AACI Update | December 2020
Headlines
Champion for Cures Nominations Now Open
AACI cancer center directors are invited to submit nominations for the 2021 Champion for Cures Award. AACI established the award in 2018 to recognize an individual or individuals who, through direct financial support of an AACI cancer center, demonstrate exceptional leadership in advancing cancer research and care and in inspiring others to do the same. The Champion for Cures Award was presented virtually at the 2020 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting to Nike, Inc., co-founder Phil Knight and his wife, Penny (pictured).
CRI Benchmarking Report Published in ASCO Journal
AACI Clinical Research Innovation (CRI) is pleased to share the publication of an article in the November issue of ASCO’s JCO Oncology Practice. "Clinical Trial Metrics: The Complexity of Conducting Clinical Trials in North American Cancer Centers" summarizes the results of a comprehensive benchmarking survey sent to AACI member centers from 2018-2019 to assess cancer center clinical trials office workload, funding, staffing, and trial activation timelines.
AACI Urges President Trump to Share Key COVID-19 Information With Biden Transition Team
In a November 20 letter to President Donald Trump, AACI called on the Trump administration to share vital information about its coronavirus response with President-elect Joe Biden and his transition team. AACI joins the American Hospital Association, the American Medical Association, the American Nurses Association, and other major medical associations to ask the Trump administration to cooperate with the Biden transition team to ensure continuity of care for patients, particularly as it relates to COVID-19.
PCLI Webinar: Oncology Workforce Challenges
The AACI Physician Clinical Leadership Initiative (PCLI) will host "Oncology Workforce Challenges: The Role of the Advanced Practice Provider (APP) in Academic Oncology" at 1:00 pm eastern time on Thursday, December 17.
News from the Centers
Siegel Receives American College of Radiology Honor
Siteman Cancer Center
Barry A. Siegel, MD, a professor of radiology and of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis who sees patients at Siteman Cancer Center, has received the College of Radiology’s highest honor for his more than 40 years of leadership in the nuclear medicine community.
Fahy Named Endowed Professor
University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center
Bridget Fahy, MD, has been appointed to the position of Victor and Ruby Hansen Surface Endowed Professor of Complex Surgical Oncology. Dr. Fahy is currently a professor and chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology in the Department of Surgery at the UNM School of Medicine. She also is the medical coordinator of the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center’s surgical services.
Golemis Appointed Senior Editor for eLife
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
Erica Golemis, PhD, deputy chief science officer and co-leader of the Molecular Therapeutics research program at Fox Chase Cancer Center, was recently appointed senior editor at eLife, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal. The journal is supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and other leading research organizations.
Sullivan Honored for Leadership in Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers
Duke Cancer Institute
Daniel Sullivan, MD, a former member of Duke Cancer Institute, was recently honored by the Prevent Cancer Foundation with the James L. Mulshine MD Leadership Award for his work in founding and chairing the Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers Alliance. At the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Sullivan provided leadership to large population-based studies on digital mammography and CT screening for lung cancer.
Miaskowski Recognized by Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
Christine Miaskowski, RN, PhD, FAAN, was awarded the 2020 Ada Sue Hinshaw Award from the Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research. For 40 years, Dr. Miaskowski has been investigating the causes of, and solutions for, the debilitating side effects of cancer treatment.
Gutmann Receives Neuro-oncology Scientific Award
Siteman Cancer Center
David H. Gutmann, MD, PhD, vice chair for research affairs in the Department of Neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and a Siteman Cancer Center research member, is a recipient of the 2020 Neuro-oncology Scientific Award from the American Academy of Neurology.
Western Region Society of Nuclear Medicine Honors Iagaru
Stanford Cancer Institute
The Western Region Society of Nuclear Medicine has presented Andrei Iagaru, MD, with its Sanjiv Sam Gambhir, MD, PhD, 2020 Distinguished Scientist Award. The award was named for Dr. Gambhir, a leader at Stanford, who dedicated his career to developing methods of early disease detection, utilizing molecular imaging to flag signals of disease in its nascent stages.
STAT Honors Pioneering Work on Focused Ultrasound, Cancer
University of Virginia Cancer Center
Health news website STAT has honored Natasha Sheybani, PhD, as one of the next generation of scientific superstars for her work in focused ultrasound, cancer immunology, and nuclear medicine while a graduate student at the University of Virginia.
$20 Million Awarded to Expand Access to Care and Community Health Partnerships
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
To improve maternal and children’s health care in the District of Columbia and surrounding communities, the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation has invested $20 million to support health care programs at Sibley Memorial Hospital. Sibley and the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center will partner to enhance the care of pediatric patients receiving radiation therapy.
New Study to Identify Predictors of Chemotherapy-Associated Pain Condition
Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center
Cleveland Clinic data scientist Daniel Rotroff, PhD, and anesthesiologist Joseph Foss, MD, have received a nearly $5 million grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to identify biomarkers that can help physicians determine which cancer patients are most likely to develop a chemotherapy-associated pain condition.
Using Genetic Data to Overcome Disparities in Colon Cancer Rates
Fred Hutch Cancer Center
With the help of a three-year, $3.6 million grant from the National Cancer Institute, a team of Fred Hutch public health researchers will lead a collaboration to try to minimize the disparity in colorectal cancer rates between African Americans and Alaska Natives and other ethnic groups. The project is called the Translational Research Program in Colorectal Cancer Disparities.
Researcher Receives $2.9 Million for Work Improving Lung Cancer Radiation Therapy Effectiveness
Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center
John Turchi, PhD, an Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center researcher, has been awarded a five-year, $2.9 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to develop a drug that could make radiation therapy far more effective. He is studying the DNA-dependent protein kinase, which is involved in repairing DNA double-strand breaks.
Exploring Autophagy as a Therapeutic Strategy Against Frequent Mutations in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Rutgers Cancer Institute
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey researcher ‘Jessie’ Yanxiang Guo, PhD, has received a $1.7 million award from the National Institutes of Health to investigate the role of a cellular survival mechanism known as autophagy in the formation of tumors driven by mutations in tumor suppressors known as LKB1 and oncogene KRAS.
Cancer Center Receives Grant to Improve Breast Cancer Treatment for Black Women
Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center
Harikrishna Nakshatri, PhD has received a $1.3 million grant from the Department of Defense – Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program’s breast cancer research program. Dr. Nakshatri is identifying the unique biology that may make Black women more susceptible to aggressive breast cancer.
Bergan Named Deputy Director
Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center
Raymond Bergan, MD, has accepted the position of deputy director of the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center. He began his duties on November 9. Dr. Bergan joins the Buffett Cancer Center from the Oregon Health and Sciences University and the Knight Cancer Institute, where he served as associate director for medical oncology among other leadership roles.
Nursing Leader Joins Duke
Duke Cancer Institute
Monica Cfarku, RN, MSN, BMTCN, CCM, NE-BC, has been named assistant vice president and chief of Oncology Nursing Services, Duke Cancer Institute. Most recently she was the director of Nursing, Ambulatory Oncology at the Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon.
Cancer Health Equity Position Created, Assistant Director Named
UK Markey Cancer Center
UK Markey Cancer Center has appointed Lovoria Williams, PhD, as assistant director for cancer health equity, a newly created position within the Markey leadership structure. The position will form part of the Markey Community Impact Office team, led by Pamela Hull, PhD, Markey’s associate director for population science and community impact.
Fang Promoted to Associate Director for Population Science
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
Carolyn Y. Fang, PhD, professor and co-leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center, has been promoted to the role of associate director for Population Science.
Age is a Primary Determinant of Melanoma Treatment Resistance, Two Studies Find
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
Age may cause identical cancer cells with the same mutations to behave differently. In animal and laboratory models of melanoma cells, age was a primary factor in treatment response, according to new findings by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Large-Scale Cancer Proteomics Study Profiles Protein Changes in Response to Drug Treatments
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Through large-scale profiling of protein changes in response to drug treatments in cancer cell lines, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have generated a valuable resource to aid in predicting drug sensitivity, to understand therapeutic resistance mechanisms, and to identify optimal combination treatment strategies. Han Liang, PhD, is senior author of the study.
Proteogenomics Enhances the Identification of Therapeutic Vulnerabilities in Breast Cancer
Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and other institutions have applied powerful proteogenomics approaches to better understand the biological complexity of breast cancer.
Researchers Discover How to Boost Efficacy of Vaccine Designed to Prevent Melanoma Recurrence
The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai
Nina Bhardwaj, MD, PhD, and Philip Friedlander, MD, PhD, at The Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, working with colleagues at the Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network based at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, found that adding the small molecule Flt3L, which increases the number of dendritic cells, boosted a cancer vaccine’s effectiveness at producing antibodies and T cells that can later fight melanoma. Adding a second component, called poly-ICLC, also strengthened the dendritic cells’ ability to promote antibodies as well as helper and killer T cells.
Study Shows How HIV and Cancer Drugs Accelerate Cellular Aging
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
A new study led by researchers at the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and the University of Pittsburgh shows for the first time how certain drugs used to treat HIV and cancer drive the cellular aging process, at least in part, by blocking telomeres from replenishing themselves.
Active Surveillance Safe for African Americans With Low-Risk Prostate Cancer
UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center
In a recent study, Brent Rose, MD, and colleagues tested the hypothesis that African American men undergoing active surveillance are at a significantly higher risk of disease progression, metastases, and death from prostate cancer compared to non-Hispanic white men.
Positive Outcomes Reported From New Combination Treatment for Ovarian Cancer
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
A team from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has detailed striking findings on the effectiveness of a previously untried combination of old and new drugs as treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer. The researchers report that one-quarter of patients who received the combination of pembrolizumab, bevacizumab, and a pill form of cyclophosphamide experienced long-term disease control along with excellent quality of life.
Study Identifies Patients With Lung Cancer Most Likely to Respond to Immunotherapy
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
Researchers at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have found that patients with a particular type of human leukocyte antigen, a protein scaffold involved in presenting pieces of proteins described as peptides to the immune system, were particularly likely to benefit from immunotherapy.
Breast Cancer Discovery Could Help Stop Disease's Deadly Spread
University of Virginia Cancer Center
UVA Cancer Center researcher Sanchita Bhatnagar, PhD, and her team have found that the breast cancer oncogene TRIM37 not only causes the cancer to spread but also makes it resistant to chemotherapy. A new approach she and her colleagues have developed could possibly address both, the researchers hope.
Are E-Cigarettes Safer Than Cigarettes? Study Sheds Light on the Issue
The University of Kansas Cancer Center
In a collaboration between The University of Kansas Cancer Center, California State University San Marcos, and Brown University, scientists conducted a six-week-long randomized trial comparing electronic cigarette use to traditional cigarette use in African-American and Latinx smokers. Nikki Nollen, PhD, served as site principal investigator.
Boosting Stem Cell Activity Can Enhance Immunotherapy Benefits
Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center
Immune-system T cells have been reprogrammed into regenerative stem cell-like memory cells that are long-lived, highly active "super immune cells" with strong antitumor activity, according to new research from Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Samir N. Khleif, MD, headed the research team.
Genome Sequencing Identifies Cancer's Achilles Heel in 'Exceptional Responders'
Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine led a six-year study with the National Cancer Institute to analyze the tumor genome and microenvironment of advanced cancer patients who live much longer than others with clinically comparable tumors to determine if survival could be explained by genetic mechanisms. David Wheeler, PhD, is lead author on the study.
The Secret Signals Tumor Cell Clusters Use to Drive Metastasis
Fred Hutch Cancer Center
A research team at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has outlined their discovery of a secret space between the tumor cells of microscopic clusters where the signal to grow is co-opted and miscommunicated to other cells. They’re now working on new ways to block that signal—call it growth factor "fake news"—in order to stop metastasis in its tracks.
Climate Change Will Give Rise to More Cancers
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
Climate change will bring an acute toll worldwide, with rising temperatures, wildfires, and poor air quality, accompanied by higher rates of cancer, especially lung, skin, and gastrointestinal cancers, according to a new report from UC San Francisco. An analysis of nearly five dozen published scientific papers identified future effects from global warming on major cancers, from environmental toxins to ultraviolet radiation, air pollution, infectious agents, and disruptions in the food and water supply.
Possible Strategy Uncovered for Blocking Prostate Tumor Growth in Bone
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Led by Subhamoy Dasgupta, PhD, researchers from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center have determined that prostate tumors change their metabolism to produce more fats, which helps them survive within the bones.
Study Shows FDA-Approved Leukemia Drug May Help Treat Metastatic Melanoma
UK Markey Cancer Center
A new study by UK Markey Cancer Center and UK Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences demonstrates the potential benefit of using an anti-leukemic drug nilotinib—most commonly used to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia—to overcome therapy resistance in metastatic melanoma.
Potential Target Discovered for Treating Aggressive Cancer Cells
Legorreta Cancer Center at Brown University
In the past, polyploidal giant cancer cells (PGCCs) have been largely ignored because studies had found that they do not undergo mitosis. However, recent studies have found that PGCCs undergo amitotic budding—cell division that does not occur through mitosis—and that their cell structure enables them to spread rapidly. A new study by a team of Brown University scientists sheds more light and identifies a potential target for treating these aggressive cancer cells.
Exploring the Role of Tumor Suppressor Enhancers in the Development of T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Rutgers Cancer Institute
Enhancers are regulatory elements that play an important role in cancer. Researchers from Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey identified a novel enhancer that interacts with a tumor suppressor gene and explored its involvement in normal T cell development as well as in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Scientists Discover Roles for a Cellular Motor in Cancer
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Utah scientists have discovered new functions of a key cellular machine that regulates gene packaging and is mutated in 20 percent of human cancers.
Clara D. Bloomfield Center for Leukemia Outcomes Research Created
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute has established a new center dedicated to maintaining and expanding the legacy of the late Clara D. Bloomfield, MD. The center will be initially supported by a $5 million commitment from the OSUCCC – James.
Collaboration to Accelerate Advancement of Novel Engineered Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocyte Therapy for Solid Tumors
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Obsidian Therapeutics, Inc., have announced a multi-year strategic collaboration designed to expedite the research and development of novel engineered tumor infiltrating lymphocytes for the treatment of solid tumors.
Two Research Programs Merged Into New Cancer Biology Program
VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center
VCU Massey Cancer Center has merged two of its existing research programs into the newly established Cancer Biology program. The former Cancer Cell Signaling and Cancer Molecular Genetics research programs have been consolidated into one new program, which will be led by Azeddine Atfi, PhD.
Partnership With American Cancer Society to Address Breast Cancer Disparities
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) is one of just 21 hospital systems in the country and the only system in Pennsylvania selected to work with the American Cancer Society on a community program to promote health equity and equal access to cancer screenings and education with a specific focus on breast cancer. The UPMC team is led by Steven Evans, MD.
Process Accelerated for Delivering New Therapeutics
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
A new initiative aims to speed the process of bringing lifesaving medical discoveries made in University of Utah laboratories to new drugs and therapies for patients. The university’s Huntsman Cancer Institute, College of Pharmacy, and the Partners for Innovation, Ventures, Outreach & Technology Center have partnered to establish the University of Utah Therapeutics Accelerator Hub.
National Effort to Hasten Treatments for Pancreatic Cancer Enrolling Patients at UF Health
University of Florida Health Cancer Center
A novel clinical trial platform that aims to accelerate treatment discoveries for people battling pancreatic cancer is now enrolling patients at 15 sites nationwide, including the University of Florida Health Cancer Center. An initiative of the national nonprofit organization Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, or PanCAN, Precision PromiseSM began development in 2016.
Rini to Lead Study of COVID-19 in Cancer Patients
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Brian Rini, MD, is leading a study launched by the National Cancer Institute that will closely monitor cancer patients who acquire COVID-19 with the goal of providing highly detailed data to guide future care.
Researchers Study How the Immune System Responds to COVID-19
Case Comprehensive Cancer Center
New research funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) aims to boost understanding of how the immune system responds to COVID-19, from the start of infection to recovery. Two projects totaling over $2.6 million are led by Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic researchers as part of the NCI’s Serological Sciences Network, which awarded just 13 grants nationally.
Total Deaths Recorded During the Pandemic Far Exceed Those Attributed to COVID-19
VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center
For every two deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the U.S., a third American dies as a result of the pandemic, according to study findings from Steven Woolf, MD, MPH, member of the Cancer Prevention and Control research program at VCU Massey Cancer Center.