The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Blog

LLS-funded Researcher Publishes Breakthrough Article on AML

communityreply@lls.org — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:23:56 GMT

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is always excited to learn about the new discoveries our funded researchers are making. Ari Melnick, M.D., of Cornell Weill Medical College, has been working on ways to test thousands of genes at the same time for a recently recognized type of abnormality called methylation. He has been able to apply these state-of-the-art tests towards understanding the causes and better predicting the treatment-sensitivity of leukemias and lymphomas. Dr. Melnick is the senior author of a report published this month in the prestigious scientific journal, Cancer Cell and highlighted in the research commentaries in January issues of the LLS e-newsletters. Here is the summary of that article, entitled “DNA Methylation Signatures Identify Biologically Distinct Subtypes in Acute Myeloid Leukemia”:

We hypothesized that DNA methylation distributes into specific patterns in cancer cells, which reflect critical biological differences. We therefore examined the methylation profiles of 344 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Clustering of these patients by methylation data segregated patients into 16 groups. Five of these groups defined new AML subtypes that shared no other known feature. In addition, DNA methylation profiles segregated patients with CEBPA aberrations from other subtypes of leukemia, defined four epigenetically distinct forms of AML with NPM1 mutations, and showed that established AML1-ETO, CBFb-MYH11, and PML-RARA leukemia entities are associated with specific methylation profiles. We report a 15-gene methylation classifier predictive of overall survival in an independent patient cohort (p < 0.001, adjusted for known covariates).

Quest Diagnostics’ sponsorship and fundraising work on behalf of LLS has enabled us to support Dr. Melnick’s breakthrough work. We appreciate the time and energy their employees have given to help make this important research happen.

Learn more about this and other research by reading the January 2010 Commentary, written by Deborah Banker, Vice President, Research Communications, and learn more about acute myelogenous leukemia (also known as acute myeloid leukemia).

Have questions about blood cancer or LLS-funded research? Talk to one of our information specialists at 1-800-955-4572.

Your donation dollars at work

communityreply@lls.org — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:37:22 GMT

The following shares some highlights from last month’s commentary written by Deborah Banker, Vice President, Research Communications. She recently returned from the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting where she heard presentations by researchers who are funded by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). The information she brings us from ASH is a reminder that your donation dollars can and do go far in the fight against blood cancers. Start 2010 with a donation to LLS so that patients can have a brighter future.

I just got back from this year's meeting of the American Society of Hematology. As always, there was lots of research progress reported and researchers funded by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) were well-represented. It was an opportunity to learn more about the biology of various forms of lymphoma and about evolving treatments for patients with Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL).

LLS-funded Steven Bernstein, M.D., of the University of Rochester discussed the transformation of some cases of relatively indolent follicular lymphoma into aggressive cancers, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and Burkitt lymphoma. It seems that transformation risk may be increased by treatments with high doses of alkylator or purine analog drugs. Rituxan® apparently does not affect the risk of transformation and importantly the Rituxan-containing combination therapy known as R-CHOP seems to be effective for many patients even after transformation.
In a subsequent session. LLS-funded Jonathan Friedberg, M.D., of University of Rochester was the senior author of a report regarding a Phase 3 clinical trial that compared three possible treatments for patients with Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL). This was a multi-center clinical study that also involved LLS-funded Andrew Zelenetz, M.D., at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
LLS-funded Irene Ghobrial, M.D. of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute presented results of a Phase 2 trial testing one such novel drug for patients with Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM), a rare blood cancer that has features in common with lymphoma and myeloma. She and her Dana Farber and Mayo Clinic colleagues tested an oral drug that inhibits the mTOR molecule which controls cell proliferation and survival and is involved in many cancers including lymphomas.

Read Dr. Banker's full December Commentary on www.LLS.org.

Blood Cancer Researchers Can Now Apply for Awards through proposalCENTRAL

communityreply@lls.org — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:14:31 GMT

Critical research is being done on a daily basis by tireless blood cancer researchers to find out more about blood cancers and how they work. Most research cannot be completed without necessary funds, and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has devoted more than $600 million to blood cancer research since the first funding in 1954

LLS allows blood cancer researchers to apply for funding for their research projects through the Career Development Program (CDP). This program supports blood cancer researchers early in their careers to ensure that they have the opportunity to work on innovative life-saving research as well as the ability to learn more about blood cancers and the diseases’ challenges.

In order to qualify, research projects must be relevant to LLS’s mission: cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Examples of relevant research areas are experimental therapeutics, cell growth regulation and DNA damage and repair.

If you are a researcher or know a researcher that could benefit from LLS funding, please visit the Career Development Program page on www.LLS.org for deadlines, detailed guidelines and a link to proposalCENTRAL.

Learn more about our research initiatives, and discover how LLS has been an innovative non-profit organization for 60 years.