Pinpointing Oncogenes to Destroy Cancer winter | spring 2011 contents winter | spring 2011 2 4 10 features departments 2 Finding a Pathway to Survive 1 Director’s Letter Lorraine Romano’s journey through cancer treatment led her to find expertise at Yale in 2009. She had a partially 7 Advances matched stem cell transplant and nearly two years later, she Breakthrough Research from Yale Cancer Center has traveled her path to recovery. 8 Prevention 4 Making Cancer Quit Cold Turkey The Key to Smoking Cessation Yale Cancer Center researcher, Frank Slack, discovered that stopping the expression of an oncogene may lead to 10 Forefront complete regression of tumors. His work has demonstrated Yale Launches Cancer Biology Institute oncogene addiction in lymphomas with microRNA21. 12 Training Educating the Next Generation of Epidemiologists 14 Giving Join the Momentum to Fund Cancer Research 16 Meet the Physician Q&A with Dr. Roy Herbst 17 New Faces Appointments at Yale Cancer Center On the Cover Frank Slack, PhD, Director of the Yale Cancer Center Genetics and Genomics Research Program Peter Baker photographer director’s letter yale cancer center Thomas J. Lynch, Jr., MD Director Kevin Vest, PT, MBA, FACHE Deputy Director, Administration and Clinical Affairs Yale Cancer Center has experienced a period of tremendous growth and progress over the last Renee Gaudette year. I began my tenure in April of 2009 and have had the pleasure of recruiting several top scientists Director, Public Affairs and Marketing and clinicians to continue to strengthen the outstanding basic science and clinical care here at Yale art + production Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven. Tia Phillips Art Director Smilow Cancer Hospital began full operation a year ago with the Sharon Peck Production Director consolidation of Yale’s inpatient and outpatient cancer services into one facility, making it the most comprehensive, single destination for PETER BAKER contributors Writers Emily Fenton cancer services in the Northeast. Since the opening of Smilow, we Steve Kemper Colleen Shaddox have welcomed 23 new faculty members to our membership, includ- Photographers ing three outstanding leaders in the cancer community – Lieping Peter Baker pbakerphoto.com Chen, Roy Herbst, and Yossi Schlessinger. The leadership that these Design Imagemark Publishing and senior recruits bring to Yale, and the energy and excitement that has Design Studio, Wilton, CT imagemark.net been added to our clinical and research teams, is immeasurable. Lieping Chen’s laboratory research on cell surface molecule pathways submit your ideas... Do you have an idea for a story you’d like to see featured and their impact on innate and adaptive immunity will ensure Yale con- in Centerpoint Magazine? Submit your ideas to: tinues to push the frontiers in cancer immunobiology. His laboratory [email protected] has made seminal contributions to the development of cancer thera- peutic monoclonal antibodies against CD137, PD-1, and B7-H1, which are all currently in clinical trials. In 2010, Yale made significant investment in the understanding of the biology of cancer with the opening of a Cancer Biology Institute, led by Yossi Schlessinger. Yossi is a world-class scientist with an unparalleled track record of turning new targets into medicines that help cancer patients live longer. I Yale Cancer Center am confident that his leadership will enable the Institute to become one of the world’s great centers m a g a z i n e for understanding the fundamental nature of cancer and finding ways to defeat it. Centerpoint Magazine is published two times a year by Yale Cancer Center I am pleased that Roy Herbst will join Yale Cancer Center in March as Chief of Medical Oncology to inform the public and the Center’s friends, volunteers, donors, and staff and Associate Director of Translational Research. Roy’s focus will be to unite our basic and clinical on current items of interest at Yale Cancer Center. research efforts to ensure we are quickly moving breakthroughs in cancer research to benefit our Yale Cancer Center patients through clinical trials. 333 Cedar Street, PO Box 208028 New Haven, CT 06520-8028 yalecancercenter.org I am eager to share the new ideas and advances that will emerge in 2011 as our new faculty ©Copyright 2011, Yale Cancer Center. members integrate with the strong basic research teams at Yale in the next issue of Centerpoint. All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced by any means, prints, electronic, or any other, without prior written permission Sincerely, of the publisher. Editorial Office Yale Cancer Center 157 Church Street Thomas J. Lynch, Jr., MD, Director, Yale Cancer Center New Haven, CT 06510-2100 [email protected] Physician-in-Chief, Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven yalecancercenter.org | centerpoint magazine 1 i • family hope knowledge • guidance • • Lorraine’s life became dominated by the frequent need for ditioning regimen developed by Dr. Francine Foss to treat the x you are here blood transfusions and periodic hospitalizations for infection. lymphoma. This involved chemotherapy and total body irradia- The issue with her bone marrow was compounded by the fact tion. The expertise of the entire transplant team combined to pro- that her lymphoma was continuing to grow and could not be vide Lorraine with a unique treatment plan customized for her. safely treated. The only way that both problems could be treated “To my knowledge, there is no other center that is using the Finding a Pathway was with a stem cell transplant. It was recommended that she see Dr. Dennis Cooper, Director “I am blessed that I was not brought of the Stem Cell Transplant Program at Smilow Cancer Hospital to SURVIVE at Yale-New Haven, for an evaluation. Unfortunately, Lorraine did down by this disease and I was able to not have a family match who could serve as a donor. Susan persevere. I was not done playing an Emily Fenton writer Peter Baker photographer Faraone, RN, Yale’s allogeneic bone marrow transplant coordina- tor, found potential matches through the National Marrow Donor active role in the life of my family.” Registry but none of the possible matches were fully compatible. “From the time that my blood counts failed to recover, I was same method for preventing graft-versus-host disease after a par- working on borrowed time. It was three months before a donor tially matched stem cell transplant. GVHD is a serious problem was found and I am very thankful they found one when they did. for this type of transplant and to be able to control it better pro- I was receiving transfusions every other day and at times, I felt vides us with more options and has made a huge difference in the very weak and had several infections,” Lorraine explained. lives of our patients,” Dr. Cooper said. Lorraine received what is known as a partially matched stem In Lorraine’s case, it allowed her to receive the transplant that cell transplant since a fully matched donor was not found. The she desperately needed. She has passed the one-year mark since most severe complication resulting from a stem cell transplant is her transplant, and has no evidence of disease. She continues to graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), which can cause intense rash, take immunosuppressants to prevent the occurrence of GVHD, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and liver dysfunction due to an attack and once a month she is monitored through the Bone Marrow Lorraine Romano with her dog, Bella. by the donor’s immune system against the patient’s tissue. Transplant Day Hospital at Smilow Cancer Hospital by trans- “Our transplant physicians had initiated a clinical trial for par- plant-specialized nurse practitioners, physicians, and a dietician. Lorraine Romano’s long journey of treatment and and in April of 2009 she received another round of standard treat- tially matched transplants after realizing that the patients that were “I am blessed that I was not brought down by this disease and recovery began more than ten years ago when she found an ment. After the treatment, Lorraine’s blood counts began to plum- receiving partially matched stem cell transplants were encountering I was able to persevere. I was not done playing an active role in enlarged lymph node that was biopsied and showed low-grade met and quite surprisingly, her blood counts did not recover. serious GVHD effects. Under the direction of Dr. Stuart Seropian, the life of my family,” Lorraine said. Lorraine is back working full lymphoma. Treatment for low-grade lymphoma with conven- Because her counts remained so low, she could not continue to the prophylaxis used after transplant to prevent GVHD was time and is happy to be involved in the lives of her children again. tional therapy is quite effective but the lymphoma ultimately receive therapy for the lymphoma and she required frequent changed and since then we have not seen any severe cases of She explained that family and friends are a crucial part to getting returns and subsequent remissions after treatment generally transfusions. Several bone marrow studies showed that her bone GVHD, and are quite pleased with the results,” Dr. Cooper said. through cancer treatment, but also having trust in the knowledge become shorter over time. This is what occurred with Lorraine, marrow had stopped functioning without obvious cause. Before the transplant occurred, Lorraine was started on a con- and expertise of those caring for you. • • ambition inspiration 2 centerpoint magazine | winter-spring 2011 yalecancercenter.org | centerpoint magazine 3 microRNA21 microRNA21 microRNA21 microRNA21 microRNA21 microRNA21 microRNA21 Making CancerQuit Cold Turkey Colleen Shaddox writer Peter Baker photographer A cancerous tumor might contain 50,000 mutations. “Frank’s cutting edge research provides convincing evidence Professor of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology Frank that microRNA21 can drive tumorigenesis and is necessary for Slack found that turning off a single oncogene – microRNA21 – maintaining tumors in an animal model,” said Curtis C.