Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota

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Cancer Center Update

August 1 , 2006

Cancer Center Update is sent to Cancer Center members and staff every Tuesday at 10 a.m. To submit an item for publication, send the information to Sandi Sherman by noon the Friday before publication.

In This Issue:

News

Events

Grant Information & Announcements

Reminders

News

Cancer Center to launch redesigned Web site

Cancer Center members and staff will be invited to preview the redesigned, reorganized Cancer Center Web site before the site's public launch, scheduled for Monday, August 14. Directions for accessing the site will be posted in next week's Update.

New deadline for Update begins now

Beginning with next week's (August 8) Cancer Center Update, the deadline for news items is Noon on Fridays. This week send your news items to Jean Jacoby (jacob016@umn.edu) by 12 Noon, Friday, August 4. We appreciate everyone's cooperation.

Cancer Center members in the news

Dorothy Hatsukami, Ph.D., was featured in a WCCO-TV Lifeline report on Friday describing her work on a nicotine vaccine to help people quit smoking. The report is available at the WCCO Web site.

Cancer Center members receive AHC 2006 Translational Research Grants

Congratulation to Cancer Center members who were among two of the four teams that received the Academic Health Center's 2006 Translational Research Grants. Douglas Yee, M.D., leader of the Cancer Center's Breast Cancer Program, and Kalpna Gupta, Ph.D., Breast Cancer Program member, received a grant for their proposal "A Phase II Study of Naltrexone for the Treatment of Hormone-Refractory, Metastatic Breast Cancer." Dr. Gupta's work has shown that patients without cancer pain might benefit from disruption of tumor angiogenesis by narcotic antagonists. This trial will determine whether naltrexone, an oral opioid antagonist, has activity in patients with metastatic breast cancer who have progressed through hormone therapy.

Michael Wilson, Ph.D., member of the Cancer Metastasis and Progression Program, and Joel Slaton, M.D., member of the Cancer Center's Translational Research Program, received a grant for their proposal "Secreted Biomarkers in Prostate Cancer Detection." The objective of this grant is to examine secretions of the prostate for proteins that are markers of high sensitivity and specificity for prostate cancer. This could improve prostate cancer diagnosis.

Farewell reception for Elaine Bell, Clinical Trials Office Coordinator, on August 15

Elaine Bell, coordinator of the Clinical Trials Office, has resigned to return to her first love, research nursing, at Park Nicollet Institute. Elaine has been at the Cancer Center Clinical Trials Office (CTO) for more than five years. She has overseen the CTO's growth from 12 to 32 employees, and she has been instrumental in the development of multiple research resources including monitoring, auditing, financial, and regulatory management. The Cancer Center is grateful for Elaine's contributions and her commitment to clinical research. Cancer Center members and staff are invited to a reception to wish her farewell on Tuesday, August 15, at 2 p.m. in 450 Cancer Center Research Building.

The University of Minnesota Center for Magnetic Resonance Research to offer Advanced Topics in Biomedical Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy course this fall

This fall, the University of Minnesota Center for Magnetic Resonance Research will offer the Directed Study BPhy8293 — Advanced Topics in Biomedical Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy. The course is designed for students who have a good knowledge of the basics of MR. It is a lecture-based course covering a series of five topics in detail: functional MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, use of MR in oncology, spectroscopy techniques, and spectroscopy applications. Each topic will include lectures and review of the current literature. The classes will meet at CMRR (Room 107, Seminar Room) on Tuesday and Thursday at 10:20 a.m. and last for an hour. Please refer to the Web page for further details (www.cmrr.umn.edu/class/BPhy8293). Interested students can contact the primary instructor, Malgorzata Marjanska (gosia@cmrr.umn.edu).

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Events

First Annual George L. Adams, M.D. Lectureship

Monday, August 7, 2006, Campus Club, Conference Rooms A – C, Coffman Memorial Union

4 p.m. Resident Presentations -Overview of George L. Adams' work in head and neck cancer
5 p.m. Dinner
6 p.m. Tracheotomy and Other Tracheal Surgery, Henry Hoffman, M.D., Professor, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Iowa
7 p.m. The Changing Paradigm in the Care of Laryngeal Cancer, Jonas Johnson, M.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh

Donations appreciated for the lectureship. Checks can be made payable to the Minnesota Medical Foundation – George Adams fund and sent to the attention of Joan Petersen at MMC 396. RSVP for the event by calling Joan Peterson, 612-625-2410.

First Annual George L. Adams Memorial Golf Tournament

Tuesday, August 8, 2006, Oak Glen Golf Course, Stillwater
Questions? Call Joan Petersen – 612-625-2410

Special Seminar

Friday, Aug. 11, 2006, 1-2 p.m., 450 CCRB
Immune reconstitution after unrelated cord blood transplantation: Challenges and therapeutic opportunities
Paul Szabolcs, M.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center

Hosted by K. Scott Baker, M.D., Associate Professor, Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program.

For more information contact Joyce S. at 612-626-2961.

Department of Therapeutic Radiology Radiation Oncology Special Lectures

Monday, Aug. 14, 2006, 4:30-6:30 p.m., 2-101 NHH (BSBE)
Role of HIF-1 in tumor responses to radiation, chemotherapy and hyperthermia
Mark W. Dewhirst, D.V.M., Ph.D., Department of Radiology Oncology, Duke University Medical Center
and
Extracranial Radiosurgery: HFH experience
Jae Ho Kim, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Radiation Oncology, Henry Ford Hospital

Current Issues in Clinical Research Conference to be held October 4-5 at the Minneapolis Convention Center

The University of Minnesota Academic Health Center and Mayo Clinical Trial Services are jointly sponsoring a major conference on clinical research. "Current Issues in Clinical Research: Latest Trends in Clinical Research" will take place October 4-5, 2006 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. This conference will focus on emerging trends and provide a comprehensive review of clinical research performance. The program will include information on evolving strategies of pharmacovigilance, current issues in genomics and proteomics, principles of good clinical practice, and the mechanics of teamwork in clinical research. An outstanding, nationally prominent faculty has been assembled. This program is designed for clinical research professionals, including principal investigators, study coordinators, nurses, and other research personnel involved in managing and coordinating clinical research.

The regular registration fee for this conference is $550, which includes tuition, comprehensive conference syllabus, continental breakfasts, lunches, and break refreshments. University of Minnesota faculty, research staff, and AHC students and trainees may attend for the highly discounted registration fee of $25. Please indicate that you are from the U of M when you register. More information and the registration form can be found at the Mayo Clinical Trial Services Web site.

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Grant Information and Announcements

Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (ACGT) 2006 Young Investigator Award

Application Deadline is September 13, 2006. Awards will be up to $500,000 allocated over three years (inclusive of 10%indirect costs). Candidates for a Young Investigator Award must hold an M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., or equivalent degree, and be a tenure-track assistant professor within five years of their initial appointment to this rank at the time of award activation. ACGT has no citizenship restrictions; research supported by the award must be conducted at medical schools and research centers located in the United States. For further information, visit the ACGT Web site.

NIH Grant Opportunities — Selection of Funding Opportunities

Related to Exfoliated Cells and Circulating DNA in Cancer Detection and Diagnosis

Exfoliated Cells and Circulating DNA in Cancer Detection and Diagnosis (SBIR [R43/R44])

Exfoliated Cells and Circulating DNA in Cancer Detection and Diagnosis (STTR [R41/R42])

Exfoliated Cells and Circulating DNA in Cancer Detection and Diagnosis(R21) Application

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Reminders

Annual University of Minnesota Symposium in Developmental Biology

Gene networks in development: Lessons from C. elegans and beyond
September 26-27, 2006, Coffman Memorial Union, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis Campus

Information about poster submissions, registration, and program can be found at the Developmental Biology Center Web site.

Children's Cancer Research Fund 2006 Dawn of a Dream Benefit — "Journey to the Ends of the Earth" – tickets are now on sale

In 1980, after losing their daughter to leukemia, Diana and Norm Hageboeck and their friends organized the first Dawn of a Dream benefit concert, raising $50,000. Today, Dawn of a Dream is one of the largest gala events in the Twin Cities. This year's event, on Saturday, November 4, 2006 will feature a few surprises along with the traditional silent and live auctions, dinner, and live entertainment by Los Lobos. Don't miss your chance to attend the event and support Children's Cancer Research Fund! For more information and to reserve your Journey to the Ends of the Earth tickets now visit the CCRF Web site.

Support Children's Cancer Research Fund by visiting the Water Park of America and save on admission

Anyone using a Water Park of America coupon will save $2 on admission per guest to the park through September 1. Each visitor using the coupon available online at the Children's Cancer Research Fund Web site (PDF) will also help generate 50 cents for Children's Cancer Research Fund, benefiting childhood cancer research at the University of Minnesota, and WAMSO, benefiting the Minnesota Orchestra.

Support the Children's Cancer Research Fund when you shop

Just shop online at your favorite stores, or explore the many other affiliates available, and a percentage of each purchase will be donated to the Children's Cancer Research Fund.Start shopping by visiting the Shop CCRF Web page.

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