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August
1, 2006 |
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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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Job &
Fellowship Connections |
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Monthly Journal |
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eNews
Archives |
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BMT Tandem
Meetings
Feb. 8-12, 2007
Keystone, Colorado |
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Calendar |
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• August
Back to the Science of Stem Cell Research
Cambridge Healthtech Institute
Aug. 14-16
Marriott Boston Long Wharf
Boston, Massachusetts
• September
Third Annual Symposium on Controversies and Clinical
Challenges in Myeloma, Lymphoma and Leukemia
Physicians’ Education Resource Conference
Sept. 8-10
Ritz-Carlton
Sarasota, Florida
Targeted and Tailored Therapies in Hematology/Oncology
Loyola University Chicago Cardinal Bernardine Cancer Center
Sept. 9
Swissotel
Chicago, Illinois
Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development:
Maximizing Opportunities for Treatment
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
Sept. 12-15
Hyatt Regency Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
Myeloproliferative Disorders: Molecular Pathogenesis and Therapy
European School of Haematology
Sept. 14-16
Grand Savoy Hotel
Madeira, Portugal
German Society for Transfusion Medicine and Immunohematology (DGTI)
in collaboration with the International Society for Cellular
Therapy-Europe (ISCT-Europe)
39th Annual Congress
Sept. 19-22
Congress Centre Messe
Frankfurt, Germany
American Society of Multicultural Health and Transplant
Professionals (ASMHTP)
14th Annual Conference
Sept. 22-24
Hyatt Regency
Dearborn, Michigan
6th Annual Somatic Cell Therapy Symposium
International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT)
with AABB and the FDA
Sept. 25-27
Bethesda, Maryland
International Society for Experimental Hematology (ISEH)
35th Annual Scientific Meeting
Sept. 27-30
Hyatt Regency
Minneapolis, Minnesota
10th Biennial National Symposium on Hematopoietic Cell
Transplantation
Stanford University School of Medicine
Sept. 28-30
Fairchild Auditorium
Stanford, California
• October
American Society for Human
Genetics (ASHG)
56th Annual Meeting
Oct. 9-13
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
New Orleans, Louisiana
American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ASHI)
32th Annual Meeting
Sheraton Hotel & Marina
Oct. 16-20
San Diego, California
American Association of Blood Banks (AABB)
2006 Annual Meeting
Oct. 21-24
Miami Beach Convention Center
Miami Beach, Florida
Mouse Models of Cancer
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
Oct. 25-28
Hyatt Regency Cambridge
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Stem Cells in Cancer and Regenerative Medicine
University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Oct. 27-29
J.W. Marriott Hotel
Houston, Texas
• November
International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer
Therapeutics
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
Nov. 7-10
Prague Congress Centre
Prague, Czech Republic
European Society of Gene Therapy (ESGT)
14th Annual Congress
Nov. 9-12
Athens Hilton Hotel
Athens, Greece
National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP)
19th Annual Council Meeting
Nov. 10-12
Hilton Minneapolis Hotel
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Tumor Immunology: An Integrated Perspective
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
Nov. 29-Dec. 2
InterContinental Miami Hotel
Miami, Florida
• December
American Society of Hematology (ASH)
48th Annual Meeting
Dec. 9-12
Orange County Convention Center
Orlando, Florida
American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB)
46th Annual Meeting
Dec. 9-13
San Diego Convention Center
San Diego, California
2007
BMT Tandem Meetings
(Combined ASBMT and CIBMTR annual meetings)
Feb. 8-12
Keystone Conference Center
Keystone, Colorado
2008
BMT Tandem Meetings
(Combined ASBMT and CIBMTR annual meetings)
Feb. 13-17
Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel
San Diego, California
2009
BMT Tandem Meetings
(Combined ASBMT and CIBMTR annual meetings)
Feb. 11-15
Tampa Convention Center
Tampa, Florida
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Top
Stories |
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British institute allowed to recruit egg donors for stem cell
research
The United Kingdom’s independent regulatory agency for
fertility treatment and embryo research has granted a license to
a Newcastle research institute to recruit women having fertility
treatment to donate eggs for stem cell research and therapeutic
cloning. In exchange for the eggs, the authority will contribute
to the cost of the patients’ treatment.
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Blood test could potentially detect lung cancer
A multi-biomarker blood test, which works by identifying the
body's own immune response to tumors, is 90 percent accurate in
predicting non-small-cell lung cancer in patients years before
any CT scan can detect it. According to a report published in
the July issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology,
researchers will spend the next two years developing the
clinical application for the blood test.
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Prostate cancer cells have three-way survival switch
Prostate cancer cells can use three different signaling pathways
to inactivate a protein that causes cell death and resist
hormone treatment to stay alive. According to a study published
in the July 28 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry,
by inactivating a protein called BAD, prostate cancer cells
become resistant to treatment that lowers levels of male
hormones, such as testosterone, that prostate cells normally
need to survive. In prostate cancer cells, BAD is shut down by
three signaling pathways activated by vasoactive intestinal
peptide, epidermal growth factor and phosphoinositide 3-kinase.
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Combination therapy improves pancreatic cancer survival
Using a combination of chemotherapy and radiation to treat
pancreatic cancer after surgery improves survival time by an
average of seven months. According to a report published in the
advance online edition of the British Journal of Cancer,
median survival for the 46 patients in the study was 18.3
months, compared with the national average of 11 months for
patients undergoing surgery alone.
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Company in Singapore creates human embryonic stem cell lines
ES Cell International, a biotech company in Singapore, has
produced and stored four new human embryonic stem cell lines and
expects to store another four soon. The company said the lines
will be available to researchers worldwide by the end of the
year.
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Trichloroethylene can cause cancer in humans
Trichloroethylene – a solvent used in adhesives, paint and
spot removers – can cause cancer in people, according to a
report from the National Academy of Sciences. The solvent is
known to cause cancer in some laboratory animals and has been
found at about 60 percent of the nation's worst contaminated
sites in the Superfund cleanup program
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 A
Word from President
Robert Negrin, MD
“Just like Las Vegas, what happens in this room stays in
this room.”
That was the chair’s admonition that prompted smiles at
the beginning of a meeting last month with representatives
of major payers for transplant services. There hardly was
anything secretive or confidential on the agenda.
Every second year, companies in the “payers group” of the
United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) hold a roundtable
meeting in Chicago, and ASBMT is invited to bring topics
of interest or concern. Gathered at the table this year
were many of the major payers – Aetna, Cigna, Interlink,
LifeTrac/Allianz, MultiPlan, URN, Wellpoint and Blue
Distinction Centers of Transplant (formerly BQCT), among
others.
You’re probably thinking that we seize this biennial
opportunity to tell the payers what’s collectively on the
minds of blood and marrow transplant clinicians. And you’d
be right. But the gatherings also offer an opportunity to
listen to their concerns. Effective communication is,
after all, a two-way street. Here are highlights of what
was presented, what we said and what we heard:
Said. We brought the payer company representatives
up to date on the ASBMT Standardized Request for
Information, now in its fourth year. The RFI is now
accepted by most of the major payers.
Heard. We listened to recommendations for
refinements in the 2007 edition of the RFI. The majority
of payers present said that they preferred to continue
receiving both the annual data and cumulative data,
stating that the ability to see trends over the years is
important.
Said. We reported our progress in accreditation of
transplant centers and cord blood banks. About 90 percent
of the eligible transplant centers in the United States
are either FACT accredited or have applied for
accreditation.
Heard. There was some surprise and general approval
that the BMT community has accomplished so much with
accreditation in just a few years. The payers wanted to
know more about efforts toward international uniformity of
standards for transplant centers and for cord blood banks.
Said. We provided an update on progress in
measuring quality in transplant outcomes and programs. The
recent ASBMT white paper on quality measurement was
distributed, and the results of a survey of Society
members on issues of quality were shared.
Heard. The payer representatives acknowledged that
measuring outcomes in hematopoietic stem cell
transplantation is complex, particularly because
individual centers have to manage so many types of
transplants, kinds of patients and co-morbidities. There
were positive comments about ASBMT taking a lead in
addressing these issues.
The discussions were positive and constructive, with ample
evidence of progress in many areas. The channels are open
for continuing dialogue in the weeks and months to come.
– Rob
P.S. I know that news from the Left Coast doesn’t
necessarily reach everyone, so you might not be aware that
the day after President Bush vetoed expanded federal
funding of embryonic stem cell research, Gov.
Schwarzenegger authorized a $150 million loan to jump
start the research here in California as we await final
approval of Proposition 71.
In 2004, the state’s voters approved $3 billion over 10
years for embryonic stem cell research. Since then,
opponents have sued on constitutional grounds to stall the
funding. A Superior Court judge in April rejected their
constitutional challenge, but the litigation has
continued.
In a letter to his finance director, the governor said, “I
remain committed to advancing stem cell research in
California and the promise it holds for millions of our
citizens who suffer from chronic diseases and injuries
that could be helped as a result of stem cell research.”
Those of you slaving over grants, you may want to consider
moving to the Golden State! |
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Legislation and Regulation |
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Majority disapproves veto of bill to fund embryonic cell
research
A majority of U.S. residents disapproves President Bush's
veto of a bill (HR 810) that would have expanded funding for
human embryonic stem cell research, according to a USA Today/Gallup
poll. The survey of 1,005 adults found that 58% disapproved, 36%
approved and 6% had no opinion of the veto.
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Clinical Research |
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New molecules developed to detect cancer
Researchers have designed sets of aptamers that recognize
leukemia cells that have been mixed with normal bone marrow
cells. According to a report in the advance online
edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
the aptamers also successfully distinguished leukemia T-cells
from lymphoma B-cells.
Muscle cells derived from stem cells in human fat
Multipotent stem cells taken from human fat can be
transformed into cells that contract and relax just like smooth
muscle cells. According to a report published in the advance
online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, these cells can be used for organ repair and
treating heart disease, gastrointestinal diseases and bladder
dysfunction.
Scorpion venom could help treat glioma
TM-601, a synthetic version of a protein found in scorpion
venom, has an unusual ability to pass through the blood-brain
barrier and binds to glioma cells. According to a report in the
August issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the
protein carried radioactive iodine directly to the tumor cells,
and two of the 18 patients survived for about three years after
treatment.
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Pharmaceutical News |
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Cervical cancer vaccine to go on sale in United Kingdom
The European Commission is expected to grant authorization
to market Gardasil, a vaccine that protects against four strains
of human papilloma virus, by September. About 3,000 cases of
cervical cancer are diagnosed in Britain each year, with most
resulting from infection by HPV.
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Association
News |
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CMS reconsidering policy on clinical trials coverage
The Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is
reconsidering its 2000 policy requiring payment for routine
patient care costs in clinical trials. Comments are being
accepted through Aug. 9. In a letter to the agency, ASBMT has
emphasized deficiencies in current reimbursement policies for
myelodysplasia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Reimbursement issues discussed with payers
An ASBMT delegation has met with representatives of
third-party payers to discuss the measurement of clinical
outcomes, evidence-based reviews, transplant center
accreditation and standardized requests for information. The
meeting included representatives of Aetna, Blue Distinction
Centers of Transplant, Blue Shield of California, Cigna
LifeSource, Interlink, LifeTrac/Allianz, MultiPlan, PacificCare,
United Resource Networks and Wellpoint.
Abstract submission opens today for BMT Tandem Meetings
Online abstract submission begins today for the 2007 BMT
Tandem Meetings that will be held Feb. 8-12 in Keystone, Colo.
The abstract deadline is Oct. 9. Invitations for oral
presentation will be offered to more than 75 authors whose
abstracts receive the highest scores from the review committees.
ASBMT will provide travel grants of $1,000 each to young
investigators whose abstracts are accepted for oral
presentation.
Massachusetts General scientist wins ASBMT/AST research grant
Fabienne Haspot, PhD, a post-doctoral fellow in
transplantation and Immunology at Massachusetts General
Hospital, is the recipient of a clinical research fellowship
grant from ASBMT and the American Society of Transplantation.
The $80,000 grant is the first jointly sponsored fellowship
award from the two societies.
Review addresses allogeneic transplants in the
‘imatinib era’
Despite generally excellent responses to imatinib in chronic
phase CML, some patients respond poorly or lose response, and
the risk-benefit equation in these cases may rapidly shift in
favor of allogeneic stem cell transplantation. The August issue
of Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation presents a
review of the “Role of Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation for
Adult Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in the Imatinib Era.”
BBMT manuscripts arrive at accelerated pace
An indicator of a journal’s growth is the manuscript arrival
rate. In its early days, the ASBMT scientific journal,
Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, received two or
three research manuscripts per month. Currently it is more than
one per day.
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