Cancer Center Update is sent to Cancer Center members and staff every Tuesday at 10 a.m. Please note: Sandi Sherman will be out of the office until December 3. Please submit items for publication in Update to Gina Kennedy by e-mail to kenne069@umn.edu by noon the previous Friday.

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In This Issue:

Today's Cancer Center Seminar

News

• Members in the news
• University of Minnesota Cancer Center members speaking at AACR 'Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research'
• Hogquist to speak at Midwinter Conference of Immunologists
• Cancer Center is well-represented at annual ASH meeting

Events

• Cancer Biology Journal Club

Professional Education and Events

• Cancer Biology Research Club
• BMT Conference

Reminders

• November 1-30: Open Enrollment for benefits-eligible employees begins November 1
• November 14: Grant writing seminar, 'Getting started as a successful grant-writer and academician'
• November 17: 1st Annual Children's Cancer Research Fund Norma K.D. Ramsay, M.D., Distinguished Visiting Professor Lectureship
• December 7: Mark your calendars for the Cancer Center holiday event December 7
• Help in the fight against childhood cancer with Children's Cancer Research Fund note cards
• Support the Children's Cancer Research Fund when you shop

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Today's Cancer Center Seminar

Tuesday, November 7, 2006, 12-1 p.m., 450 CCRB
Targeting transcriptional repression in B-cell lymphomas
Ari Melnick, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Developmental & Molecular Biology, The Diane and Arthur B. Belfer Faculty Scholar in Cancer Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Host: Vivian Bardwell, Ph.D.

A peek at next week's seminar:

For a complete schedule visit the Cancer Center Web site Seminar Series listing.

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News

Members in the news

Joseph Neglia, M.D., M.P.H., was quoted in news reports by Pioneer Press, Minnesota Public Radio, WCCO Radio, Reuters, HealthDay, Scientific American and other outlets regarding his research that childhood cancer survivors who received radiation have an increased risk of developing brain and spinal column tumors later in life. Read the news release.

Tim Church, Ph.D., was quoted in the Associated Press, New York Times and other media outlets about research from Johns Hopkins that showed prostate cancer is more likely to be life-threatening if the PSA level rose rapidly during the years before diagnosis.

Levi Downs, M.D., wrote an article appearing in the Walker Pilot-Independent about the new vaccine for cervical cancer.

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University of Minnesota Cancer Center members speaking at AACR 'Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research'

Several members of the Cancer Center will present their research at sessions of the AACR "Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research" meeting in Boston November 12-15, 2006. These include:

• Lee Wattenberg, Ph.D., Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program, "An Interlocker Concept of Carcinogeneis" in "New Chemopreventive Concepts and Agents" session;
• Stephen Hecht, Ph.D., leader, Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program, "Tobacco Carcinogen Biomarkers" in "Tobacco Carcinogenesis: Biomarkers, Susceptibility, and Mechanisms" session;
• Leslie Lytle, Ph.D., Prevention and Etiology Program, "Eating behavior change interventions and prevention of obesity in children" in "Youth Risk Behaviors for Cancer Prevention: Analysis and Intervention" session;
• Robert Jeffrey, Ph.D., Prevention and Etiology Program, "Behavioral and Community Influences on Obesity: Multi-Level Approaches" in "Nutrition, Activity, Obesity and Cancer" session; and
• Brian Van Ness, Ph.D., Genetic Mechanisms of Cancer Program, "Risk Assessment, Progression and Response Predictions using a Custom Functional SNP Chip in Myeloma and Monoclonal Gammopathies" in "Novel Prevention and Treatment Strategies in Multiple Myeloma" session

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Hogquist to speak at Midwinter Conference of Immunologists

Cancer Center member Kris Hogquist, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and member of the Immunology Program, will speak on “Thymic selection: Getting out alive” at the session, "Determining Cell Fate in the Immune System," at the Midwinter Conference of Immunologists being held in Pacific Grove, Calif., January 27-30, 2007. The deadline for registration is November 13. Abstracts can be submitted until December 8. For information about the conference visit the conference Web site.

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Cancer Center is well-represented at annual ASH meeting

Cancer Center faculty and fellows from the Department of Medicine's Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation Division and the Department of Pediatrics Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Hematology/Oncology Divisions are well-represented among the presenters at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting in Orlando, Fla., December 9-12, 2006. Below is a list of their presentations.

(If you or someone from your laboratory is giving an oral or poster presentation at ASH that is not listed here, please email Gina Kennedy (kenne069@umn.edu) and we will include in a future edition of Update.)

Oral presentations:
Veronika Bachanova, M.D., Medicine HOT Fellow, "Notch Activation in Cord Blood Progenitors Induces a CD7+ Common NK/T Precursor Capable of NK Cell Commitment without Full Maturation and Differentiation of Lineage Committed Pre-T Lymphocytes with a Th 1 Phenotype"

K. Scott Baker, M.D., Assistant Professor, Pediatric H/O/BMT, "Unrelated Donor Hematopoietic Cell Transplant (HCT) for Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH)"

Bruce Blazar, M.D., Professor, Pediatric H/O/BMT, "In Vivo CpG Administration Accelerates Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GHVD) Lethality by Toll-Like Receptor 9 (TLR9) Ligation of Host Antigen-Presenting Cells (APCs) and Promotes Allogeneic Bone Marrow (BM) Rejection by TLR9 Ligation of Donor APCs"

Mary Eapen, Pediatric H/O/BMT, "Unrelated Donor Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) in Children with Acute Leukemia: Risks and Benefits of Umbilical Cord Blood (CB) Versus HLA A, B, C, DRB1 Allele-Matched Bone Marrow (BM)"

Francis Harding, Kaufman lab, "Scaleable Production of Hematopoietic Cells Suitable for Transfusion from Human Embryonic Stem Cells in a Stirred Bioreactor System"

Ashish Kumar, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Pediatric H/O/BMT, " Differential expression of Mll-AF9 up-regulated genes correlates with enhanced self renewal of hematopoietic progenitors"

Xueqing Liang, M.D., Ph.D., Research Associate, Pediatric H/O/BMT, "Toll-Like Receptor 7-Targeting of Human B-Lineage Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Induces Immunogenicity and Apoptosis of Leukemia Cells" (Dr. Liang is also the recipient of an ASH Travel Award for this meeting.)

Margaret MacMillan, M.D., Assistant Professor, Pediatric H/O/BMT, "Single Versus Double Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation (UCBT): Higher Risk of Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GVHD) but Lower Transplant Related Mortality (TRM) in Recipients of Double UCBT"

Jeffrey Miller, M.D., Professor, Medicine HOT, " Lymphodepletion Followed by Donor Lymphocyte Infusions (DLI) Causes Significantly More Acute Graft Versus Host Disease Than DLI Alone" and "KIR Ligand Absence in Recipients of Unrelated Donor (URD) Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (HCT) is Associated with Less Relapse and Increased Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD)"

Daniel Mulrooney, M.D., Assistant Professor, Pediatric H/O/BMT, "Twenty Years of Follow-Up Among Survivors of Childhood and Young Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML): A Report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS)"

Patricia Taylor, Blazar lab, "FTY720 Inhibits Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GVHD) and Allogeneic Bone Marrow (BM) Graft Rejection Independent of Effects on T Cell Egress from Lymphoid Tissue"

Jakub Tolar, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Pediatric H/O/BMT, "Induction of Endogenous Repair Mechanisms by Single-Stranded DNA Oligonucleotide Therapy for Correction of the DNA−PK Mutation in Murine Severe Combined Immune Deficiency"

Petter Woll, Kaufman lab, "Characterization of Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells Derived from Human Embryonic Stem Cells that Differentiate into Natural Killer Cells Capable of In Vivo Anti-Tumor Activity"

Xianzheng Zhou, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Pediatric H/O/BMT, "Sleeping Beauty (SB) Transposon Mediated Umbilical Cord Blood (UCB) T Cell Therapy for Refractory Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)"

Poster presentations:
Sarah Cooley, M.D., Assistant Professor, Medicine HOT, "A Subpopulation of Human NK Cells Lacking Inhibitory Receptors for Self MHC is Developmentally Immature Rather than Autoreactive"

Purvi Gada, M.D., Medicine HOT Fellow, "Optimal NK Cell Expansion Depends on Accessory Cells, Synergy between Physiologic Concentrations of IL-2 and IL-15, and Umbilical Cord Blood (UCB) NK Cell Precursors Expand Better Than Adult NK Cells"

Jian-Guo Geng, M.D., Assistant Professor, Medicine HOT, "Regulation of Tissue Factor by NF-kB Transcription Factor p50 is Essential for the Pathogeneses of Deep Vein Thrombosis and Arterial Restenosis"

Kalpna Gupta, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Medicine HOT, "Microenvironment-Induced Endothelial Heterogeneity Stimulates Retinal Neovascularization in Sickle Mice" and "Opioid Receptors Stimulate Angiogenesis, Lymphangiogenesis and Neurogenesis in Ischemic Wounds in Sickle Mice"

Pankaj Gupta, M.D., Assistant Professor, Medicine HOT, "A phase II study of an oral VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (PTK787/ZK222584) in patients with MDS: CALGB Study #10105"

Paul D. Harker-Murray, M.D., Pediatric H/O/BMT Fellow, "Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation as Therapy for Pediatric Patients with Relapsed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia with and Without CNS involvement"

Margaret MacMillan, M.D., Assistant Professor, Pediatric H/O/BMT, "Thymic Shielding (TS) in Recipients of Total Body Irradiation (TBI) and Alternative Donor Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (AD-HSCT): Reduced Risk of Opportunistic Infection in Patients with Fanconi Anemia"

Jeffrey Miller, M.D., Professor, Medicine HOT, "A Novel Triple Umbilical Cord Blood Transplant (UCBT) Strategy to Promote NK Cell Immunotherapy (Unit 1) with a Fully Ablative Preparative Regiment Followed by a Double UCBT in Patients with Refractory AML"

Angela Panoskaltsis-Mortari, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Pediatric H/O/BMT, "Amelioration of Idiopathic Pneumonia Syndrome (IPS) and GVHD by KGF-Pretreatment is Partly Mediated Via a STAT-6 –Dependent Pathway in the Host"

Patricia Taylor, D.V.M., Blazar lab, "Mechanisms Responsible For and Strategies To Overcome Bone Marrow (BM) Rejection in Allosensitized Recipients"

Jakub Tolar, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Pediatric H/O/BMT, "Engraftment and Survival Following Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Osteopetrosis Using a Reduced Intensity Conditioning Regimen"; "High Incidence of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Mosaicism in Fanconi Anemia;" and "Osteosarcoma Derived from Cultured Mesenchymal Stem Cells"

Marcie Tomblyn, M.D., Assistant Professor, Medicine HOT, "Promising Progression Free and Overall Survival Using a Novel (CY/FLU/TBI) Reduced-Intensity Conditioning (RIC) Regimen for Allogeneic Sibling Stem Cell Transplantation (SCT)"

Brenda Weigel, M.D., Assistant Professor, Medicine HOT, Therapeutic Stimulation of the Adaptive and Innate Immune System by Toll-like receptor TLR7/8 Agonists Reduced AML Tumor Bruden and Improves Survival in a Murine Model"

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Events

Cancer Biology Journal Club

Wednesday, November 8, 2006, 12-1 p.m., 5-122 MCB
Won-IL Kim will present the paper "DNA methyltransferase control telomere length and telomere recombination in mammalian cells," Gonzalo et. al. (2006) Nature Cell Biology.

The Cancer Biology Journal Club is held every Wednesday. A complete schedule is available at the MICaB Web site. For more information contact: Sonja Johnson (john4368@umn.edu) or Rachel Saplis (sapl0005@umn.edu).

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Professional Education and Seminars

Cancer Progression and Metastasis Program Seminar

Wednesday, November 8, 2006, 12-1 p.m., 450 CCRB
Dysregulation of FOXO1 and CBP in prostate cancer
Haojie Huang, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota

For a complete schedule visit the Web site.

Cancer Biology Research Club

Friday, November 10, 2006, 3:30-4:30 p.m., 450 CCRB
A screen for Mll-AF9 cooperating mutations in leukemogenesis using MLV-based mutagenesis
Rachel Saplis, Largaespada lab

Refreshments will be available. For a complete schedule visit the Web site.

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BMT Conference

Monday, November 13, 2006, 1:15-2:15 p.m., 450 CCRB
Maribavir: a new CMV antiviral agent
Jo-Anne van Burik, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, University of Minnesota

For a complete schedule, visit our Web site.

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Reminders

November 1-30:Open Enrollment for benefit-eligible employees begins November 1

University of Minnesota employees can review their benefits and make changes during Open Enrollment, November 1-30. Changes to medical and dental benefits are allowed if desired. Employees who wish to use flexible spending accounts must make an election for 2007. Medical and dental plan rates, plan changes, and other enrollment news was provides in a recent "U & Your Benefits" newsletter and is posted on the benefits Web site at www.umn.edu/ohr/benefits. All benefits changes and elections must be completed online at Employee Self-Service. The annual Employee Benefits Fair will be 10 a.m.-3 p.m., November 8 in the St. Paul Student Center and November 9 in the Coffman Memorial Union.

November 14: Grant writing seminar, ‘Getting started as a successful grant-writer and academician’

Tuesday, November 14, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Aragon Ballroom of the Holiday Inn Metrodome (West Bank)
The University of Minnesota is hosting a one-day grant-writing seminar designed for junior faculty members, postdoctoral research fellows, research staff, and graduate assistants who are beginning their careers in research and writing grant applications. David C. Morrison, Ph.D., an experienced academician, grant manager, and grant-reviewer, will present the seminar. Dr. Morrison has a wealth of experience and knowledge in proposal writing which has kept him continuously funded by peer-reviewed federal, foundation, and industry sources for more than 30 years. He is co-founder of "Grant Writers' Seminars and Workshops, L.L.C" through which he has helped faculty members throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe improve their grant writing skills and their success in meriting research support.

The registration fee for this seminar is $50. Space is limited to 100 participants and will fill very quickly; advance registration is required. Contact Barb Hartman, 612-626-2095, b-hart@umn.edu.

November 17: 1st Annual Children's Cancer Research Fund Norma K.D. Ramsay, M.D. Distinguished Visiting Professor Lectureship

Friday, November 17, 2006, 12-1 p.m., 450 CCRB
Human polymorphism and childhood cancer: How we are different and how we are the same
Stella M. Davies, M.B.B.S, Ph.D., M.R.C.P., Jacob G. Schmidlapp Endowed Chair and Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

December 7: Mark your calendars for the Cancer Center holiday event December 7

This year's Cancer Center holiday event will begin at 4 p.m., Thursday, December 7 in the West Wing of the Campus Club. Appetizers, beverages, and live entertainment will be provided.

Help in the fight against childhood cancer with Children's Cancer Research Fund note cards

Mary Schultze is taking orders for the Butterfly note cards (12/pkg @ $15/pkg) to benefit the Children's Cancer Research Fund. There are four different butterflies, each one designed by a child currently undergoing cancer treatment. To view the designs visit . Mary can be reached at schul032@umn.edu, 612-626-2961.

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 at the Children's Cancer Research Fund "Shop CCRF" Web site. 

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