Uconn cancer dialogue spring 2002

Volume 1 Spring 2002
UCONN CANCER
EDUCATION, RESEARCH & CLINICAL CARE
Endocrine Neoplasia By Carl Malchoff, M.D.
In our laboratory, Dr. Diana Malchoff andI investigate the molecular basis ofpapillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). It isour goal to understand the defectivegrowth control mechanisms of thyroid Molecular Medicine
and therapeutic approaches to patientcare can be developed. It is anticipated of the Future
that principles of malignant behaviorlearned from these neoplasms will beapplicable to other malignancies.
Selenium and
susceptibility gene(s) for familial papil- Vitamin E Cancer
Endocrine neoplasia refers to growths
Prevention Trial—
A New Approach to
a routine clinical evaluation uncovered a Profiling Cancer
duce large amounts of potent hormones. susceptibility. This very unusual familialThe Endocrine Neoplasia Service at the Cancer Vaccine
is dedicated to the evaluation and treat- Made of Synthetic
consequences of endocrine neoplasia.
Peptides and Antigen
Presenting Cells
cultivated expertise in a wide variety of UConn Cancer
Center Announces
that clinical expertise is not static. New and papillary renal neoplasia (PRN).
New Seminar
develop and improve patient outcome.
Coming in our Next Issue:
familial association of PTC enriched with Mucosal Injury in
Cancer Patients
Endocrine Neoplasia.continued from page 1
Cancer Center
Administration
Cancer Center Director:
Associate Director, Clinical:
with the identification and investigation Associate Director, Education:
Associate Director, Research:
with a susceptibility for PTC and PRN are the necessary resources for this effort.
Administrator:
Health Center is the only one of its kind multiple experts with diverse talents for Editorial Board:
investigating the molecular basis of this Editors:
from Boston to San Francisco. Reviewof the known genes mapped to this Staff:
or to arrange a patient consultation.
To refer a patient for participation in a References:
Familial nonmedullary thyroid carcinoma.
Semin Surg Oncol, 1999. 16: p. 16-18.
Dialogue is published quarterly
2. Malchoff, D., et al., Familial papillary thyroid carcinoma is genetically distinct 263 Farmington Avenue
Farmington CT 06032
3. Malchoff, C.D., et al., Papillary thyroid 860-679-2835
renal neoplasia: genetic linkage analysis www.uchc.edu
of a distinct heritable tumor syndrome.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2000. 85:p. 1758-1764.
Page 2
S P O T L I G H T
Molecular Medicine for the Future By Andrew Arnold, M.D.
including inflammatory bowel disease.
Andrew Arnold, M.D.
Director of the Center for Molecular Medicine
The Center for Molecular Medicine
and genetic causes of human disease.
Since its inception in 1997, researchers Ph. D., Associate Professor of Medi- Center’s growing cadre of clinicians.
laboratories are located in the Martin L.
clinical fruition is a huge challenge, but from morphological, to molecularcharacteristics. They have also identi-fied genes involved in the predisposi-tion to several bone dysmorphology Page 3
Selenium and Vitamin E
By Peter Albertsen, M.D.
Professor of Surgery
Cancer Prevention Trial—
and Brian Kessler, M.D.
Urology Resident
In the United States, prostate cancer is
that activities of selenium and vitamin E synergistically to inhibit carcinogenesis.
The SELECT trial is not the first attempt in chemoprevention of prostate cancer.
trial is evaluating the effect of the drug finesteride. Finasteride is a testosterone at a younger age in African Americans.
years, with results expected in 2004.
including a vitamin D analog, eflornithine inhibits lipid peroxidation, specifically activity which is relevant to carcinogen- The University of
Connecticut is one
by calling the University of Connecticut’s of two research
sites in Connecticut cancer cell lines can be inhibited by
References
1. Clark L.C., Combs GF Jr, Turnbull B.W., enrolling patients
tion for cancer prevention in patients with ized, placebo-controlled clinical trials in into the SELECT
the cancer literature led to the initiation controlled trial. Nutritional Prevention of Cancer Study Group. JAMA 276:1957-1963, 1996.
trial over the next
2. Heinonen OP, Albanes D, Huttunen JK, et five years.
trial. J. Natl Cancer Inst 90:440-6, 1998 Page 4
By Bruce Mayer, Ph.D.
A New Approach to Profiling Cancer
Associate ProfessorGenetics and DevelopmentalBiology Cancer is not a homogeneous disease
SH2 Binding Protein in Cancer Cells After Gel Electrophoresis
with a single underlying cause. We nowunderstand that many different combina-tions of molecular changes can ulti-mately lead to the uncontrolled growththat is the hallmark of a tumor. Thisheterogeneity is also reflected in thecourse of disease, as two tumors withsuperficial similarities may have verydifferent outcomes. One tumor maygrow rapidly and resist even the mostaggressive therapy, while another maygrow very slowly and need not betreated at all. Therefore, any methodthat could help us to classify a patient’stumor based on its biological proper-ties, and to accurately predict itsbehavior, would be very useful inplanning the patient’s treatment. For this reason, the development of new molecu-lar diagnostic tools to classify tumors is now a high priority in cancer research.
phosphorylated sites on other proteins.
method of profiling tumors based on the have different binding specificities, “SH2 Profiling,” after a small protein cell to the interior, where the signal is “read” by the binding of specific SH2 critical cell behaviors as proliferation, insight into the biology of a patient’s “fingerprint” of the cell (see Figure 1).
of tyrosine phosphorylation is sensed by them. Our assumption is that the more more similar their SH2 profiles will be.
Page 5
Cancer Vaccine made of Synthetic
By Bijay Mukherji, MD
Professor of Medicine
Peptides and Antigen Presenting Cells.
inaugurated the concept of a “vaccine” infinitely easier. Gallo’ s group discov- activated—was already established.
species by “pre-inoculating” them with ex vivo cultured antigen presenting cells introduced a different form of “immuno- Knuth from Dr. Lloyd Old’s group shortly useful in the treatment of lung cancer.
vaccine. The following figure depicts the tion with primary tumors, Coley’s toxin, Peptide/APC
Activation
Expansion
Killing of tumor cells
findings were published in the Journal of from the National Institutes of Health.
“magic bullet”, yet he believed that the initiated similar studies and showed that this was the first description of a tumor field had just learned that there are two 1) (published in Science). Earlier, Dr.
for B and T cells to react against them.
cells as well as B cells of a given cancer patient can respond, have been defined.
activity (i.e., tumor-specific antibodies) as well as T cell activities (e.g., T cell with melanoma reactive killer T cell lines long peptide that the killer T cells recog- Page 6
UConn Cancer Center Announces
By Christine Kaminski, BGS
Administrator, UConn Cancer
New Seminar Series
Finding a cure for cancer is a monumental task that requires the collaboration of scientists and medical professionals around
the world. It is this belief and our mission to integrate research and education that has prompted the UConn Cancer Center, in
collaboration with the Lea’s Foundation, to present a new seminar series in cancer research.
The UConn Cancer Center Seminar Series is a monthly lecture program that will attract scientists of national prominence
to our campus. They will present innovative and thought provoking theories & protocols to help expand the understanding of
cancer to Health Center faculty, staff, and community physicians and researchers. By enriching the knowledge of the cancer
research community, the UConn Cancer Center hopes to develop and, in some cases, collaborate with faculty on cutting-edge
clinical trials that will be available to residents of Connecticut.
The seminar series has been fully sponsored through a generous grant from the Lea’s Foundation for Leukemia Research ofHartford, CT. The Foundation conducts many notable fundraising events to enable scientists to find a cure for leukemia andits related diseases of lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma.
The UConn Cancer Center Seminar Series is currently established through the month of June 2002. The seminar series willresume in the Fall with the first annual Lea’s Foundation Distinguished Lecture in Cancer Research.
Institution
Research Interest
Date & Time
Drew Pardoll, MD, Ph.D. Johns Hopkins University, MD For time and location regarding the UConn Cancer Center Seminar Series or to schedule an appointment to meet with any
of our speakers, please contact: Christine Kaminski, BGS UConn Cancer Center Administrator, Telephone: (860) 679-1173,
E-mail: [email protected]
Cancer Vaccine..continued from page 6
objective is to define the rules underly-ing an efficient activation and robustexpansion of these tumor reactive killerT cells against cancer cells and totranslate this work to the clinic. Timewill tell if this basic approach can finallyovercome the understandable pessi-mism relative to “cancer vaccines” inthe medical community and establishthis type of immunotherapy as a usefuladjunct to other forms of treatmentsfor cancer.
Page 7
How To Reach Us
Scheduling Patient Consults
From Northbound Route 9
If you would like to schedule a patient with the Cancer Take Exit 32 (left exit) onto I-84 West and stay in the right Center, you may call the center between 8:00 a.m. and lane. Take Exit 39 (first exit). Turn right at first traffic light onto Route 4 East (Farmington Avenue). At third trafficlight, turn right to enter the Health Center campus.
To Return to Route 9
Directions To UConn Health Center
Exit the Health Center campus via Munson Road. At the end of Munson Road, turn left onto South Road. At next stop sign, turn right and follow signs to I-84 East, staying From Bradley International Airport
in the right lane to exit onto Route 9 South.
Follow Route 20 to I-91 South to I-84 West Hartford. Follow Special Events Parking
I-84 West about 7 miles to Exit 39 which is after 39A. Turn Signs will be posted on roads directing people to special right at first traffic light onto Route 4 East (Farmington event parking. Shuttle service is provided from lower lots.
Avenue). At third traffic light, turn right to enter the HealthCenter campus.
After 5 p.m., visitors attending seminars, lectures, etc. inthe Green or Blue Auditorium may park in the lots adjacent From I-84
Take Exit 39 (if coming from I-84 West, Exit 39 is after 39A).
If Your Destination Is In The Main Building . . .
Turn right at first traffic light onto Route 4 East (Farmington Stop by the Hospital Information Desk located in the Main Avenue). At third traffic light, turn right to enter the Health Lobby. It is staffed with trained volunteers who will give 263 Farmington AvenueFarmington, Connecticut 06032

Source: http://cancer.uchc.edu/news/newsletter/pdf/dialogue_spring02.pdf