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Theodoros N . Teknos , MD
Theodoros N . Teknos Appointed President and Scientific Officer of University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center
Theodoros N . Teknos , MD , has been named the president and scientific officer of the University Hospitals ( UH ) Seidman Cancer Center in Cleveland , Ohio , effective October 1 . He will lead the development of strategic , business , and marketing plans for UH Seidman , including cancerrelated palliative care and integrative care . He also will lead UH Seidman ’ s academic components and its Clinical Trials Unit , and will direct UH Seidman ’ s involvement in the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center .
Previously , Dr . Teknos served in leadership roles at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus and the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor . He will succeed Nathan Levitan , MD , who has served as president since 2008 .
“[ He is a ] highly respected physician , researcher , and administrative leader ,” said Daniel Simon , MD , president of the UH Cleveland Medical Center . “ We look forward to working with Dr . Teknos and are confident his leadership will advance our clinical , academic , and strategic business objectives at UH Seidman Cancer Center .”
Source : University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center press release , August 1 , 2017 .
Researchers at UC San Diego Receive $ 5.8 Million Grant to Study New CAR T-Cell Therapy
A group of researchers at the University of California ( UC ) San Diego School of Medicine has received a $ 5.8 million grant from the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine . The researchers are
Ezra Cohen , MD led by Ezra Cohen , MD , professor of medicine and associate director for translational science at UC San Diego Health ’ s Moores Cancer Center .
Their work will build upon previous and ongoing research that showed ROR1 chimeric antigen receptor ( CAR ) T cells target and kill ROR1-expressing cancer stem cells in in vitro models of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma , triple-negative breast cancer , pancreatic cancer , ovarian cancer , and chronic lymphocytic leukemia .
Dr . Cohen and his team will use the grant to generate proof-of-concept and pilot safety data on the CAR T-cell therapy prior to use in human clinical trials . “ Our overall goal by the end of this 30-month process is to have a full-fledged , preclinical plan in place , with input and support from the [ U . S . Food and Drug Administration ( FDA )], so that we develop a new drug and test it in clinical trials ,” said Dr . Cohen .
Sources : University of California San Diego press release , July 20 , 2017 ; Times of San Diego , July 20 , 2017 .
NCI-COG Pediatric MATCH Study to Test Targeted Therapeutics
The National Cancer Institute ( NCI ) and the Children ’ s Oncology Group ( COG ) announced the opening of enrollment in the phase II NCI-COG Pediatric Molecular Analysis for Therapy Choice ( Pediatric MATCH ) study , a nationwide trial to explore targeted therapies for children and adolescents ( 1-21 years ) with specific genetic mutations and diseases that progressed during or after standard therapy .
The trial has two enrollment steps : Each patient will be screened for molecular abnormalities with DNA and RNA sequencing . If a genetic abnormality is identified and a targeted drug is available , eligible patients can enroll in the corresponding treatment cohort . The trial will begin by evaluating six experimental therapies , with plans to expand to more than eight treatment arms during the course of the study .
A similar trial for adults , NCI-MATCH , began enrolling adult patients in August 2015 and is also matching patients to treatments based on the genetic mutations in their tumors .
“ There aren ’ t any other cancer trials of this scale exploring targeted treatments for children whose cancers have specific genetic abnormalities ,” said Douglas R . Lowy , MD , NCI ’ s acting director . “ Precision medicine trials like Pediatric MATCH have the potential to accelerate progress in identifying more effective treatments for children with cancer .”
Source : National Cancer Institute press release , July 24 , 2017 .
Damon Runyon Announces 2017 Pediatric Cancer Fellowship Award Recipients
The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has announced the 2017 recipients of its Damon Runyon- Sohn Pediatric Cancer Fellowship Award :
• Robert L . Bowman , PhD , ( with sponsor Ross L . Levine , MD ) from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York , will develop models to test the oncogenic dependency of the FLT3 gene in acute myeloid leukemia .
• Marissa Rashkovan , PhD , ( with sponsor Adolfo A . Ferrando , MD , PhD ) from Columbia University in New York , will assess the metabolic vulnerabilities of early T-cell precursor acute lymphocytic leukemia to propose new , targeted therapies for this high-risk leukemia group .
• Yadira M . Soto-Feliciano , PhD , ( with sponsor C . David Allis , PhD ) from Rockefeller University in New York , will combine genetic , genomic , and mouse modeling approaches to identify factors that regulate the function of Menin in MLL-r and non-MLL-r leukemia .
• Kathryn R . Taylor , PhD , ( with sponsor Michelle L . Monje , MD , PhD ) from Stanford University in California , will test the effect of activity-dependent secreted proteins on tumor cell invasion in human cancer cells and animal models .
The award provides funding to basic scientists and clinicians who conduct research with the potential to significantly impact the prevention , diagnosis , or treatment of one or more types of pediatric cancers . Each recipient will receive $ 231,000 over four years .
Source : Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation press release , July 26 , 2017 .
NIH Awards $ 18.9 Million for Genome Sequencing
The National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) awarded $ 18.9 million to support the research and development of methods to accelerate the use of genome sequencing in clinical practice and to improve the discovery and interpretation of genomic variants . The research is funded as part of the Clinical Sequencing Evidence-Generating Research Consortium , which builds on the Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research ( CSER ) Consortium , funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute and NCI .
Recipients of the awards , who work at the six designated clinical sites of this consortium , are :
• Jonathan Berg , MD , PhD , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Gregory Cooper , PhD , HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology , Huntsville , Alabama
• Katrina Goddard , PhD , Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research , Portland , Oregon
• Eimear Kenny , PhD , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , New York
• Pui-Yan Kwok , MD , PhD , UC San Francisco
• Sharon Plon , MD , PhD , Baylor College of Medicine , Houston , Texas
Gail Jarvik , MD , PhD , from the University of Washington , Seattle , also received an award that will support her work at the CSER2 coordinating center , which provides organizational and logistical support to stimulate synergies among the six individual projects .
The researchers will continue efforts to generate evidence for the usefulness of genome sequencing in clinical care , with a focus on underserved individuals .
“ Engaging patient populations that are traditionally underrepresented in genomic research , coupled with the inclusion of broader types of health-care settings , will enrich the data that result from CSER2 ,” said Regina Smith James , MD , director of clinical and health services research at the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities . ●
Source : National Institutes of Health press release , August 8 , 2017 .
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