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October
2, 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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• October
American Society for Human Genetics (ASHG)
56th Annual Meeting
Oct. 9-13
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
New Orleans, Louisiana
Current Concepts in Cancer Pain Management
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins
Oct. 12-13
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Baltimore, Maryland
6th Annual Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine Conference
Strategic Research Institute
Oct. 16-17
Rennaissance Pittsburgh Hotel
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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
Stem Cell Research: The Way Forward
The New York Stem Cell Foundation
Oct. 23
Rockefeller University
New York, New York
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
• January
Stem Cell Transplantation in Children: Current Results and
Controversies - Meeting #9
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Jan. 16-18
Manchester Grand Hyatt
San Diego, California
Advances in Cancer Research
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
Jan. 21-15
Hilton Waikoloa Village
Waikoloa, Hawaii
Oncogenomics 2007
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
Jan. 31-Feb. 4
Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs
Phoenix, Arizona
• February
BMT Tandem Meetings
(Combined ASBMT and CIBMTR annual meetings)
Feb. 8-12
Keystone Conference Center
Keystone, Colorado
Making Rational Immunosuppression Decisions for the
Individual Patient
American Society of Transplantation (AST)
11th Annual Winter Symposium
Feb. 15-19
Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa
Phoenix, Arizona
Translational Research at the Aging and Cancer Interface
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
Feb. 20-23
Omni San Diego Hotel
San Diego, California
• March
4th International Conference on Tumor Microenvironment:
Progression, Therapy and Prevention
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
with the International Cancer Microenvironment Society (ICMS)
March 6-10
Pallazo dei Congressi
Florence, Italy
5th Conference on Mesenchymal and Tissue
Stem Cells
American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (ASBMT),
with the International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT)
March 15-17
Wyndam Hotel
New Orleans, Louisiana
American Association of Blood Banks (AABB)
2007 Spring Conference
March 23-25
Hyatt Regency Albuquerque
Albuquerque, New Mexico
European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT)
33rd Annual Meeting
March 25-28
Palais des Congrès of Lyon
Lyon, France
• April
Organ Transplantation: Ethical, Legal and Psychological
Aspects – Towards a Common European Policy
April 1-4
World Trade Center
Rotterdam, The Netherlands,
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
98th Annual Meeting
April 14-18
Los Angeles Convention Center
Los Angeles, California
American Society for Apheresis (ASFA)
28th Annual Meeting
April 18-21
Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center
Nashville, Tennessee
• May
American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (ASPH/O)
20th Annual Meeting
May 3-6
Toronto, Canada
American Transplant Congress
American Society of Transplantation (AST)
May 5-9
San Francisco, California
5th Annual International Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation
Symposium
California Blood Bank Society and Cord Blood Forum
May 11-12
Los Angeles, California
• June
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
43rd Annual Meeting
June 1-5
Chicago, Illinois
Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS)
7th Annual Conference
June 7-11
Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina
San Diego, California
Society for Mucosal Immunology (SMI)
13th International Congress of Mucosal Immunology
June 9-12
Shinagawa Prince Hotel
Tokyo, Japan
2008
BMT Tandem Meetings
(Combined ASBMT and CIBMTR annual meetings)
Feb. 13-17
Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel
San Diego, California
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Top
Stories |
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MRI can track survival of islet cells after transplantation
Using magnetic resonance imaging with an approved contrast
agent may provide a practical way to monitor the survival of
transplanted pancreatic cells. According to a report in the
September issue of the journal Diabetes, clinical trials
in mice allowed researchers to track the labeled islet cells
using images of the animals’ livers taken seven times over the
14 days after the transplant.
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Stem cells improve vision in rats
Using embryonic stem cells, researchers have improved vision
in rats suffering from a disease similar to age-related macular
degeneration. According to a report in the August issue of the
journal Cloning and Stem Cells, retinal pigment
epithelium was grown from human stem cells and transplanted into
the rats’ eyes. After the transplant, the rats’ spatial acuity
was about 70 percent that of normal rats.
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Cancer cell survival factor discovered
Researchers have discovered that the survival factor NF-KB
mediates the resistance of cancer cells to the chemotherapeutic
drug rapamycin, according to a report in the September issue of
the journal Cancer Cell. This survival factor triggers
both inflammatory and survival responses by inducing
transcription of specific genes.
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Company to provide synthetic molecules for stem cell growth
The Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) is
providing New Zealand-based Industrial Research Ltd. with
animal-based carbohydrate molecules to encourage stem cell
growth. The researchers hope to produce synthetic versions of
the molecules that IMCB can use for research and clinical
testing. IMCB hopes to devise treatments for faster healing of
damaged bones, skin and organs.
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Word from President
Robert Negrin, MD
We all can agree that our field is dependent upon the best
science and translation of new ideas to the clinic. To
accomplish the latter goal, well-constructed clinical
trials are critical.
Until the 1950s or so, an awful truth was the frequent
exploitation of disadvantaged populations in medical
research. The Tuskegee syphilis study and the Holocaust
are extreme examples that rush to mind.
Then came an enlightened second half of the 20th century.
Things changed. New codes of conduct, laws, regulations
and a higher sense of social justice all helped end the
grievous wrongs.
Today, the pendulum has swung in the other direction. We
face a problem that is nearly the reverse of what used to
be. Under-privileged populations – those of low income,
the elderly, the disabled, racial and ethnic minorities,
the rural poor – have the smallest percentage of
participation in clinical trials. Sadly, ironically, these
are often the populations that bear a disproportionate
burden of disease morbidity and mortality.
To many outside the cancer care field, awareness of this
low participation might not be all that disturbing. After
all, clinical trials are “experimental,” a gamble with
one’s therapy and health, right? We know that’s not true,
but it’s hard for other people to recognize the unfairness
of under-representation when they have scant appreciation
of clinical trials as access to state-of-the-art medical
care. Under-representation keeps the newest therapies
out of reach for disadvantaged populations.
The disparity problem is not confined to ethnic and racial
minorities. Enrollment in clinical trials correlates with
the demographics of income, educational attainment,
employment status and age. For example, nearly two-thirds
of cancer patients are age 65 or older, yet this age group
accounts for less than a third of clinical trials
enrollments.
A number of government actions have addressed the problem.
The NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 established guidelines
for inclusion of women and minorities in clinical
research. In 2000, President Clinton signed an order that
government health plans must reimburse conventional
therapy in clinical trials. As a result, Medicare today
does not pay for clinical trials, but it does pay for
health care within clinical trials.
Here in California, private payers must support participation in
clinical trials that have NIH approval. Nineteen states,
as of 2004, had clinical trial laws enacted. All this has
helped to lower some financial hurdles for enrollment of
the disadvantaged.
Beyond the realm of social justice, there’s the additional
fact that under-representation of large groups of people
is simply bad science. In our field, we are well aware
that diseases such as leukemia and lymphoma can manifest
in different ways in specific demographic populations.
Without diverse accrual of study participants,
investigators can’t learn about potential differences in
therapeutic response and can’t reliably generalize the
results of their studies.
An organization that is competently addressing these
issues on several fronts is the
Intercultural Cancer Council (ICC), a not-for-profit
organization providing leadership to eliminate health-care
disparities for under-served populations. Among its
creative initiatives is an online "reading
room" with strategies, thought pieces,
personal essays and opinion articles to acquaint the
reader with issues and tactics for eliminating disparities
in clinical trials.
The ICC recently brought together representatives of
health-care providers, patients, payers and government
agencies to map strategies to address the multiple
barriers to participation by disadvantaged groups –
problems such as low awareness, mistrust of health
professionals, lack of invitation, cultural differences,
language differences, low literacy, exclusionary criteria
in study designs, and practical obstacles related to
transportation, child care and and absence from work.
ASBMT and CIBMTR participated in that conference.
It’s important that we as health professionals have on our
clinical teams culturally competent people who have the
ability or training to work with diverse populations. A
monumental challenge is the limited understanding of the
benefits of participating in a clinical trial – an
awareness deficit that is not unique to disadvantaged
populations. We know that the better informed the patient
and family, the more likely the patient will enroll in a
trial.
Clinical trials often are the best hope for cancer
patients. Our field is better than most in using
scientific data to support treatment decisions. Many of us
actively participate in clinical trials on a daily basis.
The Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network
(BMT CTN), supported by the NCI and NHLBI, is an
outstanding example of how we can come together to perform
trials that none of us individually could accomplish.
In the interest of science, in the interest of our
patients, we have to strive for equal access for everyone.
– Rob |
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Clinical Research |
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Islet cell transplant benefits most severe cases of diabetes
Patients with the most severe form of Type 1 diabetes may
benefit from islet cell transplants using the Edmonton protocol,
according to a report published in the Sept. 28 issue of the
New England Journal of Medicine. Of the subjects studied,
more than half (58 percent) attained insulin independence with
good glycemic control at any point throughout the trial.
High-dose QUADRAMET provides remission of AML
In patients with acute myeloid leukemia, the combination of
high-dose QUADRAMET (samarium Sm-153 lexidronam injection) and
chemotherapy shows promise as a preparatory conditioning regimen
before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. According to a
report published in the August issue of the journal Leukemia
& Lymphoma, all patients experienced complete cytogenetic
and morphologic remission of the disease in follow-up marrow
aspirate and biopsy.
Phase 3 trial of Clolar begins
Genzyme Corporation has begun a new Phase 3 clinical trial
to examine the safety and effectiveness of Clolar (clofarabine)
in older patients with acute myelogenous leukemia. The trial was
designed to study patients age 60 and older who were previously
treated with at least one but not more than two induction
regimens.
Studies investigate bone marrow cell treatment after heart
attack
Several researchers in Europe have released results of
trials to test whether injections of bone marrow cells can
repair heart attack damage, and the results of three studies
appear in the Sept. 21 issue of the New England Journal of
Medicine. Two of the studies showed a positive benefit to
the treatment, and one showed no effect.
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Pharmaceutical News |
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FDA approves Vectibix to treat colorectal cancer
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Vectibix (panitumumab)
to treat patients with colorectal cancer that has metastasized
after standard chemotherapy. Vectibix is a monoclonal antibody
that binds to a protein called epidermal growth factor receptor
or EGFR on some cancer cells.
Noxafil approved for prevention of fungal infections
Noxafil (posaconazole) has been approved for the prevention
of fungal infections caused by certain molds and the yeast-like
fungus Aspergillus and Candida. The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration approved the drug for use in patients with
weakened immune systems after bone marrow transplants and for
patients with decreased white blood cell counts that makes it
difficult for the body to fight infections after chemotherapy to
treat cancer.
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Association
News |
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NMDP to be national cord blood coordinating center
The National Marrow Donor Program has been selected by HRSA
to be the coordinating center for the C.W. Bill Young Cell
Transplantation Program. The congressionally authorized program
will provide federal funding to multiple cord blood banks to
increase the number of units available for transplant. The
long-term goal is an additional 150,000 cord blood units.
CIBMTR will track outcomes for cord blood and allo
transplants
The Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant
Research will manage the Stem Cell Therapeutic Outcomes Database
for the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplant Program. All U.S.
transplant centers performing allogeneic hematopoietic cell
transplants will be required to submit patient outcomes data for
the CIBMTR-managed database.
Cord blood searches to be unified by NetCord, NMDP
A new partnership between the International NetCord
Foundation and the National Marrow Donor Program will offer
expanded access and improved efficiency for transplant
physicians and coordinators seeking cord blood units from banks
across the United States and around the world.
Early registration deadline is Oct. 9 for BMT Tandem Meetings
Oct. 9 is the deadline for early registration for the 2007
BMT Tandem Meetings, to be held Feb. 8-12 in Keystone, Colo.
After that date, standard registration rates apply. On a single
Web page, registrants can navigate to meeting registration,
housing reservations, preliminary program, abstract submission
and parallel conferences.
Abstract submission closes Oct. 9 for Keystone meeting
Abstracts for the 2007 BMT Tandem Meetings in Keystone are
being accepted through Oct. 9. About 75 authors whose abstracts
receive the highest scores from the review committees will be
invited to give oral presentations. Other accepted abstracts
will receive poster invitations. ASBMT will provide travel
grants of $1,000 each to young investigators whose abstracts are
accepted for oral presentation.
Strategies developed for radiological emergencies
A clinical response to a nuclear accident or terrorist
attack causing toxic marrow injuries is the objective of a
committee that has been meeting, gathering information and
developing contingency plans. The coalition effort is being led
by ASBMT and the National Marrow Donor Program.
FACT market penetration reaches 92 percent
More than nine out of 10 eligible blood and marrow
transplant centers in the United States are either
FACT-accredited or in the process of seeking accreditation. A
survey by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular
Therapy (FACT) found 245 centers that are eligible for
accreditation. Among them, 56 percent are FACT accredited, and
36 percent are in various stages of application or inspection.
148 transplant facilities now accredited
Three blood and marrow transplant facilities achieved
accreditation and eight others earned accreditation renewals
during the third quarter of this year, as reported by the
Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT). A
total 148 transplant centers are now FACT accredited.
Emergency preparedness: anticipating the unthinkable
Emergencies come at the most inopportune times. Some are
totally unexpected – tornado, power outage, earthquake, fire.
Others come with short warnings – hurricane, flood, viral
epidemics. An ASBMT committee has developed recommendations for
transplant centers on how to prepare, mitigate, respond and
recover. The committee’s report appears in this month issue of
Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation.
University of Michigan physician completes GvL research
The recipient of a New Investigator Award from ASBMT and PDL
BioPharma has submitted a final report on his research on the
role of antigen-presenting cells in mediating
graft-versus-leukemia (GvL) effect after experimental allogeneic
bone marrow transplantation.
BMT CTN studies to be reported at blood banking meeting
The status of two clinical studies by the BMT Clinical
Trials Network (BMT CTN) will be among 29 sessions on cellular
therapy and tissue-related topics at the AABB Annual Meeting,
Oct. 21-14 in Miami Beach. Meeting participants will be brought
up to date on a randomized study of unrelated donor bone marrow
versus peripheral blood stem cells, and a study that compares
single versus double cord blood unit transplants in children and
young adults.
Dues statements to be mailed Oct. 21
ASBMT members received an e-mail last week, inviting online
payment of 2007 dues – thereby eliminating themselves from the
annual mailing of dues statements on Oct. 21. A $50 dues
reduction, enacted last year, has been continued. Member and
Associate Member dues are $175, and Affiliate Member dues are
$125.
Free ASBMT membership for trainees
Postdoctoral fellows and physicians-in-training for blood
and marrow transplantation are eligible for free membership in
the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation.
Annual dues are waived for new trainees who apply for membership
in the Society. The program is made possible again this year
through a grant from PDL BioPharma, Inc.
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