I would like to share with you some of the latest – and most promising – cancer research developments at the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center.

In May, UT Southwestern announced the opening of a new $17 million cryo-electron microscope (cryo-EM) facility housing a unique collection of instruments that researchers can use to view 3-D images of objects as tiny as an atom all the way up to intact cells. The facility’s three cutting-edge instruments are expected to provide the technologies to accelerate UT Southwestern’s biomedical investigations on everything from cancer biology to drug discovery, and will run 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Dr. Sandra Schmid, Chair of Cell Biology, and Dr. Michael Rosen, Chair of Biophysics, led a team that spent four years planning and building the facility, which will be a shared resource across the academic medical center. One of the first research projects to use the facility is led by Dr. Daniela Nicastro, Associate Professor of Cell Biology and Biophysics, who is studying mistakes in DNA repair that are believed to drive the development of cancer.

In June, UT Southwestern hosted two key events. The Simmons Cancer Center was honored to host a live stream broadcast of Vice President Joe Biden’s “Cancer Moonshot” announcement. Vice President Biden is challenging researchers and cancer program administrators to improve communication and collaboration amongst scientists and the public. Goals of the initiative include:

• Making clinical trials more accessible to cancer patients.• Creating a new program to accelerate cancer product

regulatory review.• Establishing fast-track review for cancer treatment-

related patents.

From the Director Dr. Melanie Cobb

Prestigious NCI Grant Advances Kidney Cancer Research, Treatment Bolstering its progress in addressing the rising threat of kidney cancer, the Kidney Cancer Program at UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center recently received $11 million in research funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Kidney cancer currently has no method of early detection and is particularly challenging to treat. The highly competitive Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) award from the NCI is the first for kidney cancer research earned by a single institution, and only the second in the nation. “Receiving SPORE recognition for our Kidney Cancer Program is reflective of the collaborative, interdisciplinary environment that UT Southwestern has historically embraced. The early inroads that UT Southwestern researchers made in this arena serve as the ideal launching pad for future success against this devastating disease,” said Dr. J. Gregory Fitz, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Provost and Dean of UT Southwestern Medical School, and Professor of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern. Nearly 400,000 Americans are currently living with kidney cancer, which is the fourth most commonly treated cancer at UT Southwestern. It is usually found indirectly, through a scan performed for a different reason, for example. More than 60,000 people in the U.S. are expected to be diagnosed with kidney cancer this year. In a series of landmark findings over the past 20 years, UT Southwestern researchers have identified and characterized a key protein called HIF-2α involved in kidney cancer. These findings led to the development of a drug therapy now in clinical trials as part of

A Publication of the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center

Vol. 10 — Fall 2016

CANCER CONNEC TION

• Clinical News 2, 7 • Friends Update 4-5

• Research News 6• Join Friends 8

What’s Inside

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Dr. James Brugarolas

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Clinical News

Dr. David Gerber, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, knows the importance of mentorship and its role in advancing cancer research. Through the years, he has mentored doctors-in-training who’ve won national awards and changed policy at hospitals where they worked, and others who beat out far more experienced physicians in national research competitions.

Now, a prestigious grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will allow him to spend more time coaching young medical students, residents, and researchers as he conducts research to improve cancer treatment.

The NIH’s Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research, K24 for short, is designed to give recipients more time to mentor promising clinical investigators. The five-year grant comes with salary support of up to $100,000 per year, plus benefits; up to $50,000 per year for research development support (supplies, equipment, travel, etc.); as well as additional funding for indirect costs.

“This grant will allow me to mentor more people, in greater depth, more intensively, and for longer periods of time,” said Dr. Gerber, who specializes in treating lung cancer and is also co-leader of the Experimental Therapeutics of Cancer Program in the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center. The award also serves as evidence of UT Southwestern’s commitment to mentoring and training in clinical research, Dr. Gerber said.

Mentees will assist Dr. Gerber in one or more of his five federally funded research projects aimed at improving cancer treatment. That research includes:

• Examining whether cancer patients previously treated for cancer have a worse prognosis – a concern that has led most cancer trials to exclude such patients.

• Testing whether the antifungal drug itraconazole, used to treat nail fungus, might be an effective and more affordable inhibitor of a signaling pathway involved in cancer.

• Determining if survival rates improve in patients with locally advanced lung cancer who are given immunotherapy after standard chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

• Analyzing whether survival rates improve for a group of cancer surgery patients assigned to targeted, personalized treatments. The test group, derived from a National Cancer Institute effort involving molecular testing on 8,000 cancer surgery patients, includes those whose tumors had specific aberrations. Dr. Gerber is leading the NCI study.

• Testing whether beta-lapachone, a substance derived from the South American lapacho tree, might inhibit cancer growth in patients with advanced, nonresponsive tumors.

Other Simmons Cancer Center investigators participating in the research and mentoring supported by Dr. Gerber’s grant include: Dr. Rolf Brekken, Professor of Surgery and Pharmacology, and Deputy Director of the Nancy B. and Jake L. Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research; Dr. Chul Ahn, Professor of Clinical Science; Dr. David Boothman, Professor of Pharmacology and Radiation Oncology; Dr. Ethan Halm, Professor of Internal Medicine and Clinical Science, and co-leader of the Population Science and Cancer Control Program; and Dr. Richard Leff, Professor and Associate Dean for Clinical/Translational Science at

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.Dr. Gerber is the first UTSW researcher honored with a K24

grant in about a decade.He said he is looking forward to “the opportunity to share with

trainees what I think is an incredibly satisfying and exciting career. Being a clinical investigator has its challenges, but it’s creative, it’s impactful. Right now, I’m approached by considerably more potential mentees than I have the ability to take on.”

The grant will allow him to expand his mentoring efforts. And, looking to the future, he pointed out, “Those mentees become others’ mentors.”

Dr. Boothman holds the Robert B. and Virginia Payne

Professorship in Oncology. Dr. Brekken is an Effie Marie Cain Research Scholar.Dr. Halm holds the Walter Family Distinguished Chair in

Internal Medicine in Honor of Albert D. Roberts, M.D.

Mentoring the Next Generation of Cancer Researchers

Friends of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Event

From the Director Dr. Melanie Cobbcontinued from page 1

award from the NCI supports the extensive kidney cancer research built by UT Southwestern faculty over the years. “Sixteen distinguished research leaders – each nationally recognized in his or her field of expertise – will lead the team of more than 40 scientists that will focus on developing new approaches toward this disease, which is particularly deadly,” Dr. Cobb said. This award marks the second SPORE grant for UT Southwestern, which for 20 years has led a multi-institutional SPORE program in lung cancer that is the largest thoracic oncology effort in the U.S.

Dr. Fitz holds the Nadine and Tom Craddick Distinguished Chair in Medical Science, and the Atticus James Gill, M.D. Chair in Medical Science.

the Kidney Cancer Program. The UT Southwestern SPORE program involves four innovative disease and clinical research teams targeting adult and pediatric kidney cancer, as well as a patient advocate group, developmental research program, career enhancement program, and core facilities to support these efforts through data analysis, imaging technology, and a tissue repository. The four research teams will: • Search for biomarkers to identify kidney cancer tumors most likely to respond to a HIF-2α inhibitor, as well as to anticipate ways in which these tumors may evade the drug’s impact. • Investigate the function of a gene that identifies a cluster of particularly aggressive tumors associated with clear- cell renal cell carcinoma, in hopes of identifying vulnerabilities that can be targeted with drugs. • Examine kidney cancer metabolism to distinguish aggressive from less-active tumors, potentially yielding a tailored treatment approach. • Test novel treatments for childhood kidney cancer by researching the implications of a Wilms tumor subtype. “These funds will support a variety of new and ongoing activities, including the development of a new drug, studies of kidney cancer subtypes in adults and children, and a novel approach to determine which small tumors may be deadly,” said Principal Investigator Dr. James Brugarolas, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and program leader of UT Southwestern’s Kidney Cancer Program. Dr. Melanie Cobb, Interim Director of the Simmons Cancer Center and Professor of Pharmacology, said the extraordinary

Kidney Cancer Researchcontinued from page 1

UTSW kidney cancer SPORE grant investigators

Simmons Cancer Center investigators participating in the research and mentorship supported by the K24 grant include (l-r): Dr. Rolf Brekken, Dr. Richard Leff, Dr. Ethan Halm, Dr. David Gerber, Dr. David Boothman, and Dr. Chul Ahn.

Oct. 17, 2016: Fall Reception and Lab Tours

Presenters: Dr. Rolf Brekken, Professor of Surgery and Pharmacology; Dr. Jenna Jewell, Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology; Dr. Kathryn O’Donnell-Mendell, Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology; and Dr. Jasmin Tiro, Associate Professor of Clinical Sciences

Place: T. Boone Pickens Biomedical Building, 14th Floor

Time: 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Invitations to follow. For more information, call 214-648-2344 or email giving@utsouthwestern.edu.

Additional events to be added to the fall schedule.

• Creating an open access resource for sharing cancer data via the Genomic Data Commons of the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

More information on the Cancer Moonshot initiative is available at the NCI website, cancer.gov.

The Neuro-Oncology Symposium, a joint program of the Simmons Cancer Center and the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, brought together basic science, translational, and clinical experts in glioma to spotlight the need for acceleration toward a cure. The first half of the program focused on these topics: molecular pathways in glioma, how developmental transcription factors play a role in gliomagenesis, resistance to standard and targeted therapies, and understanding glioma cell migration. The program’s second half featured translational and clinical investigators who are focused on using innovative methods to study cancer metabolism, developing novel biomarkers, or seeking

new treatment approaches.August brought a long-anticipated

achievement when UT Southwestern’s Kidney Cancer Program was recognized by the NCI with the prestigious Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) award. This extraordinary award from the NCI supports the extensive kidney cancer research program led by Dr. James Brugarolas, program leader of the Kidney Cancer Program, and built by our faculty over the past several years.

I’d also like to thank Dr. Michael White for his tremendous service to the Simmons Cancer Center. As Adjunct Professor of Cell Biology and former Associate Director for Basic Research, Dr. White has been instrumental in the growth of the Simmons Cancer Center and cancer research at UT Southwestern. I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Lawrence Lum, Associate Professor of Cell Biology, to the senior leadership team as the new Associate Director for Basic Research. Dr.

Lum’s research focuses on cancer-relevant signal transduction with the use of high-throughput screening methodology as the starting point for uncovering uncharted areas in anti-cancer intervention. He holds two NCI grants and a Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas grant.

Thank you for your continued support, which helps us launch new and exciting directions for cancer research.

Dr. Brugarolas, also Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, is a Virginia Murchison Linthicum Scholar in Medical Research.

Dr. Cobb holds the Jane and Bill Browning, Jr. Chair in Medical Science and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Lum is a Virginia Murchison Linthicum Scholar in Medical Research.

Dr. Rosen holds the Mar Nell and F. Andrew Bell Distinguished Chair in Biochemistry.

Dr. Schmid holds the Cecil H. Green Distinguished Chair in Cellular and Molecular Biology.

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Recognizing one of UT Southwestern’s well-respected researchers for his vision and guidance, The Mary Kay Foundation recently donated $250,000 to establish the Distinguished Professorship in Women’s Cancer Research in Honor of Jerry Shay, Ph.D.

Ryan T. Rogers, Chief Investment Officer of Mary Kay Inc. and Board Member of The Mary Kay Foundation, presented Dr. Jerry Shay with the honor at a June 20 luncheon held at UT Southwestern.

“For the last two decades, Dr. Shay has tirelessly served the cancer community as Chair of The Mary Kay Foundation Research Review Committee,” Mr. Rogers said. “By establishing this distinguished professorship, we hope to show our sincere appreciation to Dr. Shay and the UTSW community for his help in shaping the Foundation’s research portfolio, which has worked to improve lives around the world. With Dr. Shay leading the blind, peer-review process, the Foundation has invested $23.5 million in research dedicated to ending women’s cancers.”

“I am deeply moved and humbled that my friends and colleagues of The Mary Kay Foundation have created this distinguished professorship in my honor,” Dr. Shay said. “As a scientist, I have dedicated my career to unlocking answers to the complicated interactions between aging and cancer. The support of grant funding is critical at every stage of research, and it has been very rewarding to partner with the Foundation to help guide its grant portfolio in an effort to fund the most promising ideas in women’s cancer research.”

Dr. Shay holds numerous U.S. patents and is the recipient of multiple prestigious awards. He is Professor and Vice Chairman in the Department of Cell Biology and Chair of the Cancer Biology Graduate Program at UT Southwestern. Along with his

Friends Update

Established by the Jim & Joanie Hatcher Charitable Trust in 1996, the Joanie Hatcher Memorial Survivor Symposium celebrated its 20th anniversary on Sept. 17 at UT Southwestern’s Tom and Lula Gooch Auditorium. The event’s title presentation, “Rehabilitation for Breast Cancer: Spirit, Knowledge, and Life,” by Dr. Kim Barker, Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, offered survivors practical strategies for well-being – from initial diagnosis through remission and beyond.

At the gathering, breast cancer survivors

Joanie Hatcher, 1996 Olympic torch-bearer. Photo courtesy of Jim Hatcher. Photo restoration provided by Marc Robbins Photography.

from across North Texas also enjoyed brunch, a lively hat contest, pink purse prizes, inspirational survivors and photos, and a Q&A with UT Southwestern breast cancer experts. Funds donated by the Hatcher Trust are dedicated to oncology support services at UT Southwestern’s Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center.

To see photos from the event, visit facebook.com/utswnews and look for the album titled “Joanie Hatcher Memorial Survivor Symposium.”

Mary Kay Foundation Professorship Honors Dr. Jerry ShayJoanie Hatcher Memorial Survivor Symposium Celebrates 20th Year collaborator, Dr. Woodring Wright,

Professor of Cell Biology and Internal Medicine, Dr. Shay’s seminal work on the relationships of telomeres and telomerase to aging and cancer is well recognized. Dr. Shay was named by the Institute for Scientific Research as one of the most highly cited scientists in the field of molecular biology and genetics. Thomson Reuters ScienceWatch included Dr. Shay on its “Doctors of the Decade” list and ranked him as one the most cited authors in the area of general biomedicine.

Dr. Shay, a Distinguished Teaching Professor at UT Southwestern, has received awards through the years that include: the UT System Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award in 2012; designation as a Piper Professor by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation in 2013; and the Distinguished Basic Science Educator Award at UT Southwestern in 2015.

“UT Southwestern is grateful to The Mary Kay Foundation for its ongoing partnership in furthering innovative research projects that bring us closer to improved treatments for women’s cancers. This distinguished professorship is further testimony to Dr. Shay’s decades-long commitment to cancer research at the UT Southwestern Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center and to the commitment of The Mary Kay Foundation to improving the health of women,” said Dr. Daniel K. Podolsky, President of UT Southwestern.

Dr. Podolsky holds the Philip O’Bryan Montgomery, Jr., M.D. Distinguished Presidential Chair in Academic Administration, and the Doris and Bryan Wildenthal Distinguished Chair in Medical Science.

Dr. Shay and Dr. Wright share The Southland Financial Corporation Distinguished Chair in Geriatrics.

Friends Update

Grants from Friends of the Comprehensive Cancer Center will further the work of two UT Southwestern Medical Center early-career researchers to improve detection and treatment of certain types of cancer.

At the group’s annual awards reception in April, Friends Co-Chairs Lisa Kraus and John O’Dwyer congratulated members for their sustaining support, then announced grant recipients for 2016: Dr. Laura Banaszynski, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Dr. Kevin Courtney, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine. Each was awarded $50,000 to further their cancer research.

Dr. Banaszynski, also a member of the Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences and with the Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern, will study the epigenetic regulation of genome stability in human cancers.

Epigenetics relates to external modifications to DNA that turn genes “on” or “off” without changes in the underlying DNA sequence. Many proteins responsible for epigenetic regulation are mutated or lost in specific tumor types, leading to genomic instability and cancer. A subset of human cancers, including bone, brain, and pancreas, are able to form tumors through epigenetic misregulation of DNA structures called telomeres. These structures cap chromosomes to protect the ends from deterioration. Telomeres naturally shorten with age, resulting in reduced cell growth.

Bone, brain, and pancreatic tumors maintain long telomeres – allowing unregulated cell growth – through a process known as alternative lengthening of telomeres, or ALT. A protein involved in epigenetic regulation called ATRX is lost in nearly all ALT-positive tumors, and recent studies at UT Southwestern demonstrate an important role for ATRX in normal telomere biology. However, direct connections between ATRX, ALT, and specific cancers remain unknown.

“The goal of our research program is to determine how ATRX

functions at telomeres,” said Dr. Banaszynski, “and subsequently how loss of ATRX results in loss of genomic stability in specific tumor types. Our long-term goal is to introduce new diagnostic markers and points of intervention in the treatment of ALT-positive cancers.”

Dr. Courtney is a medical oncologist with expertise in genitourinary cancers. As a clinical and translational scientist, his research focuses on ways to improve detection and treatment of prostate and kidney cancer. Work in Dr. Courtney’s lab has included projects to identify unique aspects in tumor metabolism in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma – the most common type of kidney cancer – and prostate cancer.

By analyzing tumor metabolism of acetate and glucose, Dr. Courtney hopes to better understand the biology driving these tumors and, ultimately, identify novel therapeutic targets. One study of 11C-acetate PET imaging seeks to determine if radiolabeled acetate can be used to effectively detect metastasis, or spread, of clear cell renal cell carcinoma and response to treatment.

“Hopefully, this will lead to an improved ability to noninvasively monitor patients for treatment response and cancer progression,” Dr. Courtney said.

Dr. Banaszynski is a Virginia Murchison Linthicum Scholar in Medical Research.

Dr. Shay and his wife, Dr. Jennifer Cuthbert

Dr. Daniel K. Podolsky; Peggy Davidson of The Mary Kay Foundation; Dr. Shay; and Ryan T. Rogers and Jessica Bair, also of The Mary Kay Foundation

UTSW researchers who have received funding from The Mary Kay Foundation and participated in subsequent years’ grants reviews include (l-r): Dr. Daniel Siegwart; Dr. Gray Pearson; Dr. Shay; Dr. Lawrence Lum; Dr. Angelique Whitehurst; and Dr. Philip Shaul.

Dr. Jerry Shay beside a plaque recognizing a new Distinguished Professorship established in his honor

Dr. Laura Banaszynski

Dr. Kevin Courtney

Friends Grants Support Promising Cancer Research

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Research NewsResearch Shows 98% Cure Rate for ProstateCancer Using High-Dose Radiation Therapy

Five years of patient follow-up by UT Southwestern researchers has shown that using stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to treat prostate cancer appears to offer a higher cure rate than more traditional approaches.

The study – the first trial to publish five-year results – found a 98.6 percent cure rate for low- to intermediate-risk prostate cancer with SBRT, a noninvasive form of radiation treatment that involves high-dose radiation beams entering the body through various angles and intersecting at the desired target. This state-of-the-art technology allows a concentrated dose to reach the tumor while limiting the radiation dose to surrounding healthy tissue.

“The high cure rate is striking when compared to the reported five-year cure rates from other approaches like surgery or conventional radiation, which range from 80 to 90 percent, while the side effects of this treatment are comparable to other types of treatment,” said Dr. Raquibul Hannan, Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology. “What we now have is a more potent and effective form of completely noninvasive treatment for prostate cancer, conveniently completed in five treatments.”

“The conventional form of radiation is 44 treatments given over nine weeks. SBRT is both more convenient and has increased potency,” said Dr. Robert Timmerman, Director of the Annette Simmons Stereotactic Treatment

Center at UT Southwestern, Professor and Vice Chairman of Radiation Oncology, and Professor of Neurological Surgery.

UT Southwestern served as the lead site for the multi-institutional

clinical trial, which involved first-time prostate cancer patients diagnosed with stage I or stage II (low and intermediate risk) prostate cancer. A total of 91 patients were treated and followed for five years, with only one

patient experiencing a recurrence of his cancer. The findings were published in the European Journal of Cancer.

Terry Martin of McKinney, Texas, said a compelling advantage was a reduction in the number of treatment sessions when he was evaluating his options.

“I live 45 minutes away from UT Southwestern. The

difference between being treated five times versus 44 times is enormous,” said Mr. Martin, a retired airline pilot. “I felt that I was back to normal just 10 days

after finishing treatment.”Researchers found that side effects

were not necessarily different compared with other forms of prostate cancer treatment that require more time. In the short term, the side effects of SBRT can include urinary issues (urgency, frequency, and burning) and rectal irritation, which are often temporary and reverse within four weeks of treatment. Researchers found a small increase in the risk of longer-term urinary and rectal complications, which is comparable to conventional treatments. Decrease in erectile function was seen in only 25 percent of patients, which is less than with conventional radiation or surgery, Dr. Hannan said.

To reduce the side effects associated with SBRT, current clinical trials at UTSW are using a biodegradable rectal spacer gel to protect the rectum. UTSW is currently the only accredited site in Texas at which this spacer gel can be used. The increased potency of the SBRT treatments is expected to particularly impact high-risk (stage III) prostate cancer patients for whom the cure rate is dismal, says Dr. Hannan, principal investigator of the high-risk prostate SBRT trial at UTSW.

The SBRT study for prostate cancer was supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Defense. Additional UTSW researchers involved in the study include Dr. Yair Lotan, Professor of Urology, and Dr. Xian-Jin Xie, Professor of Clinical Sciences.

Dr. Timmerman holds the Effie Marie Cain Distinguished Chair in Cancer Therapy Research.

Dr. Lotan holds the Helen J. and Robert S. Strauss Professorship in Urology.

Clinical NewsEngineered Stem Cell Transplant Abates Leukemia

At age 62, Texan Chuck Dandridge thought he was healthy – he felt good and exercised regularly – until a routine checkup revealed leukemia. Today, he is cancer-free thanks to his son, Jon.

In 2015, Mr. Dandridge became the first adult in the U.S. to receive a newly modified stem cell transplant that uses genetically engineered blood cells from a family member. His physician, Dr. Madhuri Vusirikala, Professor of Internal Medicine and a bone marrow transplant specialist at UT Southwestern’s Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, directed the treatment.

The transformational journey began in 2013, when Mr. Dandridge visited his doctor for a routine check of his cholesterol levels. Laboratory tests detected low blood counts. Mr. Dandridge was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, sometimes called pre-leukemia, or MDS. By 2014, his disease had progressed to acute myeloid leukemia (AML), which affects about 20,000 Americans annually, according to the National Cancer Institute. He was referred to the Simmons Cancer Center, where his disease was tested for genetic mutations.

“We found a mutation called IDH2, which causes the body to produce an abnormal protein that promotes excessive cell growth. If you can target that mutation and stop that abnormal protein from being produced, you can get the cells to start behaving normally,” Dr. Vusirikala said.

Mr. Dandridge enrolled in a UT Southwestern clinical trial evaluating a therapy called AG-221. He took four pills each morning for the next eight months.

“He did not go into complete remission, but he had an excellent response,” said Dr. Vusirikala, Director of UT Southwestern’s National Marrow Donor Program.

That success made him eligible for a potentially curative stem cell transplant, although finding a donor was

challenging. “The best chance of finding a full match is usually a full sibling; however, Chuck had no full siblings,” Dr. Vusirikala said. Additionally, minorities are underrepresented in the National Marrow Donor Program’s registry, with about 70 percent of donors being Caucasian. Mr. Dandridge is African-American, so the search for an unrelated donor proved unsuccessful.

“We knew his daughter and his son would be at least a half match. Using a same-sex donor is preferred because it reduces the risk of complications, so his son Jon emerged as the best choice,” Dr. Vusirikala said. “But the risk of graft-versus-host-disease (GvHD) following a transplant using a half match is very high.”

Once again, Mr. Dandridge volunteered for a clinical trial, known as BP-001, which processed the stem cells used in the transplant to reduce the risk of infection and engineered blood cells that can be targeted if GvHD develops after the transplant. The study is evaluating patients with blood cell cancers who have a peripheral blood stem cell transplant from a partially matched relative. Immune cells (T cells) from the relative are separated from the rest of the stem cells and genetically

engineered in the laboratory, then given to the patient along with the stem cell transplant. These engineered T cells are modified to include a suicide gene with the help of a retrovirus. If the patient develops GvHD after transplant, it can be treated by giving the drug rimiducid to activate the suicide gene and cause these activated GvHD-causing cells to be eliminated. The stem cells used for the transplant were processed to reduce the risk of graft rejection and GvHD.

In July 2015, the genetically engineered blood cells were transplanted from Mr. Dandridge's 31-year-old son at UT Southwestern’s William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital. Mr. Dandridge’s leukemia is now in remission.

“Giving my dad the same gift of life that he gave me when he brought me into this world was the most amazing feeling a son could have,” Jon Dandridge said. “I always wondered how I could give something back to my parents, who have given me so much.”

The bond is mutual. “I have my son Jon’s DNA in my bloodstream, bone marrow, and immune system,” said Mr. Dandridge, now 65. “My skin is my own DNA, but inside I’m all Jon.”

Jon Dandridge, Dr. Madhuri Vusirikala, and Chuck Dandridge at the Simmons Cancer Center.

Dr. Raquibul Hannan

Dr. Robert Timmerman

The Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center is working diligently toward its mission to reduce the burden of cancer. A gift to join the Friends of the Comprehensive Cancer Center will support innovative and highly promising projects that directly impact cancer research and care. In addition to supporting the Simmons Cancer Center, members will enjoy educational benefits throughout the year. Annual memberships start at $500 for individuals or couples, and at $250 for Younger Friends up to age 40. We also welcome gifts of larger amounts, which will accelerate our goals.

Membership at the $250 level and above is recognized in UT Southwestern’s Southwestern Medicine Annual Review. For more information, please call the Development Office at 214-648-2344.

Join the Friends of the Comprehensive Cancer Center

Support groups are available at the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, led by licensed social workers. Meetings are scheduled regularly for:

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Cancer Connection is published by the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center.Interim Director – Dr. Melanie Cobb Advisor – Michele Myers Editor – Debbie Bolles Writers – Carol Marie Cropper, Cristina Kenny, Remekca Owens, Gregg Shields, Lori Sundeen Soderbergh Designer – Sandra Gamez Photographer – David Gresham

As part of the ongoing effort to help educate the Dallas-Fort Worth community on today’s important medical and health care topics, the Simmons Cancer Center has developed an exciting Speakers Bureau program available to you or your organization. Topics pertain to cancer research, cervical cancer, genetics and cancer, HPV vaccines, recommended screenings, mammography and dense breast tissue, among others. For more information about patient and community outreach programs at the Simmons Cancer Center, please call 214-645-HOPE (214-645-4673) or toll-free, 866-460-HOPE (866-460-4673.)