CCR’s Douglas Lowy and John Schiller receive the 2017 Lasker~DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award
Douglas Lowy, M.D., and John Schiller, Ph.D., of CCR’s Laboratory of Cellular Oncology have received the 2017 Lasker~DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award for their groundbreaking research leading to the development of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines. The Lasker Awards are widely regarded as the country’s most prestigious biomedical research prizes. Read more...
Clinical trial looks at new methods of assessing treatment response for esophageal cancer
Posted: Sep 12, 2017
Currently, there is no way to accurately evaluate patients' response to treatment or to detect residual esophageal cancer without removing the esophagus. R. Taylor Ripley, M.D., of the Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Oncology Branch is leading a study to determine whether metabolomic signatures or BH3 profiling in biopsy tissues can identify patients who will likely respond well to pre-surgical treatment. Learn more...
Clinical trial will investigate targeted radionuclide therapy for inoperable rare tumors
Posted: Aug 29, 2017
In an upcoming phase II clinical trial, Center for Cancer Research investigators will explore the ability of a targeted radioactive drug to treat inoperable pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma, both rare tumors. Learn more...
Sriram Subramaniam named 2018 Biophysical Society Fellow
Posted: Aug 29, 2017
The Biophysical Society has selected Sriram Subramaniam, Ph.D., Senior Investigator in the Laboratory of Cell Biology, as a 2018 Fellow for his seminal contributions to the cryo-EM field and related disciplines, including electron tomography and focused ion beam imaging. Along with other distinguished members who have demonstrated excellence in science and contributed to the expansion of the field of biophysics, Dr. Subramaniam will be honored during the Awards Ceremony of the Biophysical Society’s Annual Meeting on February 19, 2018 in San Francisco. Learn more...
Clinical trial aims to study immunotherapy for central nervous system tumors
Posted: Aug 23, 2017
A new clinical trial aims to determine whether nivolumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, can improve control of cancer for patients with several types of tumors of the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS is composed of the brain and spinal cord and the cause of most CNS tumors in adults is unknown. Learn more...
A fantastic camp experience for kids with unique health conditions
Posted: Aug 18, 2017
Believe it or not, camp was a favorite part of summer for Nesma Aly from 2008 to 2016. When Nesma was nine months old she was diagnosed with osteopetrosis, a rare congenital disorder in which bones become prone to break easily due to an imbalance in bone formation and breakdown. Camp Fantastic is distinctive in that it provides a normal camping experience for a unique group: children between the ages of 7 and 19 who are undergoing cancer treatment presently or in the last three years, or a bone marrow transplant in the last five years. The 2017 Camp Fantastic session runs August 13-19. Read more...
Recap: “First in Human” Twitter chat
Posted: Aug 17, 2017
Leading up to the premiere of the three-part documentary, First in Human, Discovery hosted a Twitter chat on Wednesday, August 9, 2017, to discuss clinical trials and the making of the film. Stephanie Goff, M.D., Staff Clinician in the Surgery Branch, and Terry Fry, M.D., Investigator in the Pediatric Oncology Branch, represented the Center for Cancer Research in the chat. This Storify post recaps the chat and gives the audience an inside look at the making of the documentary.
CAR T-Cell therapy can lead to long-lasting remissions in patients with lymphoma
Posted: Aug 17, 2017
More than three years after treatment, some clinical trial participants who received CAR T-cell therapy for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma remain in remission. These results are reported in a paper in Molecular Therapy by James Kochenderfer, M.D., of CCR's Experimental Transplantation and Immunology Branch. “This raises the possibility that CAR T cells can be curative for diffuse large B cell lymphoma,” Kochenderfer says.
Kevin Camphausen awarded ASTRO Fellowship
Posted: Aug 16, 2017
Kevin Camphausen, M.D., Chief of CCR’s Radiation Oncology Branch, is among 23 distinguished members of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) to receive fellowship designation. Since 2006, the ASTRO Fellowship has been awarded to physicians and medical physicists making significant contributions to the field of radiation oncology in research, patient care, education and leadership. Dr. Camphausen will receive his award during ASTRO’s Annual Meeting, held September 24-27, 2017, in San Diego.
Clinical trial tests drug for tumors associated with Krebs-cycle dysfunction
Posted: Aug 15, 2017
The Krebs cycle is part of the complex process where cells turn food into energy. One of the elements of the Krebs cycle is succinate dehydrogenase (SDH). Loss of SDH activity in cells has been linked to tumor formation. This new trial is studying guadecitabine for tumors associated with Krebs cycle dysfunction. Learn more...
CCR scientists gain new understanding of cellular mechanisms during infection
Posted: Aug 14, 2017
A new study published August 10, 2017, in Molecular Cell reveals how changes in the architecture of the nucleus can enable B lymphocytes to spring to action during an immune system attack and help fight infection. The discovery could lead scientists to a better understanding of how some tumor cells, especially blood cancer cells, make similar transitions from a dormant to an active state. Read more. . .