Mayo Clinic/University of Iowa Lymphoma SPORE Grant To Be Renewed

Friday, July 20, 2007

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Two of the Midwest's National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer centers announced today the pending renewal of their jointly held NCI Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant for lymphoma research. Renewed for an additional five years, this $11.9 million grant supports Mayo Clinic Cancer Center and Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center (University of Iowa) in their cutting-edge translational research into lymphoma — including development of individualized genetic profiles and targeted therapies.

Translational research is designed to bring laboratory findings into the patient care setting. The cancer centers' original five-year lymphoma SPORE grant of $10.6 million was awarded in 2002. A number of scientific accomplishments resulted, including translational studies exploring the potential of a novel therapeutic agent using CpG dinucleotides (CpG ODN) — a piece of DNA that stimulates the immune system — as a treatment for B cell malignancies. Laboratory studies performed through the SPORE increased the researchers' understanding of the importance of regulatory T cells in B cell lymphomas and led to a new clinical trial to further refine this knowledge. Their work has also shown that the genetic makeup of a patient's immune system may predict the risk of getting lymphoma and also affect the overall survival of the patient. The investigators also developed novel approaches to imaging that may contribute to the understanding of lymphoma cell biology.

"We are very thankful for this award from the National Cancer Institute and for the partnership with the University of Iowa," says Thomas Witzig, M.D., a Mayo Clinic hematologist and co-principal investigator of the lymphoma SPORE. "The team has opened five early-phase therapeutic clinical trials as part of our initial joint SPORE efforts. Additionally, we've collected a significant amount of DNA and clinical data on nearly 2,000 patients that will enable us to better understand the nature of lymphoma and continue to move laboratory findings into direct patient care."

The renewed grant will allow the investigators to build on these findings. A large multidisciplinary team of basic, clinical and population science investigators at both institutions will manage the major research projects of the renewed grant including:

• Continued study of CpG ODN along with interleukin-21 — a protein that also has a role in stimulating the immune system — to better understand their role in cancer cell death. This research also sets the stage for studies of other potentially therapeutic agents.
• Developing new drugs for lymphoma patients that will interfere with phosphatidylonositol-3 kinase and Raf kinase pathways — biological signaling pathways that result in malignant cell growth.
• Building a clearer picture of the genetic profile of non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients through use of the extensive patient information database, and determining the role of certain proteins contributing to the growth and survival of normal and malignant B cells.
• Exploring a new therapeutic approach using a protein derived from diphtheria, and continuing research into regulatory T cells and their effect on B cell malignancies.

In addition to these research projects, the SPORE grant funds a developmental research program to explore innovative research ideas and a career development program for the next generation of scientists interested in hematologic malignancies.

Mayo Clinic Cancer Center is a national recognition of excellence in education, research and treatment of cancer. The lymphoma SPORE is one of six SPORE cancer research programs at Mayo's locations in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota. Mayo Clinic also has been awarded SPORE grants in brain, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancer, and shares a SPORE for myeloma.

In addition to Dr. Witzig, other Mayo Clinic investigators involved in the lymphoma SPORE research include Stephen Ansell, M.D., Ph.D.; Scott Kaufmann, M.D., Ph.D.; James Cerhan, M.D., Ph.D.; Ahmet Dogan, M.D., Ph.D.; Clive Zent, M.D.; Patrick Johnston, M.D., Ph.D.; Stephen Russell, M.D., Ph.D.; Anne Novak, Ph.D.; and Thomas Habermann, M.D.

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