My name is Leah and I've been friends with Sarah since we met in Mr. Johnson's 9th grade science class at Blaine High School. And in a coincidental way, science brought us both to Boston. I am currently pursuing a PhD in Biomedical Sciences at Harvard University, and my research lab happens to be at Dana Farber Cancer Institute - Sarah's charity organization.
In the previous posts, Sarah and her friends and family have outlined the reasons why supporting cancer research is incredibly important; here, hopefully I can provide some insight as to why Dana Farber, in particular, is worthy of your generous gifts.
- DFCI is not only a clinic where patients receive treatment - it is also is a world class cancer research institute where many significant cancer related discoveries have occurred. Sydney Farber, the founder of the institution was one of the first physicians to use chemotherapy in treatment of childhood cancers and he is often cited as the "the father of modern chemotherapy". More recently, DFCI has pioneered the use of cancer genome sequencing to identify genetics mutations in cancerous cells, discovered one of the first "targeted" cancer therapies (imatinab for use in melanoma) and have even found a potential male contraceptive drug ( a derivative ofJQ1 - google, it it's pretty cool!).
- DFCI is also a space where cancer researchers, cancer physicians, support staff and patients come together for care. My lab is composed of a mix of scientific postdocs, grad students, medical students as well as oncology fellows and residents. The physicians' intimate knowledge of the current barriers to cancer treatments combined with the knowledge of basic and applied science from the researchers allows for the seamless discussion between the two fields and allows for expedited improvements in cancer treatments. For instance, the primary goal of my lab is to determine how cells decide to undergo apoptosis (programmed cell death), with particular emphasis on identifying the mechanisms by which cancer cells evade this process. We focus on the Bcl-2 family of proteins, whose interactions are important in the decision making process of whether the cell undergoes apoptosis. Previously, our lab developed a tool called “BH3 profiling” which measures the propensity for apoptosis. Using primary cancer samples, we showed that the BH3 profiling technique is correlated with patient response to conventional chemotherapy. Currently, my work explores the use of the BH3 profiling to predict response to targeted therapies specific for the anti-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The laboratory goal is to demonstrate the ability to prospectively identify AML patients who will respond to this type of therapy. The clinical goal is to use this tool to guide clinical decision-making and personalize therapy in leukemia.
A lot of the money that funds our lab and many of the labs at DFCI rely on government funding to support our research. During these tough economic times for our federal government, your generous donations are even more appreciated!!!
Thank you for taking the time to write this, Leah, as well as give donors a chance to see some of the wonderful things their donations go towards!
Good news on the fundraising front- we have reached $2,000!! Let's keep the momentum going :) Thanks to everyone who has donated and helped support this amazing cause! Let's get to $4,000 before race day- it is just 6 weeks away! Thank you again!
-S
No comments:
Post a Comment