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December
1, 2003 |
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you are unable to view these articles or access the links,
please visit the ASBMT Web Site at
www.asbmt.org to read this
issue. To be removed from this distribution list, please see
instructions at bottom. |
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Top
Stories |
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Legislation and Regulation |
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Clinical
Research |
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Pharmaceutical
News |
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Association
News |
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Calendar |
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eNews
Archives |
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Tandem BMT Meetings
Feb 13 - 17, 2004
Orlando, Florida
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(Note: Answers to this interactive poll are anonymous.)
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Last Month's
Poll Results
Should
hematology/oncology fellowship programs have specific
tracks and curricula for clinical investigators?
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Yes, but there will never be sufficient funding. |
(317) 58% |
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Yes,
but these programs exist and are adequate. |
(12)
2% |
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No, current training is sufficient. |
(213) 39% |
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Calendar |
• December
American Society of Hematology (ASH)
45th Annual Meeting
Dec. 6-9
San Diego Convention Center
San Diego, Calif.
American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB)
43rd Annual Meeting
Dec. 13-17
Moscone Convention Center
San Francisco
2004
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January
American Society of Transplantation (AST)
8th Annual Winter Symposium
Jan. 15-18
Westin Kierland Resort
Scottsdale, Ariz.
•
February
6th International Congress on New Trends in Immunosuppression
Feb. 5-8
Salzburg Congress Centre
Salzburg, Austria
Tandem BMT Meetings
(Combined ASBMT and IBMTR/ABMTR annual meetings)
Feb. 13-17
Coronado Springs Resort
Orlando, Fla.
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March
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
95th Annual Meeting
March 27-31
Orange County Convention Center
Orlando, Fla.
European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT)
30th Annual Meeting
March 28 - 31
Palau de Congressos de Catalunya
Barcelona, Spain
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April
American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (ASPH/O)
17th Annual Scientific Meeting
April 29-May 2
Westin St. Francis Hotel
San Francisco
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May
International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT)
10th Annual Meeting
May 7-10
The Burlington Hotel
Dublin, Ireland
World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA)
5th International Donor Registry Conference
May 26-29
Keio University Mita Campus
Tokyo, Japan
2005
Tandem BMT Meetings
(Combined ASBMT and IBMTR/ABMTR annual meetings)
Feb. 10-14
Keystone Resort
Keystone, Colo.
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Top
Stories |
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European Parliament votes to fund stem cell research
The European Parliament is voting for European Union money
to be used to fund medical research on stem cells derived from
human embryos, but the final decision rests with the 15 member
states, six of which ban the practice. At the same time, the
assembly rejected a series of amendments that would have imposed
stricter conditions on stem cell research, meaning many
countries may not back the proposal.
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Current stem cell lines not racially
diverse, experts say
An 18-member panel of researchers and scientists recently
announced that genetic and immunological diversity is low among
federally approved cell lines, meaning some minority groups may
be at a disadvantage later. They recommend either raising
private funds or convincing the Bush administration to lift the
ban on the production of new stem cell lines.
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Anormed makes plans to test AMD3100 for
repairing damaged heart tissue
Drug developer Anormed Inc. has announced plans to initiate
a new clinical program in 2004 to evaluate AMD3100, a rapid stem
cell mobilizer, as a potential agent to help repair damaged
heart tissue in patients who have suffered a heart attack.
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Law may ban patents on human organisms
A provision to be included in a spending bill would bar the
U.S. Patent Office from issuing patents on genetically
engineered human embryos and fetuses or human beings. However,
the provision, sponsored by Rep. Dave Weldon, M.D. (R-Fla.)
would not affect patents on genes, cells, tissues and other
biological products.
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NIH grant establishes research center in
Cleveland
A new Idiopathic Bone Marrow Failure and Cytopenias Clinical
Research Center is being established by the Cleveland Clinic’s
Taussig Cancer Center, thanks to a $4.5 million grant over five
years from the National Institutes of Health. The center is one
of seven being created nationwide as part of a Rare Diseases
Clinical Research Network.
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 A
Word from President Joseph Antin, M.D.
Does your transplant unit administer intensive care,
or are your patients transferred to a dedicated ICU when
they require high levels of support?
This is a question we’ve recently dealt with at my
transplant center. I’m sure many of you also have
struggled with this issue. I want to share a letter I
received from ASBMT member Dr. Frank Beardell in Newark,
Del.
Dear Dr. Antin:
Transplant services are often delivered in a specialized
unit, and what those specialized units entail seems to
differ among institutions.
I am hopeful that the ASBMT can provide guidance as to
“best practices” for patients requiring critical care
services (i.e. ventilator, BP support) during the course
of transplant. For programs that provide all services
within the transplant unit, how are those units staffed
both from a nursing and a physician perspective? How is
proficiency maintained? I wonder if any studies have been
done on survivability.
Sincerely,
Frank V. Beardell, M.D.
On the one hand, an ICU directly attached to the
transplant center is tremendously appealing. Critically
ill patients can be maintained where the nursing staff is
knowledgeable about the immunologic issues of
graft-versus-host disease, transfusion support and
opportunistic infections. The unit’s ambient air can be
controlled to protect immunocompromised hosts. No question
about it, maintaining control of fragile patients can
avoid problems.
On the other hand, a dedicated ICU comes at a substantial
cost. It requires appropriately skilled nurses and
physicians who are trained to be intensivists. Stability
of patient traffic may be difficult to maintain. Who pays
for empty beds, and what happens when there are too many
patients? Who cares for “boarders” in a transplant ICU?
Each center has to find its own solutions, and those
solutions may vary as circumstances change. This would be
an excellent topic for a forum at an upcoming annual
meeting.
Until someone conducts the definitive survey, you may be
able to help Dr. Beardell by telling us about intensive
care patients at your transplant center, using the ASBMT
Monthly Poll at left. Don’t hesitate to explain and
amplify by clicking “View Results” and entering your
comments.
– Joe |
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Legislation and Regulation |
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Chretein’s early departure leaves stem cell bill unpassed
The early departure of Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretein
has left in limbo a bill approved by the House of Commons
permitting research using human embryonic stem cells but banning
human cloning. New Prime Minister Paul Martin can decide in
January whether to resurrect the bill.
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Clinical
Research |
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Human bone marrow cells differentiate into vessels and
heart muscle
When human bone marrow-derived multipotent stem cells were
implanted into the hearts of rats, they regenerated both blood
vessels and heart muscle, according to a study reported at the
American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2003.
The cells improved heart function after 28 days, as well as
increasing levels of angiogenic cytokines and cardiac
transcription factors.
Scientists test new method of developing stem cells
London-based TriStem has been granted permission to test the
effectiveness of its technique of extracting white blood cells
and making them revert to a stem cell-like state on a dozen
patients suffering from aplastic anemia, according to a report
in New Scientist magazine. The method has already been
tested in mice, and the results should be available by March
Injected stem cells restore feeling in paralyzed people
Injecting stem cells harvested from the blood into the
artery supplying blood to the damaged area of the spinal cord
has restored feeling in people in Brazil who were paralyzed for
at least two years, according to a study published in the Nov.
17 issue of the magazine Chemistry and Industry. After a
few months, 12 of the 30 patients treated responded to
electrical stimulation of their paralyzed limbs.
Bone marrow stem cells show promise in treating pulmonary
hypertension
Endothelial progenitor cells from bone marrow, injected into
the pulmonary circulation of rats suffering from pulmonary
arterial hypertension, restored blood flow to the lungs,
according to a study reported at the American Heart
Association’s Scientific Sessions 2003. Researchers
measured right ventricular systolic blood pressure, as well as a
reduction in thickening of the heart wall.
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Association
News |
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Reserve housing by Jan. 12 for Tandem BMT Meetings
The deadline is Jan. 12 for housing for the 2004 Tandem BMT
Meetings, Feb. 13-17 in Orlando. After that date, sleeping
accommodations at special convention rates are on a “space
available” basis. A Housing Reservation Form can be downloaded
from the ASBMT Web site, or call Coronado Springs Resort
reservations at (407) 939-1020. The special conference rate is
$138 for a single or double.
Staunching the flow to prevent a blood bath
Bleeding is a major complication of bone marrow failure.
Advances in transfusion technology that help manage severe
thrombocytopenia are addressed in the current issue of Blood
and Marrow Transplantation Reviews. The presentation, based
on a symposium at the 2003 Tandem BMT Meetings, examines
excessive bleeding in the hematopoietic cell transplant setting
and options for management.
Free ASBMT membership for trainees
Post-doctoral fellows and physicians-in-training for blood
and marrow transplantation are eligible for free ASBMT
membership in 2004. The recruitment program has increased
in-training enrollments in the Society from 26 to 120 in the
past three months.
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