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The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Honors Five Scientists for Outstanding Work in Blood Cancer Research

Posted on: Wednesday, 3 August 2005, 09:00 CDT

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Aug. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has selected five researchers to receive its prestigious Stohlman Scholar Award, recognizing outstanding contributions to the advancement of blood cancer research. The awards will be officially announced at the Stohlman Scholar Scientific Symposium in September in Scottsdale, AZ.

The Stohlman Award is given to Society Scholars who are in the fifth year of their research scholarship. Society Scholars are highly qualified investigators who have demonstrated their ability to conduct original research bearing on leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma. These Scholars hold faculty-level or equivalent positions at major research institutions. This year's Stohlman Scholars include the following individuals:

* Katherine Borden, Ph.D., associate professor, Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer at the Universite de Montreal. Dr. Borden's work has led to the discovery of a novel molecular mechanism for oncogenic transformation and to the discovery of a novel treatment strategy for leukemias and other cancers. Currently, her work is focusing on the protein eIF4E's function in normal cells and how it is disrupted in a subset of acute myeloid leukemias. In studying this, Dr. Borden's team has helped identify a molecular inhibitor of eIF4E -- ribavirin -- which impedes transformation activity in laboratory and animal models. She is currently pursuing the possibility of using ribavirin in clinical trials to treat acute myeloid leukemias. * Genhong Cheng, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Cheng's research is aimed at understanding the process of immune responses in host defense against bacterial and viral infections, as well as tumor challenges. Defects in any steps in this process can increase a host's susceptibility to pathogen infections, whereas over- reactive immune responses can also lead to many inflammatory diseases and metabolic syndromes. The goal of Dr. Cheng's work is to develop novel strategies to enhance the ability of the immune system to defend pathogen infections and tumor challenges, and also to prevent or inhibit inflammatory and metabolic diseases. * Glenn Dranoff, M.D., associate professor, Harvard Medical School and Leader of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center Program in Cancer Immunology. Dr. Dranoff's research focuses on understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the stimulation of anti- tumor immunity, and on the development of cancer vaccines for diverse hematologic and solid malignancies. * David Pellman, M.D., associate professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School and Ted Williams Senior Investigator, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Mass. The focus of Dr. Pellman's research is identifying how aberrations in chromosomal stability affect the development of cancer. Dr. Pellman is investigating how the structural elements of the cell, the cytoskeleton, impact chromosomal stability and how, in turn, altering chromosomal stability can effect the physiology of tumor cells. * Tomasz Skorski, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in the Center for Biotechnology and Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Penn. The focus of Dr. Skorski's research is to understand the mechanisms of DNA repair and genetic instability in leukemias expressing fusion tyrosine kinases such as BCR/ABL. Dr. Skorski is investigating how leukemia cells repair DNA lesions caused by reactive oxygen species or cytotoxic treatment and why the repair is unfaithful. These phenomena contribute to drug resistance and malignant progression of the disease.

"The work of these outstanding scholars has been supported by the Society because of our expectation that it will be translated into improved treatments and cures for patients with hematological cancers," said Marshall Lichtman, M.D., the Society's Executive Vice President of Research & Medical Programs.

The Stohlman Scholar Award is given in memory of Frederick Stohlman Jr., M.D., a major figure in stem cell physiology and blood cell cancer research.

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society(R), headquartered in White Plains, NY, with 66 chapters in the United States and Canada, is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and providing education and patient services. The Society's mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Since its founding in 1949, the Society has invested more than $424 million in research specifically targeting leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Last year alone, the Society made over 2.5 million contacts with patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals.

For more information about blood cancer, visit http://www.lls.org/ or call the Society's Information Resource Center (IRC), a call center staffed by master's level social workers, nurses and health educators who provide information, support and resources to patients and their families and caregivers. IRC information specialists are available at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.

Contact: Andrea Greif Director, Public Relations (914) 821-8958

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

CONTACT: Andrea Greif, Director, Public Relations, +1-914-821-8958

Web site: http://www.lls.org/

Source: PRNewswire

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