includes medical simulations and a surgical suite for educational purposes. The multipurpose room, which bears Mercer's name, is a versatile space that can seat 250 in theater style and 180 in rounds.
Although most of Mercer's medical students will be involved in their clinical rotations, Abrams said there may also be opportunities for them to become involved in basic science research. "Because many of the students have extensive backgrounds in the basic sciences, I would like to develop summer scholarships to allow them to receive stipends while involved in research. Some residents are required to take part in research, so this will also offer new opportunities for them."
The new education and research facility is expected to have a major impact on southeast Georgia's economy. Its presence should attract world-class clinical researchers and physicians to the area, and may also make southeast Georgia more attractive to science-based industries, such as pharmaceutical companies.
Jeff Boyd, Ph.D., vice president for laboratory science at Memorial Health and internationally respected scientist in molecular cancer research, leads the team of scientists at the Hoskins Center. These scientists were recruited to Savannah from such prestigious facilities as Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, Fox Chase Cancer in Philadelphia, and the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda.
"This new facility would not have been possible without the generosity of Curtis and Elizabeth Anderson, Mercer University School of Medicine, the support of U.S. Congressman Jack Kingston, and the Federal Health Resources and Services Administration," said Robert A. Colvin, president and CEO of Memorial Health. "Because of their generosity and the generosity of others, Memorial Health is on its way to becoming a nationally recognized cancer center." The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration also awarded a "Health Care and Other Facilities" grant to Memorial Health Foundation, Inc. for a portion of costs related to the design and construction of the research and education building.
The new facility is named in honor of Dr. Iffath Hoskins, an accomplished obstetrician for high-risk patients, and her husband, Dr. William Hoskins, world-renowned gynecological oncologist, director of the Curtis and Elizabeth Anderson Cancer Institute at MHUMC, and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Mercer's School of Medicine.
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COALITION SCHOLAR HONORED AT KOMEN BALL
Atlanta- October, 2006 - Ruth O'Regan, MD, associate professor of hematology and oncology at Emory University's Winship Cancer Institute, has been selected as the Medical Honoree at the 2006 Komen Atlanta Pink Tie Ball. The Komen Atlanta ball, which will be held at the Grand Hyatt in Buckhead on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2006, is one of Atlanta's most prominent and well attended fund raisers.
"Dr. O'Regan is conducting groundbreaking work in breast cancer research, treatment and support," said Kelly Dolan, executive director of the Atlanta affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. "We are delighted to be able to honor Dr. O'Regan for the innovative and important work she is doing."
Dr. O'Regan is widely published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, having published articles in journals such as Lancet Oncology, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute and the Journal of the American Medical Association. She is a member of numerous boards and scientific committees, among them the Breast Cancer Scientific Committee of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
A native of Dublin, Ireland, Dr. O'Regan earned her medical degree at University College in Dublin. She conducted a residency in Internal Medicine and a Fellowship in Oncology at the Mater Hospital in Dublin. She did her U.S. residency and fellowship at Northwestern University, Chicago, and joined the faculty there in 1999. While at Northwestern, she researched the mechanisms of selective estrogen receptor modulator or SERM resistance. In addition, she won the Compassionate Care Award from the Women's Board of Northwestern Hospital and the NSABP Young Clinical Investigator Award in 2001.
Since joining the faculty at Winship, she has continued her research in SERM resistance. Additionally, her laboratory focuses on the use of nanoparticles conjugated to antibodies to detect and quantify proteins important in breast carcinogenesis. A Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Scholar, Dr. O'Regan is principal investigator of the first trial to be run through Georgia Cancer Coalition's innovative Georgia CORE (Center for Oncology Research and Education). She has developed a multidisciplinary breast cancer clinic at the Grady Cancer Center of Excellence and serves as Director of the Glenn Family Breast Cancer Fund, conducting research into the differences in molecular profiling in pre- and post-menopausal women. Dr. O'Regan also is co-director of the Jean Sindab Project Research Team, which focuses on developing scientific research into breast cancer in African American women.
The Komen Atlanta Pink Tie Ball is a formal dinner-dance to raise funds for breast cancer research, education and treatment programs. Seventy-five percent of all funds raised by the Atlanta Affiliate are awarded to local breast health projects and programs. Twenty-five percent of the funds are given to the national Komen Research Grant Program. The 2006 Pink Tie Ball, one of Atlanta's largest gala events, is expected to raise more than $750,000 for breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment.
For more information, log on to www.komen-atlanta.org or call 404-459-8700.
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