Also Included In: Lymphology/Lymphedema; Stem Cell Research
Article Date: 12 Dec 2011 - 1:00 PST
email to a friend 
printer friendly 
opinions 
Researchers from Seidman Cancer Center at University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine presented new research findings in 25 presentations at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) at the San Diego Convention Center.
"The breadth and depth of this innovative cancer research presented at ASH is truly outstanding," says Stan Gerson, MD, Director of the Seidman Cancer Center at UH Case Medical Center and the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University. "Our faculty members are making tremendous advances in hematology and oncology which is reflected in their being chosen for oral and poster presentations."
Speaking at the ASH "Scientific Symposium on Lymphoid Neoplasia" in a session titled "Autophagy and Metabolism in Lymphoid Malignancies," Clark Distelhorst, MD, provided a synthesis of the latest research indicating that autophagy occurs in lymphoid malignancies and may be a novel therapeutic target for lymphoma and other lymphoid neoplasia. His research suggests that targeting autophagy (a process through which cells eat parts of themselves to generate sufficient energy to stay alive) may be a useful adjunct to the longstanding use of glucocorticoids, such as prednisone, to kill cancer cells.
His session outlined the growing body of evidence that treatments aimed at inducing autophagy have great promise in treating lymphoid malignancies. In his session, Dr. Distelhorst presented important data explaining how glucocorticoids starve tumor cells of glucose and thus induce autophagy. Researchers at UH Case Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University identified the Dexamethasone-induced Gene 2 (dig2) that encodes a protein mediator of autophagy.
"This new cancer-fighting strategy lays the groundwork for further development of autophagy inhibitors to enhance the glucocorticoids properties," says Dr. Distelhorst, who is vice-chair of the ASH subcommittee on Lymphoid Neoplasia. "This is a major step forward in our research efforts to develop new therapies for lymphoid malignancies."
Dr. Distelhorst's session was Saturday, December 10, 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. in Room 6A. (San Diego Convention Center). http://ash.confex.com/ash/2011/webprogram/Paper35836.html
In a poster presentation (Abstract# 1907), Jeffery Auletta, MD, Kenneth Cooke, MD, and colleagues presented significant findings that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) effectively treat graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) while not interfering with bone marrow transplant's efficacy in treating leukemia.
MSCs are non-hematopoietic (not blood-forming cells) adult stem cells found in the bone marrow and were discovered at UH Seidman Cancer Center and Case Western Reserve University. They maintain hematopoietic stem cell (blood-forming cells) development and also differentiate into fat cells, bone cells and cartilage cells. MSCs have been shown to suppress immune responses ex vivo (outside the body in cell culture conditions).
Due to these properties, MSCs have been used to treat GvHD in bone marrow transplant (BMT) patients. However, how MSC immunomodulation works in vivo (inside the body) has not been well studied, and, in fact, could potentially promote leukemia/lymphoma recurrence in transplant patients. That is, the benefit of BMT is that the donor graft kills residual leukemia in the transplant recipient (host), a process called graft-versus-leukemia (GvL).
"We used a pre-clinical mouse model of BMT to study how human MSCs mediate in vivo immune effects," says Dr. Auletta. "Our results show for the first time using an animal model that human MSCs simultaneously attenuate GvHD, but spare GvL activity."
Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.Visit our lymphoma / leukemia / myeloma section for the latest news on this subject. The poster titled "Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Attenuate Graft-Versus-Host Disease and Maintain Graft-Versus-Leukemia in Murine Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation" was Saturday, December 10, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. in Hall GH (San Diego Convention Center). http://ash.confex.com/ash/2011/webprogram/Paper39108.html
Co-authors are Saada Eid, BS, Matthew Keller, BS, Leland Metheny, MD, Rocio Guardia-Wolff, BS, Zhenghong Lee, PhD, and Luis A. Solchaga, PhD.
Other presentations of note include:
Abstract # 1987: "Prophylaxis of Acute Gvhd Using Stromal Cell Therapy: Preliminary Results After Administration of Single or Multiple Doses of Multistem® in a Phase I Trial"
Oral and Poster Abstracts: Clinical Allogeneic Transplantation - Acute and Chronic GVHD, Immune Reconstitution: Poster I
Saturday, December 10, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Hall GH (San Diego Convention Center)
http://ash.confex.com/ash/2011/webprogram/Paper43928.html
Authors: Richard T. Maziarz, MD, Timothy deVos, MD, Carlos Bachier, MD, Steven C. Goldstein, MD, Jose Leis, MD, PhD, Robert Perry, BS, Robert Deans, PhD, Wouter J. Van't Hof, PhD and Hillard Lazarus, MD
Abstract# 2019: "BEP Versus BEAM Conditioning for Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Relapsed Lymphoma. A Single Center Retrospective Review of Two Contemporaneous Cohorts"
Oral and Poster Abstracts: Clinical Allogeneic and Autologous Transplantation-Results: Poster I
Saturday, December 10, 5:30 p.m. -7:30 p.m. Hall GH (San Diego Convention Center)
http://ash.confex.com/ash/2011/webprogram/Paper38633.html
Authors: Paolo F. Caimi, MD, Ashley Rosko, MD, Pingfu Fu, PhD, Huda S. Salman, MD, Tamila L. Kindwall-Keller, DO, Brenda W. Cooper, MD and Hillard M. Lazarus, MD FACP
Abstract# 2568: "The Impact of Obesity on the Presentation & Outcome of Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) - ECOG Studies E1900 & E3999"
Oral and Poster Abstracts: Acute Myeloid Leukemia - Biology and Pathophysiology: Poster II
Sunday, December 11, 6 p.m. -8 p.m. Hall GH (San Diego Convention Center)
http://ash.confex.com/ash/2011/webprogram/Paper38139.html
Authors: James M. Foran, MD, FRCPC, Zhuoxin Sun, PhD, Hugo F. Fernandez, MD, Larry D. Cripe, MD, Rhett P. Ketterling, MD, Janis Racevskis, PhD, Selina M. Luger, MD, Elisabeth Paietta, PhD, Hillard M. Lazarus, MD, FACP, Mark R. Litzow, MD and Martin S. Tallman, MD
Abstract# 700: "Over-Expression of the Mas Receptor Decreases Arterial Thrombosis Risk in B2R KO Mice by Elevating NO and Prostacyclin and Reducing GPVI Activation"
Oral and Poster Abstracts: Vascular Wall Biology, Endothelial Progenitor Cells and Platelet Adhesion: Endothelial Receptors and Signalling
Monday, December 12, 5:15 p.m. Marriott Hall 4 (San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina)
http://ash.confex.com/ash/2011/webprogram/Paper41833.html
Authors: Chao Fang, Evi Stavrou, MD, Alec A. Schmaier, PhD, Gregory N. Adams, Marvin T. Nieman, PhD, Gretchen LaRusch, Matthew Bilodeau, MD, PhD, Fakhri Mahdi, Mark Warnock and Alvin H. Schmaier, MD
University Hospitals Case Medical Center Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:
MLA
12 Dec. 2011.
Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.
Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.
If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.
All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)
Contact Our News Editors
For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.
Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:
Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.
