Award will aid clinical studies of acute myeloid leukemia
(AML)
PHOENIX, Ariz. - May 12, 2010 - Dr. James Bogenberger has been
awarded a 3-year, $150,000 postdoctoral fellowship by the American
Cancer Society to research acute myeloid leukemia at the
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the most common and deadliest acute
adult leukemia, is a malignancy in granulocytes or monocytes, the
body's white blood cells that battle infections.
Dr. Bogenberger's project, Identifying therapeutic targets that
sensitize AML to epigenetic therapies, is under the guidance of Dr.
Raoul Tibes, an Associate Investigator in TGen's Clinical
Translational Research Division and Director of the Hematological
Malignancies Program for TGen Clinical Research Service at
Scottsdale Healthcare.
Dr. Bogenberger is a member of TGen's Leukemia Research Team, led
by Dr. Tibes, which is working to translate state-of-the-art
biomedical research into novel targeted therapy approaches for
leukemia patients in Arizona. Dr. Bogenberger's fellowship project,
which starts July 1, is a collaboration between TGen and a research
team at the Mayo Clinic, led by Dr. A. Keith Stewart.
"We are hopeful about the prospects of further investigation and
the potential of translating our findings into the clinic,'' said
Dr. Bogenberger, who received his doctorate in Cell and Molecular
Biology from Colorado State University. "We look forward to
demonstrating the merit of our work."
A congratulatory letter from the American Cancer Society to Dr.
Bogenberger said, "Your selection resulted from a very rigorous
review process intended to fund only the best science and the best
scientists and professionals."
AML, which is neither contagious nor inherited, develops through a
defect in the immature cells of bone marrow. Although the exact
cause is unknown, AML has been linked to prior chemotherapy
exposure, benzene exposure and cigarette smoking. Fewer than 10
percent of patients live beyond three years, and there is an urgent
need to improve treatment of AML.
Therapeutic drugs that target single cellular processes have shown
limited impact in fighting this type of cancer. Because AML results
from a progression of multiple cellular processes, Dr.
Bogenberger's project proposes to attack the cancer by identifying
targets to inhibit in combination with drugs already approved by
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration - 5-Azacytidine and
suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA).
His fellowship project will use cutting-edge methodologies to
systematically look for genes that, when silenced, "increase the
anti-leukemic potency" of these epigenetic therapies, according to
the ACS project summary.
Dr. Bogenberger's ACS award will allow him to build on previous
research into AML he has conducted since joining TGen in October
2008.
"Since James joined the lab, he has done excellent work and
actively contributed to move projects forward, and we are
initiating clinical trials as we speak from results that have come
out of these projects," Dr. Tibes said. "This fellowship is well
deserved and I congratulate him."
Dr. Bogenberger, who grew up in Pagosa Springs, Colo., graduated
from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a Bachelor of Science
degree in Biological Sciences. His doctoral work at Colorado State
University involved the study of Human T-lymphotropic virus Type 1
(HTLV-1), a human retrovirus that causes adult T-cell
leukemia/lymphoma.
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About TGen
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix,
Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting
groundbreaking research with life changing results. Research at
TGen is focused on helping patients with diseases such as cancer,
neurological disorders and diabetes. TGen is on the cutting edge of
translational research where investigators are able to unravel the
genetic components of common and complex diseases. Working with
collaborators in the scientific and medical communities, TGen
believes it can make a substantial contribution to the efficiency
and effectiveness of the translational process. TGen is affiliated
with the Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
For more information, visit: www.tgen.org.
Press Contact:
Steve Yozwiak
TGen Senior Science Writer
602-343-8704
[email protected]
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