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July
2, 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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• 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
• August
Adult Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Regenerative Medicine
Case Western Reserve University
Aug. 27-29
Cleveland Marriott Downtown
Cleveland, Ohio
• 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
Medical and Organizational Challenges Resulting from a
Radiological/Nuclear Emergency
National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP)
and ASBMT
Sept. 25
Marriott Bethesda
Bethesda, Maryland
7th Annual Somatic Cell Therapy Symposium
International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT)
Sept. 26-28
Bethesda, Maryland
International Society for Experimental Hematology (ISEH)
36th Annual Scientific Meeting
Sept. 28-30
Congress Center Hamburg
Hamburg, Germany
• October
24th National Oncology Economics Conference
Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC)
Oct. 3-6
Hyatt Regency Dallas
Dallas, Texas
American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ASHI)
33rd Annual Meeting
Oct. 8-12
Hyatt Regency Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
60th Annual Symposium on Cancer Research
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Oct. 12-14
J.W. Marriott Hotel
Houston, Texas
3rd World Congress on Regenerative Medicine
Fraunhofer Institut für Zelltherapie und Immunologie
Oct. 18-20
Germany Congress Center
Leipzig, Germany
Biology and Clinical Applications of Cord Blood Cells
European School of Haematology (ESH), EuroCord, International
NetCord Foundation,
European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) and
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Oct. 19-20
Maison de la Chimie
Paris, France
American Association of Blood Banks (AABB)
2007 Annual Meeting
Oct. 20-23
Anaheim Convention Center
Anaheim, California
International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer
Therapeutics
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR),
National Cancer Institute (NCI),
and Federation of European Cancer Societies (FORTC)
Oct. 22-26
Moscone Convention Center West
San Francisco, California
American Society for Human Genetics (ASHG)
57th Annual Meeting
Oct. 23-27
San Diego Convention Center
San Diego, California
American Society for Human Genetics (ASHG)
57th Annual Meeting
Oct. 23-27
San Diego Convention Center
San Diego, California
Cytokines in Health and Disease
International Cytokine Society (ICS)
Oct. 26-30
Hyatt Regency San Francisco
San Francisco, California
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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Gene therapy said to be next wave of stem cell research
Several scientists presented results of research based on
using therapeutic genes to modify stem cells already in the body
at the annual meeting of the American Society of Gene
Therapy. One study involved therapy for type 1
diabetes that involves modifying stem cells in the gut. Other
possibilities include treatment for lysosomal storage diseases.
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Umbilical cord blood similar to bone marrow for leukemia
Survival for children with leukemia is similar after
umbilical cord blood transplants and bone marrow transplants,
according to a study in the June 9 issue of The Lancet.
The five-year survival rate for patients receiving bone marrow
with a match of eight antigens was the same as that for
umbilical cord blood with a match of only four antigens.
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Canada seeks to open public umbilical cord blood bank
Canadian Blood Services plans to ask for $5 million from
provincial and territorial governments to start a national
public umbilical cord blood bank. Experts agree there are not
enough donors to meet the growing demand in the country for
regenerative stem cells.
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New cell may be
'missing link' between animal and human cells
Two sets of researchers have discovered what they call epiblast
stem cells, which behave just like a human stem cell and are
described as the “missing link” between animal and human stem
cells. According to a report in the advance online edition of
Nature, the new stem cell was taken from mice at a later
embryonic stage than usual and was remarkable for how different
it was to normal mouse stem cells and how similar it was to
human stem cells.
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More than half would donate embryos for stem cell research
About 60 percent of people with embryos stored at U.S.
fertility clinics would be very or somewhat likely to donate
them for stem cell research. According to a study in the online
edition of Science, 62 percent of the more than 1,000 people
surveyed in California, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, New
Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington,
D.C., said they would donate the embryos specifically for stem
cell research.
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Panel determines flawed data doesn’t change paper's conclusions
An investigative panel with the journal Nature has
determined that flawed data in an article on stem cell research
do not detract from the main findings of the paper. The paper,
published in 2002, contained a set of graphs that were similar
to data in an article that referenced other specimens. The
authors attributed the error to preparation of the two papers at
the same time.
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 A Word from President Robert Soiffer, MD
Was it a mysterious series of East Coast storms, an
inexplicable Federal Aviation Administration computer
glitch, missing flight crews, or perhaps simultaneous
airplane malfunctions? Whatever it was, it left many
weary transplanters wandering the Ann Arbor and Detroit
airports after the conclusion of the BMT CTN State of
the Science Symposium on June 7.
As every veteran traveler knows, we’ll never discover
the true cause of the delays. I believe all of us
eventually, thankfully, made it home safely.
The travel woes, though, did not dampen the tremendous
enthusiasm for the symposium organized by the BMT
Clinical Trials Network and hosted by Jamie Ferrara and
his colleagues at the University of Michigan. The
two-day forum featured presentations by committees that
focused on many of the unanswered questions facing the hematopoietic stem cell transplant community.
The goal was to determine what clinical trials and
correlative science projects the BMT CTN should
undertake now and in the near future. Areas discussed
included disease-specific trials in leukemia, lymphoma,
myeloma, pediatrics and non-malignant diseases.
Proposals also were advanced for studies dealing with
graft-versus-host disease and regimen-related toxicity.
Cellular and gene therapy studies were discussed, as
were methods to assess quality of life and innovative
approaches to practical clinical trial design.
Each committee was comprised of six to 10 ASBMT members.
The chair of each subgroup gave a short formal
presentation describing the current state of knowledge
for the committee’s assigned topic, the results of
recent trials and proposed potential new studies. After
that, critiques were offered by a number of eminent
European colleagues who had been invited to examine the
assessments and the plans of the committees.
The discussion was then thrown open to the wider
audience of 200 participants. What ensued was a lively
give-and-take that sometimes endorsed, and at other
times challenged, the conclusions of the groups.
What was so refreshing about the symposium and the
process was the workshop atmosphere. A number of
colleagues commented that it reminded them of the
Keystone meetings from “the old days.” The presentations
certainly were not canned talks with conclusions carved
in stone, but rather jumping off points to initiate
discussion. Audience participants were neither shy nor
intimidated. I had the feeling that those discussions,
if not for time constraints, would have continued for a
lot longer. Our collective challenge, of course, is to
maintain that dialogue as we plan and design new trials
in the upcoming months.
If you weren’t able to attend the Ann Arbor symposium,
you will be able to hear a summary of its discussions
and conclusions at the National Marrow Donor Program’s
“Super Friday” session at ASH in December, or at the BMT
Tandem Meetings in February in San Diego. You won’t want
to miss it.
It is critical as a society that ASBMT and its members
be engaged in events such as this if we are to make
continued progress for the benefit of our patients. We
have to challenge our own biases, honestly assess our
practical limitations in trial design and increase our
collaborative efforts. Meetings like the one in Ann
Arbor can help us stay the course, focused on our goals,
thereby achieving the greatest return for the hard work
that lies ahead.
– Rob
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Legislation and Regulation |
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 Senate
approves bill with human embryonic stem cell
provision
The Senate Appropriations Committee voted 26-3 to
approve the fiscal year 2008 Labor-HHS-Education
spending bill, which includes a provision that would
expand the number of human embryonic stem cell lines
eligible for federal funding. Federal funding for
embryonic stem cell research currently is allowed only
for embryonic stem cell lines created on
or before Aug. 9, 2001. The provision in the spending
bill would move that date to June 15, 2007.
Illinois
may soon screen for lysosomal storage disorders
A bill passed unanimously by the state legislature and
awaiting the governor’s signature would make Illinois
the first state to require that blood samples drawn from
newborns be tested for lysosomal storage disorders. If
the bill becomes law, the health department would
initially begin screening for Krabbe, Pompe, Guacher,
Fabry and Niemann-Pick diseases.
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Clinical Research |
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Stem
cells from adult blood successful in treating diabetes
Studies in mice show that adult blood could be a richer
source of insulin-creating stem cells than fertilized eggs.
According to research presented at the annual conference of the
American Diabetes Association, diabetic mice injected with
insulin-making stem cells extracted from their blood maintained
healthy blood sugar levels for three months.
Umbilical cord blood treatment reduces diabetes severity
According to other research presented at the American
Diabetes Association meeting, children suffering from type 1
diabetes can be treated with infusions of blood from their own
umbilical cords to reduce the severity of the disease. Eleven
children ages 2 to 10 were followed for three to 31 months and
had lower blood glucose levels and needed much less daily
insulin therapy than children with the disease who did not get
the therapy.
Small molecule drug boosts stem cell production
Experimenting with zebrafish, researchers demonstrated
that a stable analog of prostaglandin can enhance production of
blood stem cells, both during embryonic development and after
the blood-forming system has been damaged. According to a study
in the June 21 issue of Nature, clinical trials using the analog
(called dmPGE2) are expected to begin in 2008.
Court rules donated samples belong to university
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously
upheld a lower court ruling that tissue and blood samples
donated to Washington University for prostate cancer research
belong to the institution, not the scientist using them to
perform research. In 2003, a former employee of Washington
University claimed tissue donors had a right to request that the
samples be forwarded to the university where he had accepted a
new position.
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Biopharmaceutical News |
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Partnership to develop stem cell therapies
ThermoGenesis Corp. and the University of California
Davis' stem cell program are collaborating to develop stem cells
from a patient's bone marrow or umbilical cord blood. The
research will use ThermoGenesis' blood processing systems to
develop treatments for artery disease, myocardial infarction and
skin wounds.
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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Reporting of transplant outcomes expected this month
Reporting of transplant outcomes for the C.W. Bill Young
Cell Transplantation Program is expected to begin this month for
all related and unrelated allogeneic blood, marrow and cord
blood transplants in the United States. The exact date depends
on many factors, including approval of the data collection forms
by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and
completion of electronic systems testing.
ASBMT journal size increased by 25 percent
The number of editorial pages in Biology of Blood and Marrow
Transplantation is being increased by 25 percent. Instead of
1,152 pages per year, the ASBMT journal will have 1,440 pages of
original articles under an amended contract with the Elsevier
publishing company. The increase has been prompted by an
ever-growing number of submitted manuscripts.
Contingency planning for radiological emergency
A one-day conference will address ways that BMT personnel
and centers can prepare for radiological/nuclear emergencies.
Developed by the NMDP and ASBMT, the conference will be held
Sept. 25 in Bethesda, Md.
Cord blood conference will be in October in Paris
An international conference on umbilical cord blood
transplants will be held Oct. 19-21 in Paris. Three days of
sessions will include stem cells from cord blood, mesenchymal
cells, non-hematopoietic stem cells, ex-vivo expansion, graft
facilitation and homing and cord blood banking.
Review addresses pulmonary dysfunction after transplant
Pulmonary dysfunction can be a complication following
allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The
pathogenesis, diagnostic strategies and treatment options are
covered in a review from the University of Michigan and Hyogo
College of Medicine in Japan in this month’s Biology of Blood
and Marrow Transplantation.
Overview of therapies for MDS
Developments in new and emerging therapies for
myelodysplastic syndromes are the topic of the current issue of
Blood and Marrow Transplantation Reviews, currently en route to ASBMT members and an additional 10,000
hematologists/oncologists. The review, with CME credit, is based
on a symposium at the 2007 BMT Tandem Meetings.
Take this month’s Clinical Challenge
A 44-year-old man develops a rash, anorexia and diarrhea 36
days after a myeloablative matched unrelated donor PBSC
transplant for AML in second complete remission. What would you
recommend? Take this month’s Clinical Challenge in the left-hand
column above. |
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