Damon Runyon News

Jeremy N. Rich, MD (Damon Runyon-Lilly Clinical Investigator ‘04-‘09) of Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, and colleagues, reported new findings about brain cancer stem cells. Malignant gliomas, aggressive brain tumors with limited treatment options, contain highly tumorigenic subpopulations of cancer stem cells. The researchers identified an enzyme, nitric oxide synthase-2 (NOS2), required for these stem cells to grow and seed tumors. High NOS2 levels correlate with decreased survival in patients with glioma. Drugs that block NOS2 slow brain tumor growth in mice.

Jean Y. Tang, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator ‘11-‘14) of Stanford University, Stanford, and colleagues, reported analysis of data from the Women’s Health Initiative. They found that women with a history of non-melanoma skin cancer, such as basal cell or squamous cell cancers, who took a calcium-vitamin D combination developed 57 percent fewer melanomas than women with similar histories who were not given the supplements. In the future, researchers plan to further examine the potential relationship between vitamin D and cancer prevention.

Amanda Paulovich, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow ‘02-‘03), Peter S. Nelson, MD (Damon Runyon Scholar ‘02-‘04, Clinical Investigator Mentor), and colleagues at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, used a highly sensitive and targeted analytical technology, selected reaction monitoring mass spectrometry, to test candidate protein biomarkers. This technology allows highly specific and sensitive measurement of many proteins from a small drop of blood.

Nathanael S. Gray, PhD (Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovator ‘08-‘10), Matthew Meyerson, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow ‘95-‘98) and colleagues at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, reported that the gene FGFR1 is amplified in 21% of squamous cell lung cancers. In cell lines, inhibition of FGFR blocked cell growth. These findings suggest that FGFR may be a promising therapeutic target for these lung cancers. The report was published in the journal PLoS ONE.

William C. Hahn, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow ‘98-‘99), Serena J. Silver, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow ‘05-‘06), Kornelia Polyak, MD, PhD (Clinical Investigator Award Committee Member), and colleagues at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, reported new findings about stem cells in triple-negative breast cancers, which tend to be aggressive and highly resistant to current therapies. The researchers discovered that these cells have elevated activity of genes in the Jak2/Stat3 pathway.

Election to the National Academy of Sciences is one of the highest honors that can be earned by a U.S. scientist.  In recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original biomedical research, two Damon Runyon alumni were inducted this May:
Alexander D. Johnson, PhD (Fellow ‘81-‘83 and Former Sponsor), Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco

Monte Winslow, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow ‘06-‘09), Matthew Meyerson, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow ‘95-‘98, former Fellowship Sponsor), Tyler Jacks, PhD (Former Fellowship Award Committee Member and Fellowship Sponsor) and colleagues at MIT, Cambridge, identified the important role of a gene called NKX2-1 in metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma. In animal studies, the researchers linked reduced activity of the gene to enhanced tumor seeding activity and metastasis.

John V. Heymach, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon-Lilly Clinical Investigator  ‘04-‘09), Waun Ki Hong, MD (Former Clinical Investigator Committee Member and Mentor), and colleagues at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, reported the identification of two sets of genes that predict response to Tarceva/erlotinib, a targeted therapy used for treatment of certain non-small cell lung cancers.

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) has recognized leading cancer researchers whose work has significantly contributed to progress in the fight against cancer.  Among those honored are 5 Damon Runyon scientists:

Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon-Lilly Clinical Investigator ‘00-‘05) and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, reported the success of an experimental antibody that activates the immune protein CD40 and targets pancreatic cancer. In a preliminary study, on average, patients with advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who were treated with the CD40 antibody survived longer and experienced temporary tumor regression.