NEWS
Remembering Art Nienhuis ( 1941 – 2021 )
Gene therapy pioneer Art Nienhuis , MD , passed away on February 3 , 2021 , at the age of 79 .
Dr . Nienhuis was director and CEO of St . Jude ’ s Children ’ s Research Hospital in Memphis , Tennessee , from 1993 to 2004 , where he recruited scientists and built a facility for the manufacture of gene therapy vectors , monoclonal antibodies , and vaccines . Previously , he held roles as chief of clini-
Art Nienhuis , MD
cal hematology and deputy clinical director at the National Institutes of Health ’ s ( NIH ’ s ) National Heart , Lung , and Blood Institute .
A longtime leader within the American Society of Hematology ( ASH ), Dr . Nienhuis was editor-in-chief of Blood from 1988 to 1992 and served as president of ASH in 1994 . He also received ASH ’ s Henry M . Stratton Medal in 1998 for an outstanding body of work in hematology and the ASH Mentor Award in 2009 for his work shaping the next generation of scientific leaders .
“ What is remarkable about Art Nienhuis is that I am just one among hundreds who he helped … throughout his career ,” said Amit Nathwani , MBChB , PhD , director of the Katharine Dormandy Hemophilia Centre at the Royal Free Hospital in London , who served as a fellow in Dr . Nienhuis ’ lab from 1997 to 2000 . “ His impact , therefore , extends way beyond the NIH and St . Jude in the U . S . to many other parts of the world . I am devastated to hear of his passing , as I feel that I have lost my scientific father .”
“ Art is really at the root of a family tree of hematology and hematology research that has grown and sprouted many branches ,” said Mitch Weiss , MD , PhD , chair of St . Jude Hematology . “ Those branches are the current leaders he trained and their trainees .”
Dr . Nienhuis is survived by his wife , Corinne ; his four children and five stepchildren ; and 10 grandchildren .
Remembering Thomas Edgington ( 1932 – 2021 )
Thomas Edgington , MD
Thomas Edgington , MD , died from heart disease on January 22 , 2021 , at the age of 88 .
Dr . Edgington spent most of his career at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla , California , working in vascular biology and
molecular medicine . For five decades , he contributed scientific advances , innovation , and entrepreneurship . His work on tissue factor shaped the current understanding of coagulation in biology and medicine , and he served as chair of ASH ’ s Scientific Committee on Thrombosis and Vascular Biology in 1998 .
“ Tom ’ s laboratory was an exhilarating forge of science and medicine around the clock . His passion was infectious , his dedication , inspiring and his hunger for knowledge , insatiable ,” said Dario C . Altieri , MD , one of Dr . Edgington ’ s postdoctoral fellows .
Stephanie Halene Appointed Chief of Hematology at Yale Cancer Center
Yale Cancer Center , Smilow Cancer Hospital , and the Yale School of Medicine Department of Internal Medicine have appointed Stephanie Halene , MD , PhD , as chief of hematology . In this
Stephanie Halene , role , she will oversee the DeLuca MD , PhD
Center for Innovation in Hematology Research .
After completing her residency in internal medicine and fellowship in Hematology at Yale New Haven Hospital and Yale Cancer Center , Dr . Halene joined the Yale faculty in 2006 .
“ Dr . Halene has served with distinction as interim chief , leading the section through tremendous growth , research development , and clinical challenges with a strong commitment to the success of the section ’ s faculty , trainees , providers , and staff ,” said Charles Fuchs , MD , MPH , director of Yale Cancer Center and physician-in-chief at Smilow Cancer Hospital . “ She has also steered the section through the challenging times of uncertainty and change throughout the COVID-19 pandemic , and she has consistently prioritized the needs of our patients and our staff .”
Source : Yale Cancer Center press release , December 7 , 2020 .
Researchers Receive NIH Grant to Study Chemotherapy- Induced Peripheral Neuropathy
The NIH ’ s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has awarded a nearly $ 5 million grant to Daniel Rotroff , PhD , and Joseph Foss , MD , of Cleveland Clinic , to identify biomarkers that will help physicians
Daniel Rotroff , PhD determine which patients with cancer are susceptible to developing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy .
“ The ultimate utility of our study findings , we hope , will be to
Joseph Foss , MD help physicians deliver more personalized therapies to patients living with cancer and to improve patients ’ quality of life during and after treatment ,” said Dr . Rotroff , a data scientist in the Department of Quantitative Health Sciences .
Roughly 40 % of patients who are treated with taxane-based regimens experience this condition , which may lead to dose interruptions or reductions , and symptoms can persist for up to two years , even after stopping treatment .
The researchers ’ objective is to help providers predict which patients are most likely to develop chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy so that they can adjust treatment strategies accordingly . “ Having the ability to predict and measure chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathic pain will also provide a foundation for identifying new treatments for this challenging problem ,” explained Dr . Foss , an anesthesiologist .
After collecting data on clinical outcomes and blood samples from patients with breast cancer undergoing taxane-based treatment , the researchers will compare genetic , epigenetic , and metabolic characteristics of patients reporting treatment-associated pain with those who do not . Dr . Rotroff ’ s team will then use machine learning technology to develop algorithms that can be used to predict patients ’ likelihood of developing the condition . Source : Cleveland Clinic press release , November 16 , 2020 .
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42 ASH Clinical News March 2021