In the News
May 2012
May 4 | Ricin-delivering Protocell Featured in AACI Update
The May issue of AACI Update, a monthly newsletter published by the Association of American Cancer Institutes, highlights new research recently conducted by an interdisciplinary team of researchers, many from the UNM Cancer Center. The research focused on combining the powerful cancer fighting properties of ricin, a protein toxin derived from the seeds of the castor plant, with the focused and efficient delivery system of the protocell, a recently developed nanoparticle that is being tested as a delivery vehicle for compounds as various as concentrated conventional chemotherapy and experimental therapeutic RNA. The study, recently published in Advanced Healthcare Materials, found that the ricin-loaded protocells were 100,000 times more effective in delivering their cargo to liver cancer cells than liposomes (another type of nanocarrier). Read the entire AACI Update.
May 1 | UNM Researcher Addresses Manicure-Related Skin Cancer Risks on KOB-TV
Check out this video, courtesy of KOB-TV:
Graham Timmins, PhD, recently offered his expert opinion on the skin cancer risks associated with gel manicures, which are set with UV light, in an interview with Heather Mills on KOB-TV 4. After testing the UVA and UVB outputs of the light used for the manicure against those of the New Mexico sun, Timmins suggested users were getting about as much exposure from the walk into and out of the salon as they were from the UV light itself. Please see the full segment below for more details.
April 2012
April 27 | Diane Lidke, PhD, Joins International Researchers Focused on Cell Signaling
Diane Lidke, PhD, has recently joined several teams from around the world in an effort to better understand how cells interpret environmental factors, like stretching or pressure, and turn them into biochemical signals. As unregulated cell signaling is thought to be an integral part of some cancers, researchers are hopeful that new knowledge about the signaling process will eventually contribute to the treatment of these cancers. The studies are funded by the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP). Learn more.
April 18 | Cheryl Willman, MD, Quoted in Albuquerque Journal Article on NMCCA
The Albuquerque Journal quoted Cheryl Willman, MD, CEO and director of the UNM Cancer Center, this week in a feature on the New Mexico Cancer Care Alliance, established in 2004 to help New Mexican residents access national clinical trials. Previously, “people outside Albuquerque really didn’t have access to clinical trials,” explained Willman. Now, thanks to NMCCA’s efforts to streamline all aspects of the clinical trial process, more than 500 people from around New Mexico were enrolled in cancer clinical trials in 2011. Read the full story.
April 18 | Mobile Mammography Program Featured on KOB-TV
Check out this video, courtesy of KOB-TV:
The UNM Cancer Center’s Mobile Mammography Program, which recently received a $10,000 grant from the Nancy Floyd Haworth Foundation, was featured on KOB-TV’s mid-day broadcast on April 18. Barbara Damron, PhD, RN, Director of the Office of Community Partnerships and Cancer Health Disparities at the UNM Cancer Center, was interviewed, emphasizing the program’s important role in helping rural women access preventive care. View the clip.
April 5 | Interview with Illustrator from Last Weekend’s High-Tech Art Show
The Art of Systems Biology and Nanoscience, an annual event that turns the spotlight on the compelling images created by these new scientific disciplines, took place March 30-31 in Santa Fe. This year’s event featured talks by leading biologists and nanotechnologists, as well as an exhibit of medical illustrations by Graham Johnson. His works, which are based on advanced microscopic images and data models, allow viewers to explore some of the smallest parts and processes of cells. Johnson was interviewed by Pasatiempo, The New Mexican’s weekly insert covering arts and entertainment. Read the full article and see examples of Johnson’s work. Stay tuned for next year’s event, which will again be organized by the New Mexico Center for the Spatiotemporal Modeling of Cell Signaling and the New Mexico Cancer Nanotechnology Training Center.
April 1 | UNM Cancer Center Research in AACI Update
The April issue of AACI Update highlights two recent publications by UNM Cancer Center scientists. In a study published by PLoS Pathogens, Michelle Ozbun, PhD, and her lab propose a new model of how HPV infects cells, expanding knowledge of the disease and opening the way for different treatments. In another study published by ACS Nano, UNM and Sandia National Laboratories researchers, including many Cancer Center investigators, demonstrate the efficacy of novel targeted nanocarriers known as “protocells” in delivering siRNAs to liver cancer cells, advancing the growing body of research focused on using nanoparticles to carry a variety of therapeutic agents. Read the issue.
March 2012
March 27 | Widespread Coverage of New Ventanilla de Salud Funding
Ventanilla de Salud, a program that provides culturally and linguistically relevant health information to New Mexico’s Hispanic population, recently received a $35,908 grant from the Mexican Consulate to continue its work. The program is a collaboration between the UNM Cancer Center and the Mexican Consulate, and serves as a model for similar programs across the country. Since 2008, it has helped over 30,000 New Mexicans gain access to health-related information and care, operating out of the Mexican Consulate in Albuquerque and a mobile location in Santa Fe. The grant announcement garnered local coverage and was picked up by the Associated Press, appearing all over the country. Read the AP article in English or Spanish.
March 21 | Scott Schroeder Ride Raises Over $50,000!
Check out this video, courtesy of HSC TV:
March 12-16 | Advance Coverage of Scott Schroeder Memorial Ride
The Scott Schroeder Memorial Ride, happening this Sunday, March 18, has been in the news this week, with coverage in the Albuquerque Journal, New Mexico Business Weekly, KKOB-AM and UNM Today. Join the Ride! Day-of registration begins at 8:30 a.m. at the UNM Cancer Center main entrance; see details here. All funds raised benefit the UNM Cancer Center through the Scott Schroeder Memorial Fund.
March 12 | UNM Cancer Center Physician Gives Expert Opinion on Study Linking Circumcision and Lower Risk of Prostate Cancer
A recent article analyzing a new study published in Cancer, which connects circumcision with a 15% reduction in prostate cancer risk, extensively quoted UNM Cancer Center physician Anthony Y. Smith, MD, professor and Chief of Urology. Dr. Smith argued that while the study was “provocative,” many more tests, involving different populations and investigating the different factors that contribute to prostate cancer, are needed to verify the linkage between circumcision and lower prostate cancer risk. Read the full article.
February 2012
February 16 | “Nano Revolution” Spotlighted on KNME
Drug-delivery nanoparticles were the focus of an in-depth interview with Cancer Center member Jeffrey Brinker, PhD, a Sandia Fellow and UNM Regent’s Professor, that aired recently on KNME. Dr. Brinker described how these particles, consisting of an outer membrane and densely honeycombed interior containing cancer-fighting drugs, can both evade the body’s immune system and precisely target drugs to cancer cells. Dr. Brinker and collaborators are currently developing and testing particles to target acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common pediatric cancer. Watch the segment (first 15 minutes of broadcast):
February 10 | 2012 “Hoops 4 Hope” Game Raises over $26,000 for UNM Cancer Center
The annual charity basketball match-up between the New Mexico House and Senate raised a record-breaking $26,350 for the University of New Mexico Cancer Center, topping last year’s proceeds of $20,000. The House “Aggies” just edged out the Senate “Lobos” by a score of 26-25, despite an attempted last-second shot by Senator Howie Morales, D-Silver City. This is the ninth year the game has benefitted the UNM Cancer Center. The game was covered by news outlets statewide, including the Albuquerque Journal and KKOB Channel 4.
February 3 | New Study Finds Inherited Risk Factors for ALL Are More Common in Hispanic Children
A new study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology pinpoints specific genetic variations that contribute to higher rates and poorer outcomes of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in Hispanic children (defined as having greater than 10% Native American ancestry). These variations, in a gene known as ARID5B, help explain why Hispanic children are both more susceptible to ALL and are more likely to have higher-risk forms of the disease that resist treatment. The study was co-authored by Cheryl Willman, MD, CEO and Director of the UNM Cancer Center, and colleagues from the Children’s Oncology Group. The findings lay the groundwork for the development of new therapies that target these variations and improve treatment outcomes for Hispanic children. Read the abstract.
February 1 | Association of American Cancer Institutes Recognizes UNM Cancer Center Researchers’ Achievements
Two University of New Mexico Cancer Center members were highlighted in the February issue of the AACI Update. Maggie Werner-Washburne, PhD, was acknowledged for her new appointment to the advisory council of the NIH’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences, an institution that seeks to better understand life processes in an effort to lay the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Tudor Oprea, MD, PhD and his colleagues were mentioned for their recent paper in Drug Discovery Today: Therapeutic Strategies which details 11 drug repurposing projects—many of which relate to cancer treatment—currently taking place at UNM. Read the February issue.
January 2012
January 10 | UNM Physician Discusses Advances and Challenges in Treating High-Risk Childhood Leukemia
Stuart Winter, MD, of the UNM Cancer Center recently presented at the 2011 American Society of Hematology conference on new progress in identifying the molecular markers of high-risk childhood leukemias. Despite successes in treating pediatric leukemias overall, certain high-risk forms of the disease remain resistant to conventional treatments. Dr. Winter spoke about recent advances in pinpointing biomarkers of high-risk disease, articulating his hope that, within the next 10-20 years, targeted therapies now being developed for high-risk patient populations (as identified by reliable biomarkers) would improve patient outcomes and entail fewer long-term side effects. Watch the entire interview.