Cancer Center Update is sent to Cancer Center members and staff every Tuesday at 10 a.m. Please submit items to Sandi Sherman, sherm019@umn.edu, by noon the previous Friday.

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In This Issue

Today's Cancer Center Seminar

News

Education and Events

Cancer Center Program Meetings

Funding News and Opportunities

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Today's Cancer Center Seminar

Tuesday, January 29, 2008, 12-1 p.m., 450 CCRB
My dog, your cancer: One more reason dog is man's best friend
Jaime Modiano, V.M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota

A peek at next week's seminar:
Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 12-1 p.m., 450 CCRB
Polyamines as strong biological modifiers that promote tumorigenesis
Susan Gilmour, Ph.D., Professor, Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, Wynnewood, Pa.

Hosts: Christopher Pennell, Ph.D., and Khalil Ahmed, Ph.D.

Visit the Cancer Center Seminar Series calendar for a complete schedule of lectures.

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News

Cancer Center members and staff honored at annual recognition event
At the Cancer Center's annual recognition event January 28 at the Campus Club in Coffman Memorial Union, Cancer Center Director Douglas Yee, M.D., presented Years of Service Awards to the following faculty and staff members:

• 5 years of service: Jill Aughey, Carol Letourneau, Sandra Rivera
• 10 years of service: K. Scott Baker, Sarah Bowell, Peggy McHenry, Bessie Pierce, Michelle Roesler, Meadow Schroeder, Sandra Sherman, Linda von Weymarn, Xihong Zhang
• 15 years of service: Todd Defor, Wendy Hudson, Jacquelyn Kuriger
• 20 years of service: Lynette Running, Nisha Shah, Rodney Staggs, Virginia Wyum
• 25 years of service: Susan Fautsch
• 30 years of service: Debra Herzan, Kathryn Longley
• 35 years of service: Jean Jacoby

The event also included music performed by SvenErik Olsen from the Cancer Center, and a variety of door prizes, which were claimed by lucky winners Linda von Weymarn, Nisha Shah, Don Connelly, Bobbie Randolph, Levi Downs, and Paul Champoux.

Members in the news

Margot Cleary, Ph.D., University of Minnesota Hormel Institute researcher and member of the Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program, was quoted in news reports on KARE 11-TV, KSTP-TV, WCCO Radio, the Rochester Post Bulletin, and by The Press Association regarding her research that provides further evidence that breast cancer and obesity are linked. Cleary's research was also mentioned in Dublin's Irish Independent. Read more.

Timothy Hallstrom, Ph.D., member of the Genetic Mechanisms of Cancer Program, was quoted in a January 22 Minnesota Daily article reviewing recent research accomplishments of University faculty. The article cited Hallstrom's research on how key genes cause breast and ovarian cancer cells to either multiply or die.

Michael Nelson, M.D., Douglas Yee, M.D., and Barbara Bowers, M.D., were mentioned in an article on MRI/MRS research for detecting and treating breast cancer in Scope, Fairview's newsletter to medical staff.

A January 27 article in the Decatur, Ill., Herald & Review,"Veteran finds himself in another struggle with a deadly enemy: leukemia," is about how a chronic lymphocytic leukemia patient in Findlay, Ill., hopes to participate in a cord blood transplant clinical trial at the University of Minnesota Cancer Center.

Kudos

Congratulations to Shana Sturla, Ph.D., member of the Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program, on being named a McKnight Land-Grant Professor for 2008-2010. Sturla is an assistant professor in the College of Pharmacy's Department of Medicinal Chemistry. The Office of the Provost and the Graduate School co-sponsor this program to advance the careers of promising junior faculty. Read more.

Kudos to Judith Berman, Ph.D., Genetic Mechanisms of Cancer Program member, on being named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for work deemed scientifically or socially distinguished. Those named will be recognized for their contributions to science and technology at the Fellows Forum to be held on February 16, 2008, during the AAAS Annual Meeting in Boston. The AAAS is the world's largest general scientific society and the publisher of the journal Science.

Cancer Center receives donations
The Fifth District Eagles Telethon presented Cancer Center Director Douglas Yee, M.D., with a check for $130,000 at their annual telethon held January 19 at the Mayo Civic Auditorium in Rochester. The telethon involves many communities in southern Minnesota to raise money for cancer research programs in Minnesota, including the University of Minnesota Cancer Center. This is the fifth year the Cancer Center has received proceeds from the event, for a total of $530,000.

On January 2, volunteers from the Cancer Benefit Fund presented Yee with a check for $36,000. The Cancer Benefit Fund is comprised of volunteers from across the state who share a commitment to cancer research and to keeping 100 percent of the dollars raised within Minnesota. The Cancer Center has received proceeds from their annual fall gala for seven years, and will again be a recipient in 2008. Read more.

Cancer Center Development Director Rosemary Gruber retires
Friends, family, and colleagues of Cancer Center Development Director Rosemary Gruber gathered at a reception January 10 in the Cancer Center Research Building to honor Rosemary's contributions to the Cancer Center and to wish her well in her retirement. Read more.

Cancer Center researchers receive grants
The following Cancer Center members recently received grants from The Karen Wyckoff Sarcoma Research Fund:

• Jaime Modiano, V.M.D., Ph.D., received $20,850 to investigate heritable influence on VEGF receptor function in canine endothelial soft tissue sarcomas. Modiano is the principal investigator on this study and Denis Clohisy, M.D., is the co-investigator.
• Simona Ognjanovic, Ph.D., received $36,936 to study the role of p53 mutations in pediatric alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) and embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS). Ognjanovic is the principal investigator on this study and Brenda Weigel, M.D., is co-investigator.
• Subbaya Subtramanian, Ph.D., received $39,020 to research microRNA expression profile of synovial sarcoma. Subtramanian is the principal investigator and Denis Clohisy, M.D., is co-investigator.
• Edward Cheng, M.D., received $7,200 for a patient education video series on amputation, rotationplasty, and limb salvage.

Cancer Center members conducting key research on mesothelioma
University of Minnesota Cancer Center members Robert Kratzke, M.D., and Faris Farassati, Ph.D., Pharm.D., are conducting key research on the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma with grants from the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. Read more.

Cancer Center research to be presented at Society of Thoracic Surgeons Annual Meeting
Cancer Center member Michael Maddaus, M.D., collaborated on three research studies that will be presented by his colleagues at the annual meeting of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons in Fort Lauderdale January 26-30, 2008. Shawn Groth, M.D., will present "Bronchoscopic evaluation of mediastinal lymph nodes: a single institution's learning curve," (Groth SS, Whitson BA, Maddaus MA, Andrade RS); Bryan Whitson, M.D., will present "Lobectomy for early stage non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis comparison of the video-assisted thoracoscopic approach to thoracotomy," (Whitson BA, Groth SS, Duval S, Maddaus MA.); and Hassan Tetteh, M.D., will present "Objective evaluation of thoracoscopic sympathectomy for palmar hyperhidrosis," (Tetteh HA, Kast K, Maddaus MA, Whitson BA, Groth SS, Radosevich DM, Andrade RS).

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Education and Events

Cancer Biology Journal Club
Wednesday, January 30, 2008, 12-1 p.m., 2-120 Moos Tower
Lissa DeRycke will discuss "Autologous chemotaxis as a mechanism of tumor cell homing to lymphatics via interstitial flow and autocrine CCR7 signaling," Cancer Cell 2007;11: 526-538.

The Cancer Biology Journal Club is held every Wednesday. For more information contact Sonja Johnson (john4368@umn.edu) or Rachel Bergerson (sapl0005@umn.edu).

Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship Research Group Seminar
Monday, February 4, 2008, 12-1 p.m., A-110 Mayo
Quality of life in a prospective cohort of elderly women with and without cancer
DeAnn Lazovich, M.P.H., Ph.D., Co-leader, Prevention and Etiology Program; Associate Professor, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health

RSVP to drei0022@umn.edu by January 31 if you want lunch. Free parking will be available in the Oak Street, East River Road, and Washington Avenue ramps. Please bring your parking voucher to the meeting for validation.

Special Seminar: Developmental Biology of Glioma Stem Cells
Thursday, February 7, 2008, 12 p.m., 2-101 Hasselmo Hall
Chang Hyuk Kwon, Ph.D., Instructor, Department of Developmental Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Dr. Kwon is a faculty candidate in cancer genetics jointly sponsored by the Cancer Center and the Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development.

Ethics and Compliance in Oncology Research (ECOR): Ensuring Ethics and Compliance in an Oncology Research Environment
April 5-8, 2008, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, R. Lee Clark Clinic, Houston
Registration is open for the First Annual Conference on Human Subject Protection and Compliance in Cancer Research The conference, organized by the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, emphasizes the complex issues faced when applying human subjects protection regulations, ethical principals, and good clinical practices in a setting where standard of care does not always result in a cure.

Conference participants will obtain useful information from local and national leaders and regulatory experts in the area of human subjects' protection and identify innovative methods for improving compliance with the federal, state, and local regulations. Interactive panel discussions and break out sessions are offered to foster open discussion about how to interpret federal regulations and to propose practical approaches toward ensuring compliance. Topics discussed will include conducting ethical Phase 1 studies, issues in oncology research design, clinical trial contract and IP issues, conflict of interest management, tissue and data repositories, and expanded access programs. A free pre-conference session will also be held to establish working committees to share operational metrics and benchmarks for the purpose of developing best practices through ongoing collaborations.

For more information visit the MD Anderson Cancer Center Web site.

KS95 for Kids® Radiothon
March 6-8, 2008, Southdale Center, Edina
A 60-hour radio broadcast on 94.5 KS95-FM, KS95 for Kids benefits both Children's Cancer Research Fund and Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare. A variety of current and past patients are featured during the broadcast. KS95 for Kids will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2008. To donate and/or volunteer visit KS95 for Kids.

Time to Fly™ Walk/Run registration opens February 4
Saturday, June 28, 2008, Harriet Island Regional Park, St. Paul
Time to Fly is a family-friendly walk/run event perfect for everyone from the competitive runner to the recreational participant. Set along the banks of the beautiful Mississippi River, Time to Fly race events include: 10K run, 5K run, 5K walk, and a kids' fun run. The day also features live entertainment, performance t-shirts, event bags, complimentary food and beverages, an abundance of kids' activities, and inspirational stories by families with children affected by cancer. Awards are presented to top race finishers in eight age categories, as well as the top corporate, community, and individual fundraisers through a competitive online pledge program. The 6th annual Time to Fly will be held in conjunction with the Picnic of Hope.

Plan to form a team. For additional information visit the Children's Cancer Research Fund Web site.

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Cancer Center Program Meetings

Genetic Mechanisms of Cancer Program meeting
Thursday, January 31, 2008, 4-5 p.m., 3-110 Moos Tower
Targeting Ras transformed cancer cells with Signal-Smart 1 oncolytic herpes: Using one human enemy against the other
Faris Farassati, Pharm.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology and Transplantation

For a complete schedule, visit the Web site.

Cancer Biology Research Club
Friday, February 1, 2008
Meeting canceled due to Graduate School recruiting activities.

For a complete schedule, visit the Web site.

BMT Conference
Monday, February 4, 2008, 1:15-2:15 p.m., 450 CCRB
CPOE Teaching

For a complete schedule, visit the Web site.

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Funding News and Opportunities

Ovarian Cancer Research Awards
Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance (MOCA)
Deadline: March 7, 2008 (3 p.m.)
Funding: $100,000 ($25,000 for fellowships)
The Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance will be awarding funds to provide opportunities for professionals to either initiate new studies or continue current research on ovarian cancer. All research proposals will be considered, however, special consideration will be given to proposals dealing with treatment.

Prostate Cancer Foundation Challenge Awards
Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF)
Deadline: March 14, 2008
Funding: $300,000 - $1,000,000/yr for 3 years
This new award provides multi-year support for collaborative efforts in eight focus areas identified as potentially transformational to the field. PCF is seeking proposals from teams of at least three highly experienced investigators capable of providing unique scientific expertise to the solution of a significant problem in prostate cancer research. A team may be assembled from one institution, or from several institutions. PCF Challenge Awards are intended to accelerate progress towards the reduction of death and suffering due to recurrent or advanced prostate cancer and reward high risk-high return research ideas.

Visit the Funding News & Opportunities Web page to see listings previously published in Update.

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