The ASCO Cancer Foundation® recently announced three recipients
of the 2010 Advanced Clinical Research Award (ACRA). Each award
provides a 3-year, $450,000 grant to fund investigators who are
committed to clinical cancer research and who wish to conduct
original research not currently funded. Grant funds, paid in
increments of $150,000 each year, are directed to the sponsoring
institution and used toward salary support, supplies, equipment,
and travel necessary for the continued pursuit of the recipient's
research project.
Breast Cancer
Isabelle Bedrosian, MD, FACS, was awarded
the ACRA in Breast Cancer for her research on "Oncogene activation
of DNA damage response [DDR] as a biomarker of breast cancer risk
and possible target for prevention." Dr. Bedrosian, who is
Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgical Oncology,
Division of Surgery, at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson
Cancer Center, and her team will conduct a nested case-control
study to determine the association between DDR pathway biomarkers
in normal breast tissue and the development of sporadic invasive
breast cancer. The data from the study, along with epidemiologic
risk factors, will be used to construct a preliminary
risk-prediction model and compare its discriminatory power with
that of the widely used Gail Model risk-assessment tool. They will
also investigate the effect of oncogene-induced DNA damage on the
transformation of normal mammary epithelial cells, study the role
of DNA repair in mitigating this risk of malignant transformation,
and attempt to uncover whether the presence of oncogene-induced DNA
damage in mammary epithelial cells sensitizes these cells to
therapy-inhibiting DNA repair pathways. This award is supported by
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF).
Sarcoma
The 2010 ACRA in Sarcoma recipient, David Kirsch, MD,
PhD, is Associate Professor at Duke University Medical
Center. Dr. Kirsch collaborated with Ralph Weissleder, MD, PhD, to
use novel molecular imaging techniques to detect sarcoma in
genetically engineered mice during surgery. With the grant, he
hopes to bring into the operating room a device that detects
microscopic residual disease remains with greater sensitivity and a
wider field of view. To do so, he will conduct clinical trials to
test the safety and efficacy of the device in humans. If
successful, this technology could help surgeons avoid prescribing
unnecessary radiation treatment for patients and reduce the number
of reoperations and reexcisions because of positive margins. The
ACRA in Sarcoma grant is supported by the Sarcoma Foundation of
America and the Capon family.
Colorectal Cancer
Sanjay Goel, MD, MS, of the Albert Einstein
College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center won the ACRA in
Colorectal Cancer with his project "A Novel Pharmacogenomic-based
Therapeutic Approach for Patients with K-ras-mutant Metastatic
Colorectal Cancer (mCRC) Using an Oncolytic Reovirus." With
significantly limited therapeutic options for 40% of patients with
metastatic colorectal cancer whose disease is mutated, Dr. Goel is
hoping to expand options beyond the current two lines of therapy by
uncovering the anticancer activity of a reovirus/irinotecan
combination. Eight colorectal cancer cell lines that demonstrate
synergistic cytotoxicity have been identified, and investigators
have identified in vitro activity of the reovirus in K-ras mutant
cells through clinical research. Dr. Goel is looking to determine
whether the combination of reovirus with irinotecan is clinically
valid. The ACRA in Colorectal Cancer is supported by
Genentech BioOncology™. ■
© 2010. American Society of Clinical Oncology. All Rights
Reserved.
