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June
1, 2007 |
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Top
Stories |
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Legislation and Regulation |
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Clinical
Research |
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Biopharmaceutical 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. 13-17, 2008
San Diego, California |
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Calendar |
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• June
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
43rd Annual Meeting
June 1-7
McCormick Place
Chicago, Illinois
European Hematology Association (EHA)
12th Congress
June 5-7
Neue Messe Vienna
Vienna, Austria
State of the Science Symposium
Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN)
June 7-8
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS)
7th Annual Conference
June 7-11
Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina
San Diego, California
Pan Pacific Lymphoma Conference
University of Nebraska Medical Center
June 11-15
Grand Wailea Resort
Maui, Hawaii
International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR)
5th Annual Meeting
June 17-21
Cairns Convention Centre
Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Methods in Cancer Clinical Research
Federation of European Cancer Societies (FECS),
with American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
and American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
June 23-29
Park Hotel Waldhaus
Flims, Switzerland
International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT)
13th Annual Meeting
June 24-27
Sydney Convention Center
Sydney, Australia
Molecular Biology in Clinical Oncology
American Association for Cancer Research (ASCO)
June 30-July 7
Given Institute of the University of Colorado
Aspen, Colorado
• July
European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)
Annual Meeting
July 5-8
Palazzo dei Congressi Lugamp
Lugano, Switzerland
Euroconference on GVHD/GVL: A Paradigm of Haemopoietic
Transplantation
European School of Haematology (ESH)
and the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT)
July 6-9
Antemare Hotel
Sitges, Spain
Society for Mucosal Immunology (SMI)
13th International Congress of Mucosal Immunology
July 9-12
Shinagawa Prince Hotel
Tokyo, Japan
Methods in Clinical Cancer Research
American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
and American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
July 28-Aug. 3
Vail Marriott Mountain Resort
Vail, Colorado
Society for Cryobiology
Cryo 2007: 44th Meeting
July 29-Aug. 1
Fairmont Chateau
Lake Louise, Alberta
• September
American Society of Multicultural Health and Transplant Professionals (ASMHTP)
15th Annual Conference
Sept. 5-7
Sheraton Society Hill
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cell Transplant Society (CTS)
Joint Conference of IXA, IPITA, CTS
Sept. 15-20
Hyatt Regency
Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
2nd Annual Conference on Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
Sept. 17-20
Atlanta Hilton
Atlanta, Georgia
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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Stem cells used to treat urinary incontinence in older women
Scientists are successfully using a patient's stem cells to treat urinary incontinence, which affects almost 50 percent of older women. The data were presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association in Anaheim. Stem cells were taken from a patient's arms
— isolating fibroblasts and myoblasts and stimulating them to grow and divide for several weeks
— then reinjected into the patient. After a year, 80 percent of patients with stress incontinence were "cured."
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Supreme Court ruling could affect stem cell patents
The Supreme Court has ruled that a company is not entitled to a patent on an automobile brake it developed by combining ideas from two existing patents because joining the concepts was obvious. Some patent experts believe this ruling will make it difficult for a Wisconsin foundation to defend three embryonic stem cell patents based on research that some assert would have been obvious to anyone familiar with literature in the field.
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Several 9/11 responders diagnosed with multiple myeloma
Several personnel who worked at the World Trade Centers
after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks have developed rare
blood cell cancers. The World Trade Center Medical Monitoring
Program at Mount Sinai Medical Center has screened 20,000 of the
estimated 40,000 workers and found multiple myeloma, possibly
related to exposure to toxic dust.
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Americans divided on financial incentives for organ donations
Eighty-nine percent of Americans responding to a national poll said the ability to save someone’s life is extremely or very important when considering whether to donate an organ. However, they were almost evenly divided on whether there should be payment of financial incentives for donations.
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 A Word from President Robert Soiffer, MD
Here is the answer: an elementary school teacher, an ophthalmologist, a distributor of minibars and a medical technician.
So what’s the question? I imagine this would be a tough one for even the best Jeopardy contestant.
These are the occupations of four people who were introduced to the recipients of their hematopoietic stem cells this past month at a Gift of Life gala in New York. I had the honor of attending the event, at which one of my patients had the opportunity to meet and thank his donor for the first time. It was an emotional evening for patients, donors, family members and transplant professionals alike.
In his comments to the gathering, my patient, an archaeologist, recounted some of his accomplishments of the past two years since his transplant for AML: lectures given, books written and archeological sites excavated. But his professional feats paled in comparison to his personal accomplishments: seeing his sons graduate from school, watching them learn to play the guitar and trumpet, attending the wedding of a dear relative, and simply waking up and experiencing each new day. The stories of the other recipients were no less poignant. One young woman graduated from college a couple weeks ago. Another reached her second birthday.
As physicians, nurses and health care professionals, we are accustomed to accepting the gratitude of our transplant patients and their families. But we could not even begin the transplant process without the people who really make it possible – the bone marrow and stem cell donors. No drug, no form of GVH prophylaxis, no antibiotic is more important to the success of allogeneic transplants than the availability of suitably matched stem cells.
When my patient told the gathering about his own transplant experience, he said that the sacrifice made by his donor, a complete stranger, confirmed for him the ultimate goodness of humanity and that true altruism does exist in this world.
All the donors who were introduced that evening echoed an identical sentiment about their motivations to donate
— simply that it was the right thing to do. They could not pass up the opportunity to help a fellow human in need.
More than one recounted the line popularized in the movie Schindler’s List, "Whoever saves one life saves the entire world." Most of us do not get the opportunity to be real heroes in our everyday lives. Most aren’t given the occasion to enter a burning building to save a life. Donating marrow or stem cells affords that kind of opportunity.
Not only is each donor-hero rescuing an individual transplant recipient, many also are helping to save other lives by participating in clinical trails. For example, right now, hundreds of volunteer donors in the BMT CTN 0201 study are agreeing to be randomized to answer important questions about bone marrow versus mobilized peripheral blood collection.
On behalf of ASBMT, I want to join transplant personnel and patients everywhere in expressing gratitude for the enormous generosity of donors, as well as gratitude to phenomenal organizations like Gift of Life that facilitate their donations.
Next time you evaluate a prospective donor or harvest their marrow, please make sure to take time to let them know just how wonderful they are.
– Rob
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Legislation and Regulation |
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 HRSA solicits comments on autologous cord blood project
The Health Resources and Services Administration announced that it is seeking comments on a demonstration project in which cord blood units would be collected and stored for families in which a first-degree relative has been diagnosed with a medical condition that might benefit from blood stem cell transplantation. Comments are due June 18.
Ruling upholds constitutionality of California stem cell agency
The California Supreme Court has declined to review a lower court’s ruling that upheld the constitutionality of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. This decision clears the way for the agency to award $3 billion in research grants that had been held up by the litigation.
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Clinical Research |
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Bone marrow stem cells differentiate to heal corneas
Bone marrow stem cells can differentiate to produce keratocan, a natural protein involved in growth of the cornea. According to findings presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., stem cells injected into the corneas of mice with induced abnormalities began to heal the corneas.
Researchers to study matching stem cell lines to patients
Researchers at the University of California Irvine have launched a project to develop stem cell lines that genetically match human patients. These lines would allow researchers to better study various disease conditions and provide the basis for potential patient-specific stem cell treatments.
Bone marrow cells take on appearance of cancer cells
Bone marrow stem cells that are attracted to the site of a cancerous growth often take on the appearance of the malignant cells. According to a report to be published in the August issue of Stem Cells, whether or not this enables the stem cells to aid in the development and spread of cancer is not entirely clear.
Human embryonic stem cells transformed to produce insulin
Geron Corp. says human embryonic stem cells can be transformed into islet-like clusters that resemble the cells that produce insulin. According to a report in the advance online edition of Stem Cells, these cells produced insulin, glucagon and somatostatin in the lab, three of the major hormones produced by islet cells.
Adult
stem cells not involved in beta cell production in pancreas
Researchers have discovered that adult stem cells are not involved in the production of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. According to a study published in the May issue of Developmental Cell, the beta cells themselves divide to replenish their own population.
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Biopharmaceutical News |
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Companies partner to develop stem cell therapeutics
BioE Inc. and Phillips Plastics Corp. have signed an agreement to develop stem cell therapeutics to treat diseases such as osteoporosis; fractures of the hip, spine, wrist, arm and leg; and injured or deteriorated joints. BioE’s stem cells have previously been used by researchers in laboratories. Phillips is developing a platform to enhance growth of stem cells created by the BioE system for extracting stem cells from blood in human umbilical cord.
UK company to develop stem cell expansion technology
ReNeuron Group plc has signed a research collaboration agreement with Kings College London to further develop the company's c-mycER stem cell expansion technology. The company plans to develop new delivery constructs to enhance the efficiency and safety of this transgene when used to grow stem cell lines.
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Association
News |
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Required reporting of treatment outcomes begins in July
A July launch has been announced for the required reporting of treatment outcomes for all related and unrelated allogeneic blood and marrow transplants, including cord blood transplants. CIBMTR
data collection forms and electronic systems have been revised to accommodate the federally mandated requirements.
Comments address Medicare reimbursement for clinical trials
ASBMT, together with the National Marrow Donor Program, has submitted comments on proposed revisions of federal policies on reimbursement of treatment costs for Medicare patients in clinical trails. A revised federal policy is expected by July 9.
Contingency planning for radiation emergency
A one-day conference will address ways that BMT personnel and centers can prepare for radiation/nuclear emergencies. Developed by the NMDP and ASBMT, the conference will be held Sept. 25 in Bethesda, Md.
New course will fill research training gap
The ASBMT Transplant Clinical Research Training Course will teach principles of taking laboratory research into the clinic. Ten
young investigators have been selected to participate in the first course, which will be in mid-July in Keystone, Colo.
Late registrations for State of the Science Symposium
Late registrations are still being accepted for the BMT CTN State of the Science Symposium, to be held June 7-8 at the University of Michigan. Organized by the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network, the symposium will identify the most compelling research opportunities in 12 separate areas.
Mitigating the threat of invasive fungal infections
Invasive fungal infections have become the chief infectious threat to allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant recipients. The best ways to mitigate that threat are
covered in the current issue of Blood and Marrow Transplantation Reviews, currently en route to ASBMT members and an additional 10,000 hematologists/oncologists.
Take this month’s Clinical Challenge
A 40-year-old woman has a cytogenetic relapse 10 years after myeloablative matched sibling transplantation for CML. She has another HLA-matched sibling. What would you recommend now? Take this month’s Clinical Challenge in the left-hand column above. |
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