ASH News Daily - Saturday, December 10, 2011 - (Page A-8)
Page A–8
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ANGIOGENESIS
The Vessels of Life: 2011
Ham-Wasserman Lecture
To Focus on Angiogenesis
By Michael r. BiShop, Md
A
ngiogenesis, the growth
of blood vessels, is an essential
process from early
embryo development through
death. Understanding the molecular
basis of angiogenesis is
of tremendous medical relevance
as angiogenesis not only contributes
to normal growth, but it is
significantly related to cancer, inflammatory
disorders, ischemia,
and infectious processes. No one
understands or appreciates the
scientific and clinical importance
of angiogenesis more than Dr.
Peter Carmeliet, who will deliver
this year’s Ham-Wasserman Lecture.
Indeed, Dr. Carmeliet has
dedicated the last 30 years to the
study of angiogenesis, and his
1995 publication in Nature, titled
“Abnormal Blood Vessel Development
and Lethality in Embryos
Lacking a Single VEGF Allele,” is
considered seminal work in this
field. Dr. Carmeliet has continued
to make significant contributions
and will present his lecture,
titled “Angiogenesis in Health
and Disease,” today from 12:30
to 1:30 p.m. in Hall AB of the San
Diego Convention Center. Dr.
Carmeliet will share his research
on vascular endothelial growth
factor (VEGF), which led to the
development of several novel
therapies from which thousands
of patients benefit from daily (e.g.,
bevacizumab). However, blockade
of VEGF with novel agents
has relatively modest efficacy,
and resistance to these agents remains
problematic. Dr. Carmeliet
will discuss new insights relative
to emerging mechanisms of resistance
against anti-angiogenic
therapy and novel strategies and
molecular drug targets to overcome
these challenges. In addition,
he will share the emerging
paradigm of vessel normalization
as a novel therapeutic approach as
it relates to current anti-angiogenic
therapies.
Dr. Carmeliet received both his
MD (1984) and PhD in medicine
(1989) from the University of Leuven,
Belgium, and he is currently
professor of medicine and adjunct
director of the Vesalius Research
Center, Flanders Interuniversity
Institute for Biotechnology, University
of Leuven, Belgium. He has
a joint appointment as professor at
the Cardiovascular Research Institute
Maastricht, The Netherlands,
and assists in teaching the course
on angiogenesis at Harvard Medical
School. He has received numerous
scientific awards including
the Interbrew-Baillet Latour
Health Prize (jointly with Désiré
Collen), the Francqui Prize (Belgium),
and the Outstanding Investigator
Award (International
Society for Heart Research). He
was also an elected member of
the European Molecular Biology
Organization (EMBO) and was invited
by the Nobel Committee to
deliver the Nobel Forum Lecture.
Dr. Carmeliet’s research has fo-
cused primarily on angiogenesis in
development, health, and disease,
with a strong focus on tumor angiogenesis
and metastasis. By applying
gene targeting, silencing, or
overexpression in mice, his laboratory
is analyzing the role of family
members of the VEGF system and
its homologue placental growth
factor (PlGF) as components of the
coagulation system. In addition,
they are studying the involvement
of the transmembrane protein
Notch3 in arterial integrity and
arteriopathy. These studies have
yielded promising therapeutic targets,
such as anti-PlGF antibodies,
which not only efficiently block tumor
angiogenesis and growth, but
also lack the side effects of typical
VEGF receptor inhibitors.
The Ham-Wasserman Lecture,
named in honor of renowned
hematologists Dr. Thomas Hale
Ham and Dr. Louis R. Wasserman,
is given annually by an individual
from outside the United
States who has contributed significantly
to an area of hematology.
Both Drs. Ham and Wasserman
were past ASH presidents
who contributed extensively to
the Society and worked together
to initiate the Education Program
at the annual meeting. This year’s
Ham-Wasserman Lecture promises
to be an outstanding continuation
in a long line of outstanding
presentations, and it is hoped all
attendees are able to share in the
wonderful opportunity to hear
the latest and truly cutting-edge
research related to angiogenesis.
Dr. Bishop indicated no relevant
conflicts of interest.
Drs. David J. Kuter, left, Keith B. McCrae, Vinod Pullarkat, Terry B. Gernsheimer,
Jenny McDade Despotovic, James B. Bussel, and Douglas B. Cines
discuss the care of ITP patients during the Friday Satellite Symposia
“Advancing Quality of Life and Improving Treatment Outcomes.”
ASH NEWS DAILY
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Drs. Francine M. Foss, left, James O. Armitage, Steven M. Horwitz, Lauren
C. Pinter-Brown, Kensei Tobinai, and Madeleine Duvic address clinical
controversies in T-cell lymphoma, the topic of a Friday Satellite Symposia.
Mentoring
«« From Page A-5
necessary to pursue a successful career
as a funded investigator in hematology.
Sources of research funding
and elements of successful grant
applications were reviewed. Trainees
had the opportunity to discuss
the routes to clinical, translational,
and basic science research careers in
a small-group session. During Dr.
Daniel J. Weisdorf’s (University of
Minnesota Medical Center) talk on
“Establishing a Clinical Research
Career” he urged trainees to ”harness
their creativity, seek innovation,
and challenge dogma.” In addition,
he gave the practical advice
that every abstract must become a
paper, as these papers are essential
in obtaining a grant. Trainees attending
the session commented that
this advice was quite eye-opening.
Another small-group session fo-
cused on grant writing, which has
become ever more competitive and
challenging. Obtaining funding is essential
to a successful research career
but is variably emphasized in fellowship
programs. Dr. John Byrd from
The Ohio State University was asked
when is an appropriate time to seek
grant funding? He said that one must
establish a foundation early and gave
the example that it takes at least one
year in a lab to generate preliminary
data. He similarly echoed Dr. Weisdorf’s
statement that every grant
must become a paper, and finally, he
encouraged trainees to persist and
submit multiple applications.
Dr. Byrd along with Dr. Eduardo
M. Sotomayer from H. Lee Moffitt
Cancer Center and Research Institute
and Dr. John P. Leonard from
Weill Cornell Medical College participated
in the mock study session
that concluded the session. This
unique opportunity to explore the
“real-life” experience of grant writing
and the critiques that follow was
of great interest to the attendees.
ASH has a long history of sup-
porting developing investigators at
the trainee and even junior faculty
levels. Today, more than 30 distinguished
physicians and researchers
will meet with trainees to discuss
their careers that span research,
private practice, academic, government,
and industry professions, as
well as others. On Sunday, Dr. Nancy
A. Kernan from Memorial SloanKettering
Cancer Center will expose
trainees to the rigor of scientific and
clinical investigation, which is also
underappreciated until you are “on
the job” during the Trainee Simultaneous
Didactic session “Ethics, Misconduct,
and Research Integrity.”
Lastly, trainees should not miss the
opportunity to get first-hand advice
from Dr. Cynthia E. Dunbar, editorin-chief
of Blood, when she reviews
“How to Publish a Manuscript in a
Peer -Reviewed Journal.”
Dr. Landau indicated no relevant
conflicts of interest.
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ASH News Daily - Saturday, December 10, 2011
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