Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota

 

What's Inside

Quick Links for:

Cancer Information Line
Ask about cancer, clinical trials, and how to make an appointment:
ccinfo@umn.edu
612-624-2620
Toll-free in IA, MN, ND, SD, WI: 1-888-CANCER MN
(1-888-226-2376)

A Comprehensive Cancer Center Designated by the National Cancer Institute
Print this page. Mail this link to a friend.

Cancer Center Update

November 28, 2006

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.

In This Issue

Today's Cancer Center Seminar

News

Events

Professional Education and Events

Grant Information and Announcements

Reminders

Today's Cancer Center Seminar

Tuesday, November 28, 2006, 12-1 p.m., 450 CCRB
Tumor cell-axon communication in cancer pain
Marna Ericson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, University of Minnesota

A peek at next week's seminar:
Role of transforming growth factor beta in solid tumor metastases to bone
Theresa A. Guise, M.D., Gerald D. Aurbach Professor of Endocrinology, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Professor of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
Host: Denis Clohisy, M.D.

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

Back to top

News

Members in the news

  • The latest issue of the Academic Health Center's Pictures of Health features cancer and quotes Cancer Center members Levi Downs, M.D.; David Largaespada, Ph.D.; Mimi Yu, Ph.D.; Tim Church, Ph.D.; Michael Garwood, Ph.D.; Patrick Bolan, Ph.D.; and Jeffrey Miller, M.D.
  • Sharon Murphy, Ph.D., was featured in a WCCO-TV report about U student Katie N. Lee, who was named a 2007 Rhodes Scholar. Lee, an honors senior majoring in biochemistry and chemistry, was also offered a prestigious Marshall Scholarship. Lee is currently conducting research for her summa thesis in Murphy's lab. Lee's project concerns the role of a group of enzymes known as cytochrome P450s in the metabolism of nicotine and carcinogens found in tobacco products. For more information, read the University of Minnesota news release at www1.umn.edu/umnnews/Feature_Stories/U_student_named_Rhodes_Scholar.html.
  • Kristin Anderson, Ph.D., describes the risk factors of pancreatic cancer for the "University of Minnesota Moment" radio feature for the week of November 27. The series, which is produced by University News Service, is available to Minnesota radio stations for free. To listen to the segment, visit http://blog.lib.umn.edu/urelate/radio/pancreatic_cancer.mp3.

Back to top

Cancer Center researchers presenting at ASH meeting

Several Cancer Center researchers and University of Minnesota colleagues will be among the presenters at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting in Orlando, Fla., December 9-12, 2006. View a complete list of ASH presenters from the Cancer Center that have been submitted to Update. Corrections for previous listings in Update are incorporated on this page. If you or someone from your laboratory is giving an oral or poster presentation at ASH, and you have not been listed yet, please e-mail Gina Kennedy, kenne069@umn.edu, to be included on the list and in a future edition of Update.

Back to top

Open Enrollment for benefits-eligible employees ends Nov. 30

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. All benefits changes and elections must be completed online at Employee Self-Service.

Back to top

Events

Cancer Biology Journal Club

12-1 p.m. Wednesday, November 29, 2006, 5-122 MCB
Tucker W. LeBien, Ph.D., will present the paper "A common signaling cascade may underlie 'addiction' to the Src, BCR-ABL, and EGF receptor oncogenes," Sharma et. al. (2006) Cancer Cell.

The Cancer Biology Journal Club is held every Wednesday. A complete schedule is available at www.micab.umn.edu/news/cancerbiojourclub.html. For more information contact: Sonja Johnson (john4368@umn.edu) or Rachel Bergerson (sapl0005@umn.edu).

Health Care Appreciation Night at Herberger's Southtown

4-9 p.m. Friday, December 1, Herberger's at Southtown Mall, Bloomington
Show your ID at the entrance near the cosmetics department and you and a friend can take advantage of special savings, door prizes, cosmetic consultations, free coat check, free gift wrapping (limit two per customer), and refreshments while supplies last. Heidi Nundahl will embellish or hand-paint any fragrance purchase made that night. The Cancer Center receives a contribution from each sale completed with the Herberger's "Rose" charge card.

Back to top

Professional Education and Seminars

Genetic Mechanisms of Cancer Program Seminar

Thursday, November 30, 2006, 4-5 p.m., 3-110 Moos Tower
Regulation of mitosis, chromosome segregation and genome stability
Duncan Clarke, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota

For a complete schedule visit www.cancer.umn.edu/outreach/seminars-gmoc.html.

Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center Lecture

Friday, December 1, 2006, 12-1 p.m., 450 CCRB
Stereoselective biological disposition of tobacco-specific nitrosamines
Cheryl Zimmerman, Ph.D., Director of Graduate Studies in Pharmaceutics, Morse-Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota

For a complete schedule visit www.cancer.umn.edu/outreach/seminars-tturc.html.

Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Course

Friday, December 1, 2006, 1:15-2:15 p.m., 450 CCRB
Mechanisms of carcinogenesis: Translational control of cancer
Peter Bitterman, M.D.

For a complete schedule visit www.cancer.umn.edu/outreach/course-tturc.html.

Cancer Biology Research Club

Friday, December 1, 2006, 3:30-4:30 p.m., 450 CCRB
Fgfr2: Dual roles in development and adulthood
Sheri Kuslak, Marker Lab

For a complete schedule visit www.cancer.umn.edu/outreach/cbrclub.html.

Back to top

BMT Conference

Monday, December 4, 2006, 1:15-2:15 p.m., 450 CCRB
Preview of ASH presentations

  • Umbilical cord blood transplant after reduced intensity conditioning provides outcomes comparable HLA-matched siblings for patients with high risk and advanced acute myeloid leukemia
    Claudio Brunstein, M.D., Ph.D., HOT Division
  • 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 unreleased donor (URD) allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is associated with less relapse and increased graft versus host disease (GVHD)
    Jeffrey Miller, M.D., HOT Division
  • Unrelated donor hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) for hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH)
    K. Scott Baker, M.D., M.S., Pediatric H/O/BMT Division
  • Induction of endogenous repair mechanisms by single-stranded DNA oligonucleotide therapy for correction of the DNA-PK mutation in murine severe combined immune deficiency
    Jakub Tolar, M.D., Ph.D., Pediatric H/O/BMT Division

For a complete schedule visit www.cancer.umn.edu/outreach/bmtconferences.html.

Back to top

Grant Information and Announcements

Announcements

Establishment of Multiple Principal Investigator Awards for the Support of Team Science Projects (NOT-OD-07-017)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-07-017.html

NIH/AHRQ/NIOSH Confirm R01 Electronic Application Submission Plans for February 5 Receipt Date (NOT-OD-07-020)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-07-020.html

Funding Opportunities

Development, Application, and Evaluation of Prediction Models for Cancer Risk and Prognosis (R01) (PA-07-021)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-07-021.html

Developmental Biology and Regeneration of the Liver (R01) (PA-07-026)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-07-026.html

Social and Cultural Dimensions of Health (R01) (PA-07-045)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-07-045.html

Research on Clinical Decision Making in Life-Threatening Illness (R01) (PA-07-062)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-07-062.html

Mechanisms of Alcohol-Associated Cancers (R01) (PA-07-069)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-07-069.html

Research Project Grant (Parent R01) (PA-07-070)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-07-070.html

Biobehavioral Methods to Improve Outcomes Research (R01) (PA-07-072)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-07-072.html

Symptom Clusters in Cancer and Immune Disorders (R01) (PA-07-074)
National Institute of Nursing Research, National Cancer Institute.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-07-074.html

Understanding and Promoting Health Literacy (R01) (PAR-07-020)
Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research
Application Receipt/Submission Date(s): May 24, 2007; January 24, 2008; September 24, 2008; May 25, 2009; January 25, 2010
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-07-020.html

Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health (R01) (PAR-07-086)
Application Receipt/Submission Date(s): Application Submission/Receipt Dates(s): 05/24/2007, 01/24/2008, 09/24/2008, 05/22/2009
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-07-086.html

Back to top

Reminders

Holiday Recognition of Members and Staff includes Years of Service Awards

4-6 p.m. Thursday, December 7, Campus Club (West Wing), 4th floor of Coffman Memorial Union
The annual holiday event for Cancer Center members and staff will include Years of Service Awards, which will be presented at 5 p.m. by Cancer Center Director John Kersey, M.D. Appetizers, beverages, and live entertainment will be provided.

Holiday ornaments benefit Children's Cancer Research Fund

This year, Children's Cancer Research Fund (CCRF) ornaments are available in Target stores and online. Ten percent of the purchase price will be contributed to CCRF. To order online visit www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_3/602-7350643-5454259?%5Fencoding=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000GFDHMM.

Barnes and Noble Holiday Book Drive to benefit Care Partners at University of Minnesota Children's Hospital, Fairview

The Barnes and Noble stores in Burnsville, Apple Valley, Maplewood, and downtown Minneapolis have chosen the Care Partners Book Cart program as the recipient of their Holiday Book Drive. Customers will be encouraged to purchase books to be donated to the program in which volunteers wheel a cart stocked with new books to the pediatric units every week. Each child is given a book to keep, which the volunteer offers to read aloud. The Care Partners program is funded in part by the Children's Cancer Research Fund, and provides its services at University of Minnesota Children's Hospital, Fairview. For more information visit www.med.umn.edu/peds/bmt/patients/related/care/home.html.

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. 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 www.shopccrf.com.

Back to top