W.M. Keck foundation furthers collaborative lymphoma study
photo: courtesy of caltechMark Davis
The study focuses on developing targeted, less-toxic treatments for the disease based on short interfering RNA (siRNA) technology that can inhibit the protein products of specific genes. The W.M. Keck Foundation previously funded the first phase of the lymphoma study in 2006 with a one-year, $450,000 pilot grant.
Lymphoma is a cancer that develops in the immune system and is the fifth most common type of cancer in the united States. Even though the current standard treatment of radiation and chemotherapy can control the disease, relapse is common, and more effective therapies are needed.
Researchers began testing a novel compound composed of a polymer created by Caltech researcher Mark Davis, Ph.D., and an engineered antibody developed at City of Hope to see if it could attack lymphoma cells without disturbing healthy cells. Such targeted, less invasive therapies also may help lessen the side effects many patients experience with standard treatment.
“Collaborative studies with institutions like Caltech allow great scientific minds to share information and open doors to innovative discoveries in the battle against cancer and other life-threatening diseases,” said Michael A. Friedman, M.D., president and chief executive officer of City of Hope. “The generosity of the W.M. Keck Foundation will enable more advanced research to develop better treatments for lymphoma that also may prove potent against other types of cancer.”
The multidisciplinary team is targeting the polymers— molecules that do not stimulate the immune system and have very low toxicity— directly into the cancer cells. Once inside, they deliver their payload of siRNA, which disrupts the genetic coding in cancer cells to either kill them or render them incapable of multiplying.
photo: Marcelo CoehloStephen J. Forman
“We have been able to gain a better understanding of lymphoma through our research with Caltech, and have identified targets for potential new lymphoma therapies,” said Stephen J. Forman, M.D., the Francis and Kathleen McNamara Distinguished Chair in Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation at City of Hope and principal investigator of the study. “There is a real need for improved treatments, because not all lymphoma patients are able to tolerate chemotherapy and radiation. Our older patients, in particular, would greatly benefit from new targeted therapies.”
City of Hope’s Division of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation has been a leader in the development of stem cell transplantation for the treatment of lymphoma, as well as the creation of new immune-based therapies and drugs to treat the disease.
Based in Los Angeles, the W.M. Keck Foundation was established in 1954 by the late W.M. Keck, founder of the Superior Oil Company. The foundation is focused primarily on pioneering efforts in the areas of medical research, science and engineering.