New York, NY …The Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF) is pleased to announce that the 2009 Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc./Lymphoma Research Foundation Clinical Investigator Career Development Award has been awarded to Kai Fu, MD, PhD, Associate Professor at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
Lymphoma, the most common type of blood cancer, is broadly categorized into Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). According to a 2008 report from the World Health Organization, there are six types of HL and over 61 types of NHL; many of which are rare diseases.
A member of LRF's Mantle Cell Lymphoma Consortium (MCLC), Dr. Fu's work will focus on mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), an aggressive malignant B-cell form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Mantle cell lymphoma is a rare form of NHL accounting for 6 percent of all new diagnoses of NHL or approximately 3,000 new cases per year in the United States. Mantle cell usually affects men over 60 and is frequently diagnosed as a Stage IV disease, often present in lymph nodes above and below the diaphragm and in most cases involves the gastrointestinal tract and bone marrow.
MCL is characterized by over expression of the gene cyclin D1 due to a chromosomal translocation. A subset of MCL also expresses higher levels of a group of small RNA molecules, called miR-17~92. Dr. Fu and his co-workers have found that higher expression of miR-17~92 is directly correlated with poorer patient survival. These findings indicate that higher miR-17~92 expression induces abnormal activation of a pathway in tumor cells that leads to increased resistance to standard chemotherapy. Dr. Fu will conduct a pre-clinical study to determine whether suppression of miR-17~92 will improve the effect of chemotherapy. His study will thus provide a novel approach to treating MCL patients.
"Dr. Fu's elegant proposal explores a new avenue for understanding MCL and identifying potential therapeutic targets. We are delighted that Dr. Fu has chosen MCL as the focus of his Clinical Career Development Project," stated Michael Williams, MD, Director, Hematologic Malignancy Program - University of Virginia and Chair of LRF's Mantle Cell Consortium
The 3-year Clinical Investigator Career Development Award is designed to fund training of clinicians who will participate in developing new therapeutics and diagnostic tools for lymphoma.
The focus of the training is to prepare clinicians to design and administer clinical studies in lymphoma and to take on the primary responsibilities for clinical trial design, protocol writing, Institutional Review Board (IRB) submission, and publication. Dr. Fu will be pursuing a Career Development Plan with the guidance of his mentor, Dr. Wing Chan, Co-Director, Center for Lymphoma and Leukemia Research, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE. Dr. Fu will be supported by a grant of $300K over 3 years to accomplish his research project. The LRF thanks Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc./The Takeda Oncology Company for their generous support of this grant.
"We are proud to be able to support lymphoma research through grants such as this one, and we are hopeful that the work we support may someday be a significant contribution to the discovery of new methods for treating blood cancer," said Dixie-Lee Esseltine, M.D., Vice President, Global Medical Affairs, Millennium.
"The Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc./Lymphoma Research Foundation clinical Investigator Career Development Award is supported by an independent grant from Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Millennium). Millennium neither controlled nor influenced the nomination or selection of any award recipient."
About the Mantle Cell Lymphoma Consortium
Established by LRF in January 2005, the MCLC is comprised of more than 100 laboratory and clinical scientists from North America and Europe. The MCLC is designed to accelerate the understanding and treatment of MCL by annually bringing together these international lymphoma specialists, funding innovative studies and creating important resources such as the MCL website and cell bank.
About the Lymphoma Research Foundation
The Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF) is the nation's largest voluntary health organization devoted exclusively to funding lymphoma research and providing patients and healthcare professionals with critical information on the disease. LRF's mission is to eradicate lymphoma and serve those touched by this disease.
As of June 30, 2008, LRF has funded over $37 million in lymphoma-specific research. LRF also provides a comprehensive series of programs and services for patients, survivors and loved ones affected by lymphoma, including our toll-free Lymphoma Helpline and Clinical Trials Information Service, in-person patient education programs, webcasts/teleconferences and support services.
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