April 30, 1991, NIH Record, Vol. XLIII, No. 9
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April 30, 1991 Vol. XLHI No. 9 "Still U.S. Deparcmenc of Health The Second and Human Set-vices Best Thing About Payday" Natiorud lnstirures of Heahh e Recori New Recommendations on Cholesterol and Children Released A ll healthy children above the age of 2 should eat in a heart-healthy way to lower blood cholesterol and help prevent coronary heart disease in adulthood, according to new recommendations released by che National Cholesterol Education Program, which is sponsored by the National Heare, Lung, and Blood Institute. The recommendations emphasize lowering the average blood cholesterol of all American children and adolescents through population wide changes in earing patterns. "Our review of the· scientific evidence has convinced us that atherosclerosis begins in childhood and that chis process is related to nutrition practices which affect blood cho lesterol levels both in children and in adu.lcs," said Dr. Claude Lenfanc, NHLBI direcror. "Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in che United Scates," he added. "If we could delay the onset of heart disease, we could extend che years of healchy life for many Americans." The new recommendations are contained in NHLBJ director Dt·. Cla11.de Lenfant Jpeak.J at the National Cholesterol Education Program prm conference a report written by a panel of experts con Apr. 8 at the Sheraton WaJhington Hotel. The program recommendJ fqwering the average blood choleJtet•ol vened by the instirute's National Cholesterol level of all Americ,m children ove,· age 2 . (See CHOL£ST£ROL, Page 4 ) Immunologist Max D. Cooper Gene Blocks Cancer Spread To Deliver 1991 Dyer Lecture In Mice, Say NCI Scientists By Elaine Blume l ncernacionally renowned immunologist Dr. Max D. Cooper, of the University of Alabama N acional Cancer Institute scientists have at Birmingham, will deliver the 199 L honor demonstrated that a gene called 1111123 can ary R.E. Dyer Lecture on T uesday, May 7 at block the formation and spread of certain skin 3 p.m. in Masur Auditorium, Bldg. 10. T he cancers in mice. The study was carried out by tide of his lecture is "A Comparative Analysis Ors. Patricia S. Steeg, Alvaro Leone and their ofT Cell Development." Each year, the NIH coworkers at NCI, along with researchers ac director chooses a leading expert in the area of Molecular Oncology, Inc., and Program infectious diseases co be rhe speaker for the Resources, Inc. le is reported in the Apr. 5 Dyer Lecture series. T he leeture is named after issue of the journal Cell. Rolla Eugene Dyer, an infectious disease Scientists suspect that a number of genes researcher and NIH director from 1942 to act ro control eel I g rowth and prevent 1950. development of human and animal cancers. Cooper's lecture will focus on rhe ways the Bue until now, only cwo-RB and p5J-had T cell develops in three species: mammal, been proven to have chis capability. In addi bird, and amphibian. He will use man, tion, mn23 has been shown to interfere chickens, and frogs as his models for individ specifically with rumor metastasis, the spread ual cellular developmenr. of rumor cells throughout the body that is Cooper studied medicine at the University responsible for most cancer deaths. of Mississippi Medical School and T ulane Uni "Surgeons take care of most primary tumors versity Medical School, specializing in Dr. Max D. Coopet· very nicely," Steeg said. "But almost half of pediatrics. This work in pediatric immune cancer patients already have observable or deficiencies Jed co his identification of a new process governing the development of lym occult (invisible) metastases at the time of type of childhood lymphoblastic leukemia phoid neoplasms. Cooper received a cop award diagnosis and surgery. " called pre-B cell leukemia. from the Society for Experimental Biology and In these patiencs, the disease is likely to One of Cooper's most recognized srndies, Medicine for chis discovery and lacer won the recur. By understanding the factors involved conducred in che 1960's, established chat the inaugural Sandoz Prize for Immunology with in metastasis, scientists hope ro learn how co human immune system can be divided his collaborator on T cell function, Dr. interfere with the process and improve patient developmentally and functionally into B cell Jacques Miller of the Walter and Eliza Hall survival. and T cell populations. This work led to bet Institute in Melbourne. Steeg and her associates originally identified ter understanding of the mechanisms and ln 1988, Cooper was awarded a 7-year 1111123 in mouse melanoma cell lines. rreacments of immunodeficiencies and the (See COOPER, Page 2 ) (See GENE, Page 6 ) page 2 The Record April 30, 1991 COOPER (Continued from Page J ) investigator's grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute co continue his work in immunology. Despite offers at several promi nent universities, Cooper decided co use his granr at UAB, where he has been conducring research and teaching for the past 24 years. UAB is one of only 26 universities with a H oward H ughes researcher on its staff. Cooper became the first Alabamian co be indueted into the N ational Academy of Sci ences when he was named co the prestigious society in 1990. As the Howard Hughes investigator at UAB, Cooper direccs a ream of faculty mem bers, graduate scudenrs and poscdoccoral students from around the world who are studying the immunology of AJDS, cancer and leukemia. In addition, Cooper serves as direc tor of UAB's division of developmencal/clinical immunology as well as director of the Center for Inrcrdisciplinary Research in Immunologi cal Diseases and of the Cell Identification Ac1ress Mary Tyler Moore signs a joint NIDDK/juvenile Diabetes Fo1111dation UDF) request for Laboratory. He is also a professor in the applications fr,r the Diabetes lnterdisripli11ary Research Pt·ogram with Dr. Phillip Go,-den ( second from ,-), departments of medicine, microbiology and NIDDK director. Also rep,·esenting the JDF are j. Richard Munro (/), JDF presidem and chairman and pediatrics. co-CEO of TIME, Inc. , and Robert \'(loodjohnJOn IV (r), Robert \'(/oodj ohnson Foundation. The NIDDK Cooper serves as senior scientist at the Cys tvi!I make one 01· two a1uards and JDF tvil! make 11110 to four awards for program projecl grants to study tic Fibrosis Research Center, the Multipurpose insuli11-depe11de11t diabetes and its long-term complications. Arthritis Center and the Comprehensive Can cer Center, all ac the University of Alabama ac Birmingham.- Margo Warren D Cruise to Bermuda with R&W The NllI Record Published biweekly at Bethesda, Md ., by the Editorial G ive yourself something co look forward co: Operations Branch, Division of Public Information, for the informacion of employees of che National Institutes of cake a luxury cruise vacation chis fall! R&W Health, Department of Health and Human Services, and has secured special group races for its members circulated to nonemployecs by subscripcion only through for a 7-nighr cruise co Bermuda aboard rhe the Government Printing Office. 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For more information, stop by the Correction Editorial Assistant NICHD, Carol Florance R&W Activities D esk in Bldg. 31 for a free Marilyn Berman NlDCD, Gail Blatt NJDDK, Eileen Corrigan color brochure, (or call 496-4600 and we'll The date of Dr. Shlomo Havlin's presenta NIDR, Mary Daum send you one). Find ouc why cruising is tion on disordered systems, published in the Th, NIH R,wdrc.,rves th< right NJEHS, Hugh J. Lee to make c~rrecuoos, chang,s.' or NIGMS Wanda Warddell becoming America's favorite way ro rravel. 0 last NIH Reco.-d, was incorrect. The presenta <lekoons u1 subm1cred copy 1n . ' tion will be held Friday, M ay 10, at 1:30 conformit>' wi,h {he:- puJicii:s: or (he N lNDS, Carol Rowan p.rn. in Bldg. 12A, Rm. B5 L 0 pap<, and HHS NLM, Roger L. Gilkeson page -~ The Record April ,o. 1991 Noted Alzheimer's Disease Researcher Raises New Questions About Risk Factors Long at the forefront of clinical research on brain chemistry, brain function, and Alzheimer's disease, Dr.