Registration is open for the 2023 AACI/AACR Hill Day, Thursday, May 18, in Washington, DC.
AACI Update | February 2023
Headlines
Schwartz Named New Director at Case Comprehensive Cancer Center
Gary Schwartz, MD, will become director of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center this spring, succeeding Stanton L. Gerson, MD, a past AACI president, who has led the center since 2004. Dr. Schwartz is chief of the Hematology & Oncology Division at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and deputy director of its Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center.
AACI Welcomes LSU-LCMC Health Cancer Center
In January the Louisiana State University-Louisiana Children’s Medical Center (LSU-LCMC) Health Cancer Center became the 108th member of AACI. Professor of Surgery and Interdisciplinary Oncology John H. Stewart, IV, MD, MBA, is the founding director of the cancer center, which was established in 2021.
CRI Abstract Submission Tool Now Open
Abstract submissions are now being accepted for the 15th Annual AACI CRI Meeting, June 26-28, 2023, at the Loews Chicago O'Hare Hotel in Rosemont, IL. This year’s meeting theme will focus on taking innovations in cancer clinical research from abstract to reality. Completed abstracts are due by 5:00 pm Pacific time on Monday, March 13.
Champion for Cures Nominations Due March 31
AACI cancer center directors are invited to submit nominations for the 2023 Champion for Cures Award. The submission deadline is Friday, March 31. The Champion for Cures Award will be presented during the 2023 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting, October 1-3, at the Salamander Washington DC.
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News from the Centers
Uzzo Presents Rhoads Oration for Philadelphia Academy of Surgery
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
Joining more than 100 previous orators, Robert Uzzo, MD, MBA, FACS, president and CEO of Fox Chase Cancer Center, delivered the Rhoads Oration for the Philadelphia Academy of Surgery at The College of Physicians of Philadelphia. His oration discussed the origins of kidney cancer, as well as environmental and tissue-specific responses that may affect its development.
Weissman Receives Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hematology
Stanford Cancer Institute
Irv Weissman, MD, was presented with the American Society of Hematology’s (ASH) highest honor, the 2022 Wallace H. Coulter Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hematology. He is the former director of Stanford's Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine.
Wargo Recognized for Microbiome Research
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Jennifer Wargo, MD, has received a 2023 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Medicine from the Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering, Science and Technology (TAMEST) for her contributions to the understanding of how the gut microbiome influences responses to immunotherapy and other cancer treatments.
Researcher Receives Asbestos Disease Awareness Award
The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai
Andrea Wolf, MD, director of the New York Mesothelioma Program at the Mount Sinai Health System, has received the 2022 Irving J. Selikoff Lifetime Achievement Award from the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization.
Ermann Selected as Mentoring Program Scholar
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Daniel Ermann, MD, hematology and oncology fellow at Huntsman Cancer Institute, has been selected as a scholar for the 2023 Lymphoma Scientific Research Mentoring Program by the Lymphoma Research Foundation. As a scholar, Dr. Ermann will receive a $10,000 career development help with his current clinical trial and develop skills to apply for grants for future studies.
Winkfield Named to ACS CAN National Board of Directors
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Karen Winkfield, MD, PhD, executive director of the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance, has been named one of three new members of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network’s national board of directors. Dr. Winkfield is a professor of radiation oncology at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, and professor of Medicine at Meharry Medical College.
Graduate Student Recognized With ASH Abstract Achievement Award
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
Billy Truong, a doctoral candidate at Fox Chase Cancer Center, was awarded the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Abstract Achievement Award for a poster that he presented at the 64th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition. His project addresses a critical gap in knowledge for mitogen-activated protein kinase-targeted therapy.
Moul AUA Award Announced
Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center
Retired colonel and Duke Cancer Institute member Judd Moul, MD, has been named to receive a Distinguished Contribution Award for his "prolific contributions and leadership in prostate cancer research and dedicated military service" from the American Urological Association.
Bravo-Cordero Elected MRS Secretary
The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai
Jose Javier Bravo-Cordero, PhD, has been elected secretary of the Metastasis Research Society (MRS), which supports progressive research on processes fundamental to metastasis. Dr. Bravo-Cordero is an associate professor of medicine, hematology and medical oncology in the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He served as a member of the MRS board from 2020-2022.
Cancer Center Receives Landmark $43 Million Federal Investment
The University of Kansas Cancer Center
The University of Kansas Cancer Center was awarded $43 million through the federal spending bill, which President Joe Biden signed into law in December 2022. The allocation will help the cancer center plan and build a 670,000-square-foot research facility at the University of Kansas Medical Center campus. Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, who serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science and the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, secured the funding.
Diversity in Clinical Trials Award Program to Expand
The Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Award Program established by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation announced that Amgen, a global biotechnology company, has committed to contribute $8 million over the next four years. Dr. Winn is AACI Vice President/President-elect, and Bristol Myers Squibb and Amgen are AACI Corporate Roundtable members.
Lamba Receives $3.3 Million Grant for Pediatric AML Research
University of Florida Health Cancer Center
Jatinder Lamba, PhD, a professor in the department of pharmacotherapy and translational research in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, has received a $3.3 million five-year R01 grant from the National Cancer Institute to study the biology of acute myeloid leukemia, or AML.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Appears Promising for Head and Neck Cancer Survivors
Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina
An MUSC Hollings Cancer Center team, led Evan Graboyes, MD, published results of a pilot trial evaluating a tele-cognitive behavioral therapy for head and neck cancer survivors who have developed clinically significant body-image distress. Now, with a $3.2 million grant from the National Cancer Institute, the team is preparing to enroll patients in a larger, multi-institution trial.
Foundation Gifts Create Cancer Informatics Chair
Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center
Gifts totaling $3 million will create an endowed chair in cancer informatics at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. The chair was created through gifts from the Walther Cancer Foundation Inc. and the Regenstrief Foundation Inc. The jointly recruited chair holder will be a research scientist at the Regenstrief Institute and cancer center and a faculty member at Indiana University.
Cancer Center Gets $1.1 Million Gift for Holistic Cancer Care
The University of Arizona Cancer Center
A $1.1 million gift will support the development of a University of Arizona Cancer Center program that aims to integrate traditional medicine and therapies with Western cancer treatments to improve health outcomes and encourage patient well-being. Jennifer Hatcher, PhD, MPH, RN, is the center's associate director of cancer community outreach and engagement.
UVA, Community Health Centers Expand Cancer Screenings for Underserved
University of Virginia Cancer Center
To expand access to cancer screenings for underserved groups in three regions of Virginia, UVA Cancer Center is establishing partnerships with community health centers serving those areas. The partnerships are supported by $500,000 grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to improve equity in cancer screenings. The three health centers serve all patients, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay.
Cullen to Retire as Director
University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center
Kevin J. Cullen, MD, the longtime director of the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC), will transition from this position in 2023. Dr. Cullen has overseen four applications for National Cancer Institute designation at UMGCCC and a fifth as interim director of the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Gadi Named Deputy Director
University of Illinois Cancer Center
VK Gadi, MD, PhD, whose laboratory and clinical research has focused primarily on breast cancer, is the new deputy director of the University of Illinois Cancer Center. Dr. Gadi joined the cancer center in March 2020 as associate director of translational medicine.
Kelly Appointed Chair of Medical Oncology
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Jefferson
Wm. Kevin Kelly, DO, has been appointed chair of the Department of Medical Oncology for the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. An expert in genitourinary cancers and drug development for prostate cancer and other malignancies, Dr. Kelly joined Jefferson in 2010 and currently serves as associate director of clinical research in the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center.
Rogers Appointed Associate Cancer Center Director for DEI
Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine
Faye Rogers, PhD, associate professor of therapeutic radiology, has been appointed associate cancer center director for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at Yale Cancer Center. She will lead the center’s efforts to enhance its culture of belonging, including programs and training in cultural and structural humility, counteracting stigma and stereotypes, and gender discrimination.
Holzbeierlein Appointed Physician in Chief
The University of Kansas Cancer Center
Jeffrey Holzbeierlein, MD, was named physician in chief of The University of Kansas Cancer Center. He will assume the role held by Terry Tsue, MD, who retired in January after serving in the health system appointed position for the past 10 years.
Associate Director of Research Administration Appointed
Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina
Travis Poole, MHA, has been appointed as associate director of research administration at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. Poole works closely with the director and members of senior and programmatic leadership to build and support the research infrastructure crucial to the cancer center's mission.
Yang Joins Markey as Chair of Radiation Medicine
UK Markey Cancer Center
The University of Kentucky College of Medicine is excited to announce that Eddy Shih-Hsin Yang, MD, PhD, will join the college as the new chair of the department of radiation medicine and the Markey Cancer Foundation Endowed Chair in Radiation Medicine. Dr. Yang is joining the College of Medicine from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Sotorasib Shows Meaningful Anticancer Activity in KRAS G12C-mutated Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer
University of Florida Health Cancer Center
UF Health was a study location for a multicenter Phase I-II trial showing that the KRAS G12C inhibitor sotorasib achieved anticancer activity with an acceptable safety profile in heavily pretreated patients within KRAS G12C-mutated metastatic pancreatic cancer. Thomas George, MD, FACP, was a coauthor on the study.
Study: Chronic Opioid Use Reduced by Limiting Prescribed Opioids After Surgery
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Research at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center shows that putting a three-day limit on opioid prescriptions to treat surgical pain after hospital discharge reduces the number of patients who become chronic opioid users without compromising pain relief or recovery. It also reduces the amount of opioids circulating in the community.
Metastasis Markers
University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center
In a new paper, Dario Marchetti, PhD, and his team at the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center describe the process they used to identify the genetic signs of melanoma that is likely to spread. They isolated circulating tumor cells from people with melanoma who represented a range of stages and created and used mouse models to find the signature for metastasizing melanoma.
Researchers Circumvent Radiation Resistance in Subtype of Brain Tumors
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
Patients whose brain tumors have a mutated enzyme called IDH1 typically live longer than those without the mutation. But even as these tumors are initially less aggressive, they always come back. A key reason: the tumors are resistant to radiation treatment and are invasive. Researchers at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center have uncovered a gene that is overexpressed in mutated IDH1. The gene, called ZMYND8, plays a critical role in the radiation resistance.
Using a Seaweed Sugar to Trigger Immune Responses That Suppress Melanomas
Moffitt Cancer Center
Moffitt Cancer Center researchers have identified a relatively natural way to increase the numbers and antitumor activities of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). A new study demonstrates how L-fucose, a nontoxic dietary plant sugar that is enriched in red and brown seaweeds, can increase TILs, promote antitumor immunity and improve the efficacy of immunotherapy.
Aggressive Surgery Increases Survival With Low-Grade Brain Tumors
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
The transition of a low-grade, slow growing brain tumor to a lethal one can be delayed if neurosurgeons remove as much as possible soon after diagnosis, according to the results of a study led by UC San Francisco. The findings run counter to other research indicating that extensive resection, or maximal surgical removal, may not be necessary depending on tumor characteristics.
After 10 Years and One Thousand Studies, Epigeneticists Uncover Trouble in Their Toolbox
Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine
In a new study, a team led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine reveals that the commercial tool that has been the workhorse for epigenome-wide association studies is actually not appropriate for population epigenetics.
Mitochondrial Uncoupling Induces Epigenome Remodeling and Promotes Differentiation in Neuroblastoma
Stanford Cancer Institute
Stanford Cancer Institute member Jiangbin Ye, PhD, and colleagues found that mitochondrial uncoupling is an effective metabolic and epigenetic therapy for reversing the Warburg Effect and inducing differentiation in neuroblastoma.
Updated Online Tool First to Assess Risk of Cancer, Heart Disease Using Family Data
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
A cutting-edge upgrade of an online tool developed by genetic experts and data scientists at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is the first to fully assess an individual’s hereditary risk for cancer or heart disease using personal and family health history.
Researchers Uncover New Pathway for Molecular Cancer Drug Therapies
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
In a study published in Science, Kevin Lou, an MD-PhD student, Luke Gilbert, PhD, and Kevan Shokat, PhD, revealed the discovery of a cellular uptake pathway important for larger molecules. These large and complex molecules bind in unconventional ways to their targets, are efficiently taken up by target cells, and can be harnessed to create new drugs for the treatment of cancer and other diseases.
Taming Overactive mTOR in Renal Cell Cancer
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
In a new study from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, researchers described a novel mechanism of tumor formation in kidney cancers driven by overexpression of the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling pathway with loss of the tuberous sclerosis complex tumor suppressor gene. Their findings point to potential therapeutic targets for some of the most aggressive renal cell cancers.
Luck Favors the Prepared Mind
Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center
Two promising metastatic breast cancer drug discoveries have emerged from the McDonnell Lab at Duke into the clinic. One of the drugs, Elacestrant, was approved by the FDA on January 27 to treat certain postmenopausal women or adult men with advanced or metastatic ER-positive, HER2-negative, ESR1-mutated breast cancer after one or more lines of endocrine therapy.
Study Finds New Genetic Risk Factors for Colorectal Cancer, Paving the Way For Better Screening, Prevention
Fred Hutch Cancer Center
A comprehensive analysis of more than 100,000 colorectal cancer cases, led by researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and 200 scientific collaborators worldwide, has identified more than 100 new genetic risk factors strongly linked with the disease.
Study Shows How Liver Cancer Hijacks Circadian Clock Machinery Inside Cells
USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
A study led by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC not only directly links circadian clock proteins to liver cancer, but also shows precisely how cancer cells hijack circadian clock machinery to divide and spread. The research, also found that inhibiting key clock proteins can prevent cancer cells from multiplying.
Neuronal Molecule Makes Prostate Cancer More Aggressive
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Jefferson
Researchers have discovered key molecular players that drive prostate cancer to progress into a highly aggressive form of the disease called neuroendocrine prostate cancer that currently has no effective treatment.
Quality of Treatment for Lung Cancer Varies Widely Across U.S.
Siteman Cancer Center
A study from Siteman Cancer Center found the quality of care for lung cancer in the U.S. varies widely, with significantly worse outcomes among patients whose surgeries fall short of established treatment guidelines. After examining five surgical quality metrics based on guidelines established by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and other cancer groups, researchers found that adherence to these quality metrics was associated with improved overall survival rates.
Scientists Develop Novel mRNA Delivery Method Using Extracellular Vesicles
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
A team of researchers led by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has developed a novel delivery system for messenger RNA (mRNA) using extracellular vesicles. The new technique has the potential to overcome many of the delivery hurdles faced by other promising mRNA therapies.
Scientists Identify How a Biological Pathway Leads Stem Cells to Die or Regenerate
Cedars-Sinai Cancer
A new study led by Cedars-Sinai and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), has determined that altering a cellular process can lead stem cells—cells from which other cells in the body develop—to die or regenerate.
Study Addresses Colorectal Cancer Disparities in Black Communities
UK Markey Cancer Center
A new UK Markey Cancer Center study highlights the need for increased outreach and education to reduce colorectal cancer screening disparities in Black communities. According to the qualitative study, people in Kentucky’s Black communities may not be aware about all of the colorectal cancer screening options available to them, particularly stool-based tests.
Study Suggests a Way To Re-Energize Tired T Cells When Treating Cancer, Viral Infections
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
A new study by researchers at OSUCCC – James suggests a way to re-energize critical killer immune cells that have become exhausted when fighting cancer or chronic viral infections.
Certain Gene Signaling Rewires Tumors After Immunotherapy
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
Researchers from the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center have identified a mechanism for why a subset of patients’ tumors grow, rather than shrink, when faced with immunotherapy. They found that tumors with hyperprogression after immunotherapy exhibited elevated levels of fibroblast growth factor 2 and beta-catenin signaling.
Findings Could Help Prevent Side Effects for Breast Cancer Patients
Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center
Researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine are learning more about ways to prevent serious side effects from chemotherapy used to treat breast cancer patients. The work done by the Schneider lab at the Vera Bradley Foundation Center for Breast Cancer Research at the IU Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center and led by Xi Wu, PhD.
New Approach Outperforms Existing Cancer Susceptibility Models
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Investigators at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the University of Calgary have devised a new approach for conducting gene-based analyses for cancer susceptibility that outperforms existing models. Their research tested a new model for transcriptome-wide association studies, a gene-based method for investigating susceptibility to cancer and other complex diseases.
Older Patients Left Behind in Progress Against Lung Cancer
Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine
Although widespread use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with advanced lung cancer has led to meaningful improvements in survival in younger patients, older patients have not experienced similar survival benefits, new research from Yale Cancer Center shows.
Study Reveals How Chronic Blood Cancer Transitions to Aggressive Disease
Siteman Cancer Center
Researchers at Siteman Cancer Center have identified an important transition point in the shift from chronic to aggressive leukemia, showing that blocking a key molecule in the transition pathway prevents this dangerous disease progression in mice with models of the disease and in mice with tumors sampled from human patients.
Streamlining Lung Cancer Screening
Cedars-Sinai Cancer
Cedars-Sinai Cancer is taking on the country’s leading cause of cancer-related death with a new lung cancer screening program designed to reach more patients, simplify the screening process, and provide fast access to follow-up care.
Moffitt Breaks Ground on New Campus
Moffitt Cancer Center
A January groundbreaking and naming celebration for "Speros FL" officially kicked off construction of the 775-acre Pasco County, FL campus featuring 16 million square feet of lab, office, manufacturing and clinical space. The name, Speros, is a derivative of the Latin verb "Sperare," meaning "to hope" or "to look forward to."
Email Fraud Reminder From AACI
Association of American Cancer Institutes
AACI recently received a fraudulent email message that incorporated AACI’s domain name. Please remain alert to possible phishing and email scams, especially if you receive unsolicited messages, attachments, and requests for replies.
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Meeting Announcements
15th Annual AACI CRI Meeting
June 26, 2023
Registration is open for the 15th Annual AACI CRI Meeting, June 26-28, 2023, at Loews Chicago O'Hare Hotel in Rosemont, IL.
For those who are unable to attend the CRI meeting in person, a virtual option is available. To register as a virtual attendee, select the "Member - Virtual Only" registration type. This will give you access to all sessions held in the main ballroom and a virtual breakout session. Virtual registration rates will remain the same. Login information will be provided closer to the meeting.
2023 Annual Conference of the Cancer Molecular Therapeutics Research Association (CMTRA)
July 23, 2023
The 2023 Cancer Molecular Therapeutics Research Association (CMTRA) Conference will be held July 23-27 at the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel in upstate New York.
The format of the CMTRA-2023 conference allows for 150 or fewer delegates to foster and promote both formal and informal scientific interactions.
Session highlights include:
The format of the CMTRA-2023 conference allows for 150 or fewer delegates to foster and promote both formal and informal scientific interactions.
Session highlights include:
- Targeting RAS
- Autophagy and cancer
- Target identification and discovery
- Pediatric cancers
- Targeting the cell division cycle
2023 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting
October 1, 2023
Registration is now open for the 2023 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting, October 1-3, 2023, at the Salamander Washington DC.
For those who are unable to attend the annual meeting in person, a virtual option is available. To register as a virtual attendee, select the "Member - Virtual Only" registration type. This will give you access to all sessions held in the main ballroom and a virtual breakout session. Virtual registration rates will remain the same. Login information will be provided closer to the meeting.
2024 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting
October 20, 2024
The 2024 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting will be held October 20-22 at Loews Chicago Downtown Hotel in Chicago, IL. A virtual registration option is also available to those who cannot attend in person.