NCCC Treats First Patient with CAR T-Cell Therapy
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2020 The Prouty ChronicleCelebrating the 39th Annual Prouty supporting Norris Cotton Cancer Center NCCC treats first patient with CAR T-cell therapy LENDING CANCER CONNECTING RESEARCH THROUGH EXPERTISE TO SUPPORT COVID-19 ...... 4 SERVICES ..... 8 FROM THE CANCER CENTER DIRECTOR Dear Prouty Community, Much will be written about 2020. I will remember it as a year full of surprises, and moments of pride and grati- tude. Our 39th Prouty rallied the best spirit within our community to leverage critical support for the Norris Steve Leach, MD, left, and Mary Chamberlin, MD, right, rode a metric Cotton Cancer Center – all during a global pandemic century (100km) through the beautiful Vermont hills, in honor of their patients and staff at NCCC. and economic uncertainty. Together we raised $3 million to support cutting-edge research and meaningful patient that they can recognize and attack cancer cells. Thanks and family support services. Your support has made a tre- to Prouty Pilot Grants, next generation immunotherapy mendous impact. With your help, we’re providing stellar research is well underway at Dartmouth with a focus on care to our community and knowledge for the world. increasing the number of cancers we can treat and the In a year when COVID-19 restricted our ability to be success rate of those that are treated. We have hope that together in person, so many of you met the challenge and the future of cancer treatments will be improved and we continued to support the important work of the Cancer remain committed to investing, through The Prouty, in Center by participating virtually – making your own per- this promising area of research. sonal contributions, as well as encouraging friends and It may have been a hot, hot day when I Prouty-ed, but I family to join you in making gifts. was grateful to ride a metric century with some loyal Prouty participants. The dedication to The Prouty by so many is outstanding and has made me so proud of the work we do Thanks to Prouty Pilot together as a community. With great optimism, planning for the 40th Prouty Grants, next generation is already in the works under the leadership of Jaclynn immunotherapy research Rodriguez, our new Executive Director of the Friends of Norris Cotton Cancer Center. There are big shoes to is well underway fill with Jean Brown’s retirement and the farewell to two long-term NCCC board members, Carolyn Frye and Jim at Dartmouth.... Bonney, but I’m confident that the Friends team (staff and volunteers) will rise to the challenge. Your support is making so much possible. In September, I am truly humbled by all we are able to accomplish when the Cancer Center was awarded the 2020 Press Ganey we come together for a shared mission – improving the Pinnacle of Excellence Award for Patient Experience. lives of those diagnosed with cancer. As a Prouty support- This award recognizes institutions who have maintained er, thank you for doing your part. consistently the highest levels of excellence in patient ex- perience over a three-year period. We all pride ourselves on our commitment to our patients and are humbled to With true appreciation, be recognized by Press Ganey, an industry leader. In this issue of The Prouty Chronicle you’ll learn about life-saving CAR T-cell therapy, currently available to Steven D. Leach, MD our patients. CAR T-cell therapy for cancer patients is an emerging form of immunotherapy. It involves super- Director, Norris Cotton Cancer Center charging cells from a person’s own immune system so Professor of Molecular and Systems Biology, Surgery, and Medicine 2 TheProuty.org IN THIS ISSUE A Message from the Friends New Executive Director Dear Friends, On the cover I am thrilled and honored to join Kim Levitch and his wife, Nancy, stand with his doctor, Kenneth Meehan, after he received the Friends of Norris Cotton Cancer the first CAR T-cell treatment at NCCC. Photo Center as the new Executive Direc- by Mark Washburn. Read more on page 6. tor. I look forward to meeting all of Cancer and COVID-19 ...................4 you in the coming months! Funding from the NCI is supporting the I’m excited to bring my experience efforts of two research teams at NCCC in community fundraising to our who are lending their expertise to finding signature Prouty event. I’m passion- COVID-19 solutions. ate about making a difference in the Support Services .........................8 fight against cancer and giving back Francine Lozeau found comfort in a class to my community, and am confident through the NCCC’s Patient and Family that I’ll be able to achieve this with Support Services during her cancer journey. the Friends, alongside our dedicated The Virtual Prouty ....................10 team and volunteers. New Hamp- Take a stroll through photos from the 6-week shire has always been my home, and event to find out how others Prouty-ed. I am delighted to join the Upper Val- Your Support Makes a Difference ..........16 ley community with my family. Jaclynn Rodriguez, Executive Director of the Friends of Norris Cotton Cancer Center. Sponsors .....................................................17 Jean Brown’s leadership and commit- Prouty Awards ..........................................18 ment to the Prouty has been instru- will look like just yet, we are confi- Leaders, Advisors, and Organizers ........19 mental to the success of the Friends dent that we will bring a unique and over the past 17 years. I’m eager to inspirational Prouty event and cele- Norris Cotton Cancer Center Director continue this work with your input, bration to life! of Development: Bethany Solomon participation, and support to further Friends of Norris Cotton Cancer Center the mission of our organization. I am excited to get to know all of Executive Director: Jaclynn Rodriguez you, our donors, volunteers, part- Contributors: Kelley Barton, Bruce Bouchard, While 2020 has been a challeng- ners, and neighbors and look forward Sarah Markwell, Mary Perreault, Jaime Peyton, ing year for everyone, the virtual to celebrating our 40th year together Lara Stahler Prouty was an incredible success. in 2021. Design and Production: Heidi Allen Goodrich Together we raised $3 million for Photography: Bruce Denis, Paul Reitano, ground-breaking cancer research and Thank you for your continued sup- Mark Washburn crucial patient and family support port of The Prouty and the Friends. Color Correction: John W. Hession services, with donations still coming Proofreading: Mary Allen, Judy Csatari, in. This accomplishment was made Doreen Cutter, Bruce Parsons With gratitude, possible because of the passionate Printing: R.C. Brayshaw & Co. dedication and steadfast commit- Our thanks to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Communi- cations & Marketing for making the 2020 Prouty ment of our participants and sup- Chronicle possible. porters. A special thank you to the The Prouty is the signature event of the Friends Jack & Dorothy Byrne Foundation, of Norris Cotton Cancer Center, a group of people Jaclynn Rodriguez dedicated to raising money and awareness for can- whose support of The Prouty makes cer research and patient support services at Norris a difference in the lives of everyone Execuutive Director, Cotton Cancer Center. who’s been touched by cancer. Friends of Norris Cotton Cancer Center The health and safety of our community is top priority at The Prouty. All virtual participants were We are already planning for our 40th encouraged to practice social distancing and follow annual Prouty next year, and while local COVID-19 guidelines. no one knows what summer 2021 Contact us: [email protected] or (800) 226-8744. Copyright © 2020 Friends of Norris Cotton Cancer Center TheProuty.org 3 Lending Cancer Research Expertise to By Lara Stahler Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, scientists from COVID-19 many fields of research have temporarily refocused their efforts to help in the urgent need to understand this vi- rus and learn how to manage it. Funding from the Na- The team’s goal is to rigorously analyze antibodies that tional Cancer Institute (NCI) is supporting the efforts are generated by vaccines as well as antibodies that are of two research teams at Norris Cotton Cancer Cen- present in recovered patients’ blood. “With this type of ter (NCCC) who are lending their expertise to finding analysis we would investigate the correlation of patient COVID-19 solutions. outcome with the presence of ‘good’ or ‘bad’ antibod- Good and bad antibodies ies,” explains Guyre. “We will test the hypothesis that poor outcomes are associated with higher levels of ‘bad’ The first grant will fund research led by the NCCC labo- antibodies and determine whether a specific vaccine is ratory of Paul Guyre, PhD, who has a 35-year history of making more of one or the other type of antibody.” studying antibodies and the receptors on human cells to which they bind. COVID-19 is caused by Severe Acute Delivering care remotely Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). A second grant has been awarded for research surround- Antibodies produced by a patient can potentially wors- ing factors that enhance the capacity and sustainability en a viral disease, such as COVID-19 through a process of telemedicine for rural cancer patients. The research called “antibody-dependent enhancement” (ADE). will be led by cancer population scientist, Dr. Anna Tos- Guyre’s team will investigate the possibility that some teson, PhD. patients make antibodies that do not protect against Tosteson’s team will utilize the explosive growth of tele- SARS-CoV-2 virus, but rather enhance the ability of medicine resulting from COVID-19 as a natural experi- the virus to infect cells. “ADE has been shown to occur ment from which they can learn what factors allow tele- previously with Dengue, Zika, the first SARS-CoV, and medicine to be sustained over time, what adaptations other coronaviruses,” notes Guyre.