The NIH Catalyst
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. Fostering Communication and Collaborati The nihCatalyst A Publication for N I H Intramural Scientists National Institutes of Health Office of the Director a Volume 13, Issue 4 a July-August 2005 Translational Research Success Story 30+ YEARS IN THE LPD: Cytokines Yield Treatment Advances Students/Colleagues In Inflammatory Bowel Disease Honor Franklin Neva by Celia Hooper by Karen Ross ncreasingly successful treat- On May 1 6, NIAID Is Laboratory ofPara- ment of a devastating pair of sitic Diseases (LPD) honored its newly re- chronic diseases, Crohn’s dis- tired long-time leaderFranklin Neva with I ease and ulcerative colitis (UC), a symposium at which Neva ’sformer and current colleagues traced LPD's (and stands as an elegant demonstra- Neva ’s) history andpresented ongoing re- tion of the bench-to-bedsicle co- search. Tide symposium was organized operation that NIH boasts. by LPD Deputy Chief Tljomas Nutman, Presenting the work of scientists who co-moderated with LPD Acting Chief in NIAID’s Mucosal Immunity Sec- Alan Sher. tion of the Laboratory of Host De- Neva served as chieffrom 1969 until fense, Peter Mannon and his sec- few J- Mannon, M.D. 1995 and then as head ofLPD ’s Section tion chief, Warren Strober, recently Gastroenterology on Opportunistic Parasitic Diseases. He described gratifying clinical officially retired in December of 2004, progress in treating two forms of becoming scientist emeritus—and is still Celia Hooper a familiarface around the lab. inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Warren Strober (left) and Peter Mannon The pair spoke at NIH’s “Demysti- the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, primarily The Early Days fying Medicine” course in early May.* patches of the small bowel and colon. Bedside breakthroughs sprang from Ted Nash was As Mannon describes it, inflammation the emerging of as a Neva’s first re- concept IBD of the GI tract can lead to reactions in Kafkaesque variant dis- search fellow. on autoimmune other tissues, including eye, skin, and He joined the ease in which a hyperactive immune bone. Ongoing symptoms may include system relentlessly LPD in 1970, a and inappropriately formation of fistulae and fibrotic obstruc- reacts not to oneself, but to next year after Neva the tions, abdominal pain, nutrient malab- became chief. closest thing—the bacteria that make up sorption, fever, bleeding, oral ulcers, part of the gut flora. Crossfire from the In 1969, Nash kidney stones, arthritis, uveitis, and a said, there was Karen Ross ensuing battle—and attempts to inter- variety of skin lesions. vene havoc with a patient’s gut vety little interest Franklin Neva: —wreaks Data from 1990 put the direct cost of Scientist emeritus and other tissues. in clinical parasi- Crohn’s at more than $1 billion, with By modulating key regulatory tology at NIH—and the lab was the high toll, Mannon says, reflecting to reactivity physically scattered, with sections in cytokines tone down the of Crohn’s tendency to strike young adults the system, Strober’s lab Georgia and Hawaii, as well as in immune has and to recur. The disease and the side Bethesda. Moreover, the scientists been able to eliminate IBD in mouse continued on page 4 tended to focus on the biology of models of the disease—paving the way individual parasites rather than on for translation to humans. Early-stage CONTENTS 6-7 Postbac Posters trials offer some promise of remissions parasite-human interactions, recalled 1 /Pioneer Awards Nash, who is now head of the Gas- in Crohn’s and UC patients. Translation: Cytokines Spark 8-12 trointestinal Parasites Section. IBD Therapy Interest Group There was, however, a growing The Clinical Picture of Crohn’s Directory need for a coherent clinical parasi- Crohn’s disease, occurring in 40 to 100 Honoring 13 tology program because soldiers of every 100,000 people, is a chronic Franklin Neva Cartoon Commentary disease unfolding from inflammation of were returning from the Vietnam War On Class Distinctions Editorial: suffering from parasitic diseases. * Webcasts the are available at Guest of course 14-15 Neva’s early training prepared him <http://videocast.nih.gov/ Lance Liotta’s Parting Advice Recently Tenured well to take charge of LPD, said PastEvents.asp?c=45> Course materials are on the web at Nash. After medical school and in- 16 <http://wwwl.od.nih.gov/OIR/ Assembly of Kids’ Catalyst: continued on page 4 DemystifyingMed/index.html> Scientists Update Gold-diggers, Part 1 The NIH Catalyst Guest Editorial from a Former Deputy Director for Intramural Research The Music of Science Plays On The guest editorial this issue is from Lance Liotta, Principle 5: Strive to be taken for granted. who launched The NIH Catalyst in 1993, during The best administrative support is invisible. The his tenure as deputy directorfor intramural research Laboratory of Pathology has been fortunate to have in the time of Bernadine Healy's NIH directorship. tireless champions working behind the scenes for It is onlyfitting, then, that the departing remarks he its scientific staff—handling the myriad complex delivered at his going-away party at the Cloisters personnel activities that come with the territory of May 11 he adapted to fill this issue's DDIR column. the largest lab/branch at NIH and training hundreds of collaborators in the art of laser-capture micro- typical statement by the departing person at dissection and proteomics tecnology. a going-away party is that this job has been A the best years of their career. I cannot make Principle 6: Publications and patents are not that statement .... this has been the only job I the best way to extend science into the future. Ralph Isenburg have had since medical school. I joined the Labo- The best way is to train and inspire the future Lance Liotta, at his going-away party ratory of Pathology as a resident in 1976, and be- scientific leaders and teach them to make your cause I loved this place so loved the theories obsolete. lab’s May 11, 2005 much, and and technology Our sum- people so much, I stayed ever since. mer student program has literally changed the lives of hundreds of former students who are now phy- Over the last three decades, I’ve learned much sicians and scientists. from my role models—my co-workers, residents, students, and colleagues. Here are some of the important principles. When I arrived here as a resi- Principle 1: It is not enough dent, I viewed the intramural NIH to believe in a dream. There with the deepest reverence—and must be someone who be- I still feel the same way. This place lieves in the dreamer. In the be- has truly been a scientific utopia ginning of my career, my family driven by creative opportunity and Dr. [Alan] Rabson believed in and freedom, all directed toward me—so I began to believe in the goal of public health benefit. myself and had the courage to Here, each day, you can wake up take risks. In 1997, 1 was privi- to pursue a new idea, tiy out the leged to meet Chip Petricoin, idea, and let the data drive the and together we proposed science. Here you have the great- our dream of proteomics to est opportunity to take risks and NCI. The institute appreciated test grand paradigms. Take advan- our dream and helped us create a new clinical tage of that opportunity and privilege, as I have. proteomics program. George Gershwin was asked, “What comes first, Principle 2: The best way to see your the music or the lyrics?” “The money,” he answered, dream realized is to give it away. Transfer referring to the funding from his patrons. In this the dream to other team members and train- time of serious NIH fiscal restrictions, many have ees; let them internalize it, improve on it, and expressed concern that the music of science will call it their own. This is the secret to germinat- be silenced. I am an eternal optimist. Even if we, ing a large number of ideas in one’s short life- as scientists, have to do more with less, a bold cre- time. ative idea is still the best means to gain Principle 3: Taking a risk is the best way to funding and move the gain security in science. Instead of choosing the science to help pa- popular, safe topic that is in vogue, but will soon tients. Do everything to be out of vogue, it is smarter to get into new terri- protect that freedom. tory, explore beyond the campsite, and discover your own promised land. After all, we really know —Lance Liotta Professor Life Sciences less than 1 percent about how biology works. of and Co-Director Centerfor Applied Principle 4: Hire people who are smarter Proteomics than you and then get out of their way—but and Molecular Medicine continue to lurk in the and shield them background George Mason University from that distract them. I have been problems might College ofArts and Sciences fortunate to work with world-famous pathologists. Virginia Fairfax , 2 — . July — August 2005 Commentary from the NIH Assembly of Scientists NIH Assembly of Scientists Recaps Conflict-of-Interest Work, Sets Up Shop for Continuing Activities and Activism he Executive Committee of the As- cruitment and retention and employee visions in the conflict-of-interest regula- sembly of Scientists (AOS) was freedom. tions and their future implementation. As Telected in February of this year IS Fourth, to prepare the way for in- a result of that meeting, we have chosen and has been working hard to repre- stitutionalizing the Assembly of Scien- an Executive Committee member to serve sent the views of NIH scientists.