Fall 2005 Newsletter:
A New Way in Cancer Research II.

James L. Madara, M.D.
Sara and Harold Lincoln Thompson
Distinguished Service Professor
Dean, Division of the Biological
Sciences and the Pritzker School of Medicine
University Vice President for Medical Affairs

The University of Chicago is launching a multi-disciplinary effort to improve cancer outcomes through research in cancer prevention and control, and we are grateful for the Cancer Research Foundation's partnership with us on this exciting project. The Foundation's $1.5 million gift will seed the development of a prevention and control program in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, with a goal to improve the risk assessment, early detection, prevention and treatment of colorectal, intestinal, pancreatic, and other tumors. This initiative comes at an exciting time for the University of Chicago with the reinvigoration of the Cancer Research Center and the recruitment of Dr. Joe “Skip” Garcia as the Chairman of the Department of Medicine, who will be overseeing a major initiative in translational research.

Research in cancer prevention and control, also known as population science, includes a wide range of investigations in the genetic, environmental and behavioral determinants of cancer susceptibility, risk assessment, behavior risk modification, and the development of improved analytic and surveillance methods for early detection. Support from the Cancer Research Foundation is an invaluable step in our progress in this area, and will have many important and tangible benefits for patients at risk for GI cancers.

The Bernice Goldblatt Fellowship enables first-year Cancer Biology students to begin their training with a solid base of support. The Cancer Research Foundation Young Investigator Award Program has provided critical support for our junior scientists, enabling dozens of rising stars to pursue careers in academics and contribute to the study of cancer treatment and prevention. A number of special projects, including early support for MR technology, seed funding for advancing research in nanotechnology and pediatric pharmacogenetics, and most recently, the initiative in GI cancer prevention and control, speak to the Foundation's commitment to advancing new science.

The Program in GI Cancer Prevention and Control
With excellence in inflammatory bowel disease, genetics, screening and novel treatments, our GI cancer research program has the research expertise and critical mass required to move our institution into the exciting field of cancer prevention and control research.

In fact, the US News & World Report 2005 survey of America's best hospitals has ranked our gastroenterology program sixth and our cancer programs seventh nationally overall. These objective evaluations of clinical program strength showcase the soundness of the Foundation's investment to bring together our two strongest clinical programs in a meaningful way.

The GI Program will be maintained within the University of Chicago Cancer Research Center under the direction of its Director, Michelle Le Beau, Ph.D. and GI Section Chief, Stephen Hanauer, M.D. Key to the program has been the successful recruitment of Dr. Nathan Ellis from Memorial Sloan Kettering. Dr. Ellis's leadership is vital because his work addresses the genetic networks linked to GI cancer susceptibility, the first step toward predicting an individual's risk for disease and designing novel interventions. Dr. Ellis will be the center of the Program, and in partnership with Drs. Le Beau and Hanauer, will be responsible for pulling together the many biological scientists, clinicians, and social scientists needed to translate advances in the laboratory into improvements in patient care. Already he has forged partnerships with Dr. Funmi Olopade, a breast cancer specialist and the recent recipient of a 'genius grant' from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, as well as Dr. Conrad Gilliam, the recently recruited Chairman of Human Genetics at the University of Chicago.

Over 25 years, Dr. Stephen Hanauer has developed the IBD Registry at the University of Chicago, a collection of vital and updated information about every IBD patient seen at the University of Chicago Hospitals. We are pleased that Dr. David Rubin has recently launched an initiative to establish a database of all endoscopies performed here as well. These databases will prove valuable as we extend our research into GI cancer prevention and control.

The GI Program will be maintained within the University of Chicago Cancer Research Center under the direction of its Director, Michelle Le Beau, Ph.D. and GI Section Chief, Stephen Hanauer, M.D. Key to the program has been the successful recruitment of Dr. Nathan Ellis from Memorial Sloan Kettering. Dr. Ellis's leadership is vital because his work addresses the genetic networks linked to GI cancer susceptibility, the first step toward predicting an individual's risk for disease and designing novel interventions. Dr. Ellis will be the center of the Program, and in partnership with Drs. Le Beau and Hanauer, will be responsible for pulling together the many biological scientists, clinicians, and social scientists needed to translate advances in the laboratory into improvements in patient care. Already he has forged partnerships with Dr. Funmi Olopade, a breast cancer specialist and the recent recipient of a 'genius grant' from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, as well as Dr. Conrad Gilliam, the recently recruited Chairman of Human Genetics at the University of Chicago.

Funding from the Cancer Research Foundation will enable Dr. Ellis and the GI cancer team to create extensive databases of GI cancer patient and family genetic data needed to conduct advanced genetics research; it will promote translational research by supplying key equipment for rapid gene and protein studies used to characterize cells, tumors and tissues; and it will enable the development of diagnostic testing allowing clinicians to choose the right therapy before treatment begins. But perhaps most importantly, these funds will enable our researchers to establish infrastructure and research methods that will later be applied to cancer prevention and control efforts in breast, lung, prostate and many other cancers.

As we embark on this new challenge, I feel confident to have the Cancer Research Foundation's strong support behind us. Thank you for this generous commitment and your foresight in helping us to expand our research in this new direction.