CN Summer 2007

A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF CITY OF HOPE I VOLUME 18 NUMBER 3 SUMMER 2007

Transplantationtreatment fortype 1 diabetes

CityNewsInjectionProtectionVaccines take shots at a new array of diseases

$5 million ArgyrosFoundation giftmoves CITI forward

New drugs boosthope for breastcancer patients

R1_60085.Reader Spreads_Final 8/29/07 9:44 AM

Unlocking cancer’s secretsThere is good reason to feel optimistic about

the fight against cancer. Every day, researchersmove closer to unlocking the disease’s secrets.Along the way, their discoveries translate into newtherapies for patients with cancer and other

serious diseases. At City of Hope, we understand that peopleneed these therapies now.

Some of the treatments now in development rely on boostingthe power of the immune system: using the body’s own natural defenses against disease. As you will see in this issue,our investigators are developing vaccines to enhance theimmune system.

Not only are our scientists creating a vaccine that aims tofight tumors resulting from breast, colon, prostate and pancreaticcancers, but we also have started the initial clinical trials of thevery first vaccine developed at City of Hope. This vaccine targets adeadly herpes virus called cytomegalovirus, which can becomeactivated in patients with weakened immune systems, such asthose who have undergone bone marrow transplantation.

Taking such a vaccine to clinical trial takes persistence; creditgoes to scientists, physicians, technicians, trial volunteers and, ofcourse, the donors whose generosity supports such high-impact work.

Only an institution with a unique environment like City of Hope,which encourages researchers and physicians to continuallycollaborate and relies on the investments of dedicated philanthropists,can maintain the long-term commitment necessary to shepherdsuch projects. To paraphrase one of our researchers, there arefew places like this anywhere.

With your support, I feel confident that we will reach ourgoals in the fight to beat cancer.

Michael A. Friedman, M.D.President and Chief Executive Officer

Fulfilling a profound missionAs a part of City of Hope’s volunteer

movement for nearly three decades now, I have

witnessed many impressive advances at the

institution. During these years, City of Hope has

redefined the future of medicine with dramatic

new discoveries, improved treatments and expanded facilities. As

a result, more and more lives are being saved around the world.

The future looks even brighter. Guided by City of Hope’s

strategic plan, we are strengthening our leading role in cancer care

and research, locally and nationally, by expanding key programs.

We also are progressing in shortening the time from exploring

initial research ideas to developing new therapies. Recently, our

efforts were recognized with our inclusion on U.S.News & World

Report’s 2007 list of “America’s Best Hospitals.” (See story on page 14.)

From my initial involvement with City of Hope through the

Food Industries Circle, including a term as its president, to my

service as a member of the City of Hope board of directors, I not

only have been inspired by the remarkable breakthroughs, but also

by the incredible passion and dedication of many donors and

volunteers. Lifelong supporters who wholeheartedly embrace the

institution, and instill this special commitment in their children and

grandchildren, have created inspiring legacies that will touch lives

everywhere for generations to come.

My colleagues on the board of directors, another outstanding

group of supporters, bring a wealth of business, civic and

philanthropic experiences to help City of Hope become a new

model cancer center of the 21st century. I am privileged to lead

them in this noble endeavor.

Terry R. PeetsChair, City of Hope Board of Directors

Leadership Messages

CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007

City of Hope, an innovative biomedical research,treatment and educational institution, is dedicatedto the prevention and cure of cancer and other life-threatening diseases, guided by a compassionatepatient-centered philosophy, and supported by anational foundation of humanitarian philanthropy. © City of Hope

City News is publishedquarterly for donors,volunteers and friends of City of Hope.

BRENDA MACEOSenior VicePresident,Communications

KEVIN KOGAAssociate Vice President,Communications

STEVE KIRKEditor

ALICIA Di RADOStory Editor

KIM HOSOZAWAAssociate Director,Creative Services

ALICIA Di RADOCARMEN R. GONZALEZPAT KRAMERELISE LAMARSHAWN LEKATHLEEN O’NEILH. CHUNG SOWriters


CityNews

8 A new option for those facing metastatic

breast cancer One of the first medications in anew family of drugs pioneered byCity of Hope researchers appears toslow the progression of metastaticbreast cancer tumors.

10 Resetting theimmune system

to halt diabetesUsing bone marrowtransplantation toreplace malfunctioningimmune cells may offera new way to treat an all-too-prevalentdisease.

14 U.S.News & WorldReport affirmation

City of Hope is named as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” in two specialties on U.S.News’annual survey.

36 City of Hopeinvestigator receives

human stem cell grantTimothy O’Connor, Ph.D., professorin the Division of Biology, receivesone of the first grants to fund humanembryonic stem cell research underCalifornia’s Prop. 71.

2Injection protection: Applying vaccines in a whole new wayA rite of passage for most children, vaccines are now under exploration worldwide as aninnovative new way to prevent and even treat cancer and related diseases.

A Q U A R T E R L Y P U B L I C A T I O N O F C I T Y O F H O P E I V O L U M E 1 8 N U M B E R 3 S U M M E R 2 0 0 7

15Chapters: Celebrating a successful NationalConvention

28Arnold and Mabel BeckmanCenter moves research inimmunotherapeutics forward

29$5 million gift from the Argyros Foundation supports CITI

37“Celebration of Life” reunitesthousands saved throughtransplantation

CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007 I 1


2 I CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007


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Facing the deadly plans of an evil villain, comic-book

characters rarely defend the planet as everyday

humans. Instead, they call on special powers that

turn them into hardnosed crime-fighters.

As it is when the body must defend against

disease. Sometimes the immune system simply

lacks the brawn to fight illness on its own. That is

when physicians draw on the power of vaccines —

injections that can give the immune system a

much-needed boost.

INJECTIONPROTECTIONVaccines take shots at a new array of diseases

By Elise Lamar


The goal of a vaccine — whether it aims to prevent an infectious disease suchas polio or means to stop cancer — is to motivate cells of the immune system intogetting so mad that they rise up and drive out harmful intruders.

Fortunately, cells usually do a pretty good job without prompting by aninoculation. Most of the time, when immune cells such as B-cells or T-cells spot anunwanted invader like a flu virus or a tumor cell, they mount a toxic response andneutralize it.

But every now and then — either because invaders are overpowering or becausedisease or therapy weakens the immune system — people need the backup boost of a vaccine.

Researchers worldwide are on a quest to harness the power of vaccines, andCity of Hope scientists are advancing the movement on two fronts: vaccines againstcancer and against diseases related to cancer treatment. They also are takinglessons learned from such research and applying them to other diseases, extendingthe reach of their work.

From friend to foeThe word “vaccine” often conjures up childhood memories of jabs in the arm againstmeasles, smallpox and other infectious diseases, and for good reason. Vaccinesbegan as protective measures, stoking the immune system to be ready to mount an offensive if exposed to specific infectious attackers.

Today, two approved vaccines related to cancer do just that. Meant for healthypeople, a hepatitis B vaccine defends against a virus that can cause liver cancer, andanother new vaccine called Gardisil protects against certain viruses that can causecancer of the cervix, throat and other areas.

But a newer, developing area in cancer vaccine research targets people whoalready have cancer. Called therapeutic vaccines, these injections aim to strengthenthe body’s defenses against existing tumors, keep tumors from returning or eliminatecancer cells that remain after other cancer treatments.

City of Hope surgical oncologist Joshua Ellenhorn, M.D., has his eye on onesuch therapeutic vaccine.

A surgeon also trained in immunology, Ellenhorn is developing a vaccine totarget cells that express high levels of a protein known as p53.

Normally, p53 plays a protective role as a tumor suppressor gene and actuallyblocks the out-of-control growth seen in many cancers.

But a mutation or damage to p53, which occurs in numerous cancers, deals cellsa double-whammy: Not only do the cells lose cancer protection normally offered bythe gene, but the defective p53 protein actually promotes tumor cell growth.

“Mutations in p53 that disable its ability to function as a tumor suppressorresult in accumulation of this protein within cells,” said Ellenhorn. “About 40 to 50percent of all malignancies overexpress mutant p53. In breast cancers, it is seen inapproximately 40 percent of all malignancies — same with colon, prostate andpancreatic cancers.”

Ellenhorn has created a vaccine he hopes will eradicate human tumors that expresshigh levels of mutant forms of p53. Interestingly, it is based on the prototype cowpox or“vaccinia” virus that English physician Edward Jenner famously pioneered 200 years agoas a vaccination against smallpox.


Researchers

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and City of Hope

scientists are

advancing the

movement on

two fronts.


Together with Don Diamond, Ph.D.,director of City of Hope’s Laboratory ofVaccine Research, Ellenhorn has used asimilar technique for a potential p53vaccine — but with a few moderntwists.

Just like Jenner, the City of Hoperesearchers are using cowpox virus tofire up the immune system. But intoday’s modern version, the scientiststweaked the cowpox virus’ genetic codeand plugged a copy of the p53 geneinto it.

Then they injected that specialvaccine — along with other therapiesthat also rev up immune response —into mice that had cancerous tumors.The result: Most of the tumors grewsmaller or disappeared altogether.

Because the engineered cowpoxvirus is foreign, it gets the attention ofthe immune system, Ellenhornexplained. “This then stimulates T- andB-cells, which are redirected towarddisintegrating and attacking tumors thatoverexpress p53.”

These findings show the vaccine

can kill tumors in mice. In a next step,the researchers successfully createdand tested a human form of the vaccinein mice, and tests in human cells in thelab have shown promise, too.

Ellenhorn is confident that thevaccine will soon reach clinical trials.“Initially, the phase I trial will be inpatients with advanced disease,” hesaid. “If the results are positive, wewould take it to a group of patients inan earlier stage of the disease.”

The donor gives twiceSometimes, the very therapies that helpa patient fight cancer are so potent thatthey themselves are life threatening.Treatment with immunosuppressantdrugs after bone marrow or organtransplant, for example, leavestransplant patients vulnerable toordinary germs that lie dormant inhealthy adults.

Several City of Hope researchersare devising vaccine therapies toencourage immune cells to fight thesegerms.

One such danger comes in theform of a herpes virus calledcytomegalovirus, or CMV. About 50 to 80 percent of adults in the UnitedStates have been exposed to CMV, but it causes few symptoms in healthyindividuals. In transplant patients with compromised immune systems,however, activated CMV may causelife-threatening pneumonia.

A team of City of Hope scientistsled by Diamond has developed avaccine to address that threat. Butinterestingly, care providers wouldadminister the vaccine to the organ orbone marrow donor, not the recipient.They aim to transfer lifesaving CMVimmunity — in addition to transplantedtissues — to the recipient.

According to Diamond, when thebone marrow transplantation programbegan at City of Hope in the 1970s,CMV infection was the main cause ofmost patient deaths. And althoughphysicians have provided antiviral drugswith moderate success, the treatmentsometimes can be difficult to deal with.




“The antiviral itself causes such adverse events, it probably is less positive thanwe first imagined,” said Diamond. “If we could prevent those, we would really begetting to a treatment that is head and shoulders above anything out there forcancer transplant.”

The result: saved lives.Much like the p53 vaccine, Diamond’s group designed the CMV vaccine as an

altered form of the cowpox virus — but with genetic code from the CMV virusattached. When introduced into the body, the vaccine launches a chain of eventsthat activates the donor’s immune system against CMV.

Results from lab research suggest the immunity would stay elevated aftertransplant, protecting the recipient.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved the first human trialof the CMV vaccine developed by Diamond’s group. That trial began with theinoculation of the first volunteer, a City of Hope employee, in May of 2007.Volunteers’ overall health and responses to the inoculation will be monitored toevaluate vaccine safety.

John A. Zaia, M.D., professor and chair of the Division of Virology, is theprincipal investigator of the CMV phase I clinical trial. “This is the first vaccinedeveloped at City of Hope that has been brought to clinical trial,” he said. “Hopefully,this signifies a new era in vaccine development here.”

Stephen J. Forman, M.D., Francis and Kathleen McNamara Distinguished Chairin Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, credits City of Hope forcreating a research climate where basic researchers like Diamond and cliniciansinteract.

“We are the institute that understands this virus,” said Forman, clinical directorof City of Hope’s Division of Cancer Immunotherapeutics & Tumor Immunology.“The original work identifying the signature viral immune proteins was done here inDon Diamond’s lab. That is the reason this work has been successful.”

Establishing garden-variety immunityViruses aren’t the only threats to immunocompromised patients. An innocent walkin a garden may expose them to spores of an ordinary, soil-dwelling fungus calledAspergillus fumigatus and cause a potentially fatal lung disease known asaspergillosis. Like CMV infection, Aspergillosis is no small threat.

According to City of Hope investigator James Ito, M.D., director of theDepartment of Infectious Diseases, the development of better antiviral drugstargeting other types of infection has left Aspergillus with an infamous distinction.“By default, the most devastating infections are now fungal infections,” he said.“They’ve always been around, but have moved up into first place now. In fact,Aspergillus is now the most deadly of all fungal infections.”

The gravity of the fungal threat is echoed by Markus Kalkum, Ph.D., Ito’scollaborator in developing an Aspergillus vaccine. “We all inhale several hundredAspergillus spores a day, usually without any negative impact on our health,” saidKalkum. “However, inhalation of spores can prove fatal to bone marrow or organtransplant patients taking immunosuppressive drugs.”

In 2002, Ito and Joseph Lyons, Ph.D., a scientist in the Department of InfectiousDiseases, took the first steps to create a vaccine when they inoculated mice with a

Vaccine

development

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Devising strategies

encouraging the

immune system to

take a stand against

invaders takes long,

hard work.



mix of pulverized Aspergillus proteins,treated the mice withimmunosuppressants to mimicconditions of transplant patients, andthen exposed mice to a lethal dose offungal spores. The results weredramatic. “A hundred percent of themice died if we didn’t vaccinate them,”reported Ito, “but a significant numberof them survived if we did.”

Now, with Kalkum joining the team,the researchers have zeroed in on thespecific protein in that fungal vaccine“soup” that stimulates the immuneresponse. When they vaccinated micewith just that protein, it, like the mix,protected mice against the infectiousAspergillus.

The investigators’ next goal is toestablish antifungal immunity inimmunodeficient humans. Currently,they are identifying antibodies thathumans make to mold proteins todetermine which fungal proteinsstimulate that response. Althoughseveral years away, once a vaccine isdeveloped, it will likely be administeredlike the CMV vaccine to the bonemarrow donor and not the recipient.

From idea to realityMoving from an idea to a therapy is along haul, one that is appreciated bySimon Lacey, Ph.D., associate researchscientist in the Division of Virology.Lacey, who also worked on the CMVproject, is conducting experiments todetermine whether a vaccine mightwork against another virus reactivatedin immunosuppressed patients: BKvirus, or BKV for short.

More than 80 percent of Americanadults are infected with BKV, making iteven more prevalent than CMV. Likethose with CMV, few with BKV showovert signs of disease. However,reactivation of the virus in immuno-

compromised patients following organtransplant may cause an irritation of thelining of the bladder known as cystitis,even to the point of bleeding.

After a kidney transplant, potentimmunosuppressants required to blockrejection of the new kidney mayactivate the BKV — sometimes withserious consequences. “Approximately30 percent of transplant patients showsigns of elevated virus levels, 5 percentdevelop signs of kidney disease, andabout half of those people then lose the kidney,” explained Lacey.

When viral levels rise, a physician’sonly choice is to drop patients’ doses of immunosuppressive drugs. “It’s aconstant balancing act,” said Lacey.“The only approach is aggressivelymonitoring the virus in the blood.”

Together with transplant surgeonJennifer Singer, M.D., of the Departmentof Urology at UCLA, Lacey is nowtracking blood and urine samples fromkidney transplant patients. If they canbetter understand how certain patients’immune systems successfully fight BKVinfection, they might be able to createways to predict which patients are likelyto develop the disease. Their studiesalso could lay the groundwork forvaccine development.

So far, Lacey has shown thatvaccination with a portion of BKV canget immune cells to react in mice. Thefirst steps in humans are promising, as well. But he cautions that results arepreliminary. “The logical next step is toeither develop a good drug conveying a type of immunotherapy, or to developa vaccine to protect people,” said Lacey.“But you can’t do any of those without a better idea of what you are facing.”

Poised for the long haulVaccine development is clearly not for quitters. Devising strategies that

encourage the immune system to take astand against invaders is long, hardwork. Gardisil, the much-publicizedvaccine against cervical cancer thattargets human papillomavirus, tookmore than 20 years of developmentbefore becoming available last year.

But City of Hope excels intranslational research, a process thatmoves laboratory science into newmodes of prevention, diagnosis andtreatment — and then takes lessonslearned from patients back into the lab. This gives the institution a nimbleadvantage in areas such as successfulvaccine development, according toDiamond. “City of Hope is uniqueamong American research centers in that its philosophy is to encouragecooperation among basic scientists and physicians that leads to somethingtangible,” he said.

Forman echoes that optimism. “We have all the right people collectedat City of Hope — the patients, the lab expertise and the doctors,” he said.“There are few other places like thisanywhere.” � � �



By Alicia Di Rado

No onewants tohear that

they haveadvanced cancer,but women facingmetastatic breastcancer may soonhave a newtherapy option intheir hard-pitchedfight against the disease. City of Hoperesearchers andcolleagues haveshown that one ofthe first membersof a new family of drugs appears to slow tumors’progression inthese women.

New family of drugs offers


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The drug is known as Vorinostat. In a phase II clinical trial, it stabilized cancergrowth in a small group of women whorecently were treated for stage 4 breastcancer. Stage 4 breast cancer is the mostadvanced stage of the disease and involvescancer spread to other organs.

The medication belongs to a family of drugs called histone deacetylase, orHDAC, inhibitors. These agents come fromadvances in the field of epigenetics, arelatively new line of research that studieshow genes are inappropriately “turned on” or “off” without any changes in geneticsequences themselves.

Unlike other recent anticancerstrategies that target altered genes andtheir gene products, epigenetic strategiesseek to turn on genes that have beensilenced — those genes that can help put the brakes on cancer.

The field of epigenetics can be tracedback to early work carried out by ArthurRiggs, Ph.D., director of City of Hope’sBeckman Research Institute, andcolleagues, said George Somlo, M.D.,professor and director of breast oncology in the Division of Medical Oncology &Therapeutics Research and the study’ssenior author.

In the Vorinostat study, participantstook the drug in a pill form twice a day fortwo weeks, then took a week off. Overall,side effects were mild and the drug was welltolerated, said Somlo, who also co-directsthe City of Hope Breast Cancer Program.

The drug stabilized tumor growth infour of the 14 women in the study. Onewoman remained on the drug for morethan 13 months after beginning treatment.“She was going on cruises and travelingaround the world,” said medical oncologistThehang Luu, M.D., the study’s principleinvestigator.

“We hope that this and other HDACinhibitors can provide a novel treatment

option as part of combination therapy —especially for women with triple-negativebreast cancers,” Luu said, referring tocancers that do not overexpress estrogen,progesterone or human epidermal growthfactor (HER2) receptors. Luu believesHDAC inhibitors and other drugs emergingfrom epigenetics will likely work best whencombined with drugs that battle cancerfrom several directions.

City of Hope investigators plan to join a phase II clinical trial for metastatic breastcancer patients that will test a combinationof Vorinostat, bevacizumab (an agenttargeting blood vessels that providenourishment to cancer cells) and Paclitaxel,a chemotherapy drug, Somlo noted.

Researchers are investigating severalHDAC inhibitors, including Belinostat (alsocalled PXD101), currently offered in a phaseII clinical trial for patients withmesothelioma and a phase I trial forpatients with advanced solid tumors. AndVorinostat is in phase II clinical trials atCity of Hope for two other cancers: non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and bladder cancer.

The investigations come through theCalifornia Cancer Consortium, a NationalCancer Institute-funded cooperative thatunites City of Hope, the University ofSouthern California, UC Davis and theUniversity of Pittsburgh to conduct smallstudies of up-and-coming drugs.

“Science is moving quickly on thesetherapies,” Luu said. “We’d like to be ableto speed them to our patients as fast as we can.” � � �

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Thehang Luu and George Somlo

for breast cancer patients

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By Kathleen O’Neil

Call it the ultimateact of treason.

In type 1 diabetes,the immune systemturns against thebody it is meant toprotect, attackingfragile cells in thepancreas. Wounded,these cells can no longer produceinsulin. And if the disease goesuntreated, bloodsugar levels canspike dangerouslyhigh or plungeperilously low.

Scientists put

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Some researchers are asking a

provocative question about type 1

diabetes: What if the immune system

could be reset, so that it stopped

attacking insulin-producing cells?

City of Hope researchers already

are on the case.

An innovative new way to treat

type 1 diabetes under investigation by

City of Hope researchers could reverse

the disease and enable patients to

begin making their own insulin again.

The method would use bone

marrow transplantation to replace

patients’ malfunctioning immune cells.

Results from a preclinical trial of the

treatment led by Defu Zeng, Ph.D.,

assistant professor in the divisions of

Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism

and Hematology & Hematopoietic

Cell Transplantation, appeared in the

Feb. 13 issue of the Proceedings of the

National Academy of Sciences.

Experts today consider bone marrow

transplantation, or BMT, too risky for

conditions that are not immediately

life-threatening, since it requires patients

to undergo radiation or chemotherapy to

kill their own bone marrow and immune

cells before transplantation. Zeng and his

colleagues found a gentler way to prepare

a patient with diabetes to receive a BMT

using donated cells.

“This approach is exciting because

it has the potential to cure diabetes,”

Zeng said. “Since our pretransplantation

conditioning method is much less toxic, it

could allow bone marrow transplantation to

be used to treat a variety of autoimmune

diseases for which total-body radiation or

chemotherapy is too damaging to justify

the benefits.”

Zeng and colleagues conduct the

research in the Leslie and Susan Gonda(Goldschmied) Diabetes and Genetic

Research Center, a City of Hope building

opened in 1997 that significantly

expanded basic and clinical diabetes

research at the Duarte, Calif., campus.

Of the nearly 21 million people living

with diabetes in the United States, 5 to

10 percent have type 1. Although it can

develop at any age, type 1 diabetes most

commonly appears in children and young

adults. One in every 400 to 600 children

in the country has the disease.

Currently incurable, the disease must

be controlled with insulin injections.

Healthy people produce immune

cells, called T-cells, which attack foreign

material. But in those with type 1

diabetes, T-cells mistakenly attack

insulin-producing beta cells.

Through a BMT, though, physicians

may introduce healthy, functioning

immune cells from a donor, allowing beta

cells to slowly grow back and produce

insulin again.

The team’s ingenious BMT method

eliminates the need for damaging

chemotherapy or radiation by using an

antibody to inactivate the host’s immune

T-cells instead. The procedure allows

donated T-cells to kill the host’s T-cells —

so the donated immune cells can take

over the body’s defensive duties. Zeng

found that without any pretreatment, the

host’s T-cells kill the donated T-cells

within 24 hours. Researchers previously

used the same antibody, anti-CD3, in

clinical trials to prevent rejection of

transplanted organs.

Zeng’s method was successful in

preclinical trials in rodents: None of the

mice receiving BMT and anti-CD3

developed diabetes again, compared

to 89 percent of the control group.

Examination of their pancreases showed

that their insulin-secreting cells were also

free from attack by T-cells, while the

opposite was found in untreated mice.

The researchers will continue

preclinical testing to establish groundwork

for potential human clinical trials.

The National Institutes of Health

(NIH) and the Juvenile Diabetes Research

Foundation (JDRF) support the work.

Support from the Gonda Foundation has

been pivotal in diabetes research and

in developing City of Hope’s islet cell

transplant program, which has been

designated by the NIH and JDRF as

one of seven islet cell resource centers

in the nation. � � �

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From left, Ivan Todorov, Chia-Lei Vivian Lin,Chunyan Zhang and Defu Zeng.

type 1 DIABETES in reverse


Gene machines find theanswers to


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Rama Natarajan

For much ofher life as aresearcher,

Rama Natarajan,Ph.D., has soughtto understand the causes behind diabetes’complications andhow resultingcellular changescan damageorgans like theheart and kidney.

By Elise Lamar

Now, through a powerful technique used

to search the entire human genome

for genes that are either expressed or

silenced in different disease states,

Natarajan can identify molecular

transformations potentially underlying

diabetes’ harmful events.

That technology, known as “ChIP-

on-chip,” makes Natarajan, professor in

the Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology

& Metabolism, optimistic about finding

answers to the molecular mysteries

behind diabetes. “Five years back, I

wouldn’t have dreamt that such

approaches would be available for

our studies,” she said.

In a study published in the

March 5 issue of the Journal of BiologicalChemistry, Natarajan’s group identified

such changes in diabetes using the

technology. Led by Assistant Research

Scientist Feng Miao, Ph.D., the group

found that high glucose levels harmful

to pancreatic, blood vessel and immune

system cells are associated with what

are called epigenetic changes in several

genes associated with diabetes.

Inherited changes in gene expression

may occur in two ways. They either

happen through genetic mutations,

which damage the sequence of the DNA,

or by the way the DNA and its associated

proteins — known collectively as chromatin

— are “packaged” in a cell’s nucleus. These

are referred to as epigenetic changes.

One type of epigenetic alteration is

the addition of methyl groups to DNA or

proteins, in a process called methylation.

This often promotes the formation of

tightly coiled chromatin associated with

gene silencing, when genes are “turned

off.” In contrast, different modifications

that unwind or relax the DNA strand

can “turn on” gene expression.

When such changes occur,increased inflammation likely promotes


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many complications of diabetes,including heart and kidney disease, andnerve and vision problems. Natarajan

is investigating whether biochemicalmodifications that alter chromatin’sstructure may cause some of theseconditions.

Initially, the group analyzed

chromatin modification in certain cells of

the immune system. They examined two

different methylation patterns — one

associated with active genes and the

other with silenced genes — in cells

grown in conditions that mimic diabetes.

“Using ChIP-on-chip, in one shot

you can look at 12,000 genes and see what

kinds of changes occur in the two different

methylation patterns,” Natarajan said.

The group identified specific genes

of interest through the study. “We found

a lot of genes related to diabetes were

turned on,” said Natarajan.

When they analyzed chromatin from

the same type of immune cells drawn

from patients with diabetes, they saw

similar patterns. Among affected genes

were some associated with inflammation,

as well as an enzyme linked to insulin

signaling. Overall, concluded Natarajan,

after exposure to diabetes’ high-glucose

conditions, “protective genes are ‘down-

regulated’ and bad genes are being

turned on.”

The study was the first to find

variations in these particular methylation

patterns across the genome in diabetes;

other studies already under way at

City of Hope and around the world

seek similar illuminating patterns in other

diseases.

Miao, who pioneered the application

of ChIP-on-chip in the lab, sees this study

as a start to a deeper understanding of

diabetes. “We are one step closer to a

modern epigenetic study of diabetes,” he

said. “I hope this technology will lead to

new tests to diagnose diabetes and its

complications.”

Natarajan’s group will now analyze

entire gene families using cells from

diabetic patients. “We are looking at

these targets now for patterns and

certain pathways that are turned on,”

she said, “and are coming up with

gene networks that could be related to

inflammation as well as metabolic defects.”

The group conducts the research in

the Leslie and Susan Gonda (Goldschmied)

Diabetes and Genetic Research Center.

The center significantly expanded basic

and clinical diabetes research at

City of Hope when it opened in 1997.

Grants from the Juvenile Diabetes

Research Foundation and the National

Institutes of Health, as well as a General

Clinical Research Center grant from the

National Center for Research Resources,

funded the study. ��

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CITY NEWSSUMMER 2007 I 13

disease amid thousands of bits of DNA


By Shawn Le

City of Hope has been namedone of “America’s BestHospitals” in two specialties by U.S.News & World Report.City of Hope ranked 30th onthis year’s list of top cancerhospitals and 29th on the list for urology. The institutionis one of only five centers inCalifornia, and one of only two in the Los Angeles area, to appear on the cancer list and one of only sixhospitals in California ranked in urology.

Complete rankings of the tophospitals are available online atwww.usnews.com and appearedin the July 23 edition of U.S.News & World Report magazine.

“It is gratifying that the dedication

of our health care professionals,researchers and staff are recognized on anational level by U.S.News & World Report,”said Michael A. Friedman, M.D., presidentand chief executive officer, City of Hope.“Our ranking among the country’s tophospitals for cancer and urology reaffirmsour commitment to rapidly finding newand better treatments for patients battlingcancer and other diseases.”

City of Hope is one of only 40institutions in the nation to be designatedas a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Toearn this elite designation, a center mustundergo a rigorous peer-review process,maintain a significant base of individuallyfunded research projects and be heavilyinvolved in community outreach, as well as meet other academic and publicservice requirements.

“Our designation as a top cancer andurology hospital was not earned solely bythe advances in medical science that arediscovered and developed at City of Hope,but also by the value we place oncompassionate care,” said AlexandraLevine, M.D., chief medical officer of

City of Hope. “We consider the needs of

our patients in the full sense, and

endeavor to provide excellence in all

aspects of their treatment and care.”

“America’s Best Hospitals” features

173 medical centers selected from 5,462

hospitals nationwide in 16 specialty areas.

U.S. News based its cancer hospital

rankings on several criteria that include

reputation among board-certified

physicians, mortality rate, the number

of Medicare patients discharged, the

ratio of nurses to patients, NCI and

nurse magnet hospital designations,

accreditation by the Foundation for the

Accreditation of Cellular Therapy, the

use of specific advanced technology,

the availability of certain patient

services and other factors. Urology

rankings were based on similar criteria

including reputation, mortality rate,

Medicare patient discharges, nursing

ratio, nurse magnet hospital designation,

presence of an on-site trauma center, the

use of advanced technology and the

availability of patient services. � � �


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ONE OF “AMERICA’S BEST HOSPITALS” FORCANCER AND UROLOGY

U.S.NEWS & WORLD REPORT NAMES CITY OF HOPE AS

ONE OF “AMERICA’S BEST HOSPITALS” FORCANCER AND UROLOGY


Tradition strengthens ties with volunteersThis summer’s National Convention, “Building a Future of Hope,” celebrated fundraising successes and City of Hope’s continued growth and development. I enjoyed meeting and reuniting with many of you during thatweekend, and I hope that those of you in attendance benefited from the time together and went away feelingenergized and renewed.

During the meetings and events I attended at Convention, I was again reminded how City of Hope’sthousands of dedicated volunteers are such an integral part of its rich history. I know the special humanity andcompassion that makes City of Hope a unique place is largely due to the efforts of chapter members. Conventionis a reminder that generations of chapter supporters have created an important foundation for the institution.

This is one of the unique and wonderful aspects of City of Hope — the spirit of legacy that is handed downwithin so many families. It is tremendously gratifying to see children and grandchildren carrying on their parents’and grandparents’ volunteer efforts at City of Hope, and it is something in which you should all take great pride.Young people represent the future of philanthropy for the institution, and their continuation of your remarkableaccomplishments is the ultimate tribute to the achievements of all of City of Hope’s volunteers throughout itsstoried history.

As you serve as ambassadors for City of Hope in communities across the country, remember that manypeople, including faculty, administrators, staff and, most importantly, patients and their loved ones, are deeplyappreciative of all of your efforts.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Kane, Executive Vice President of Development and External Affairs

P.S. A special section with photos from this year’s Convention, complete with coverage of award winners, begins onpage 19 of this issue. I hope you enjoy reliving some Convention highlights.

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�Cece Robman andher husband,Marvin

�Kathleen Kane

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Chapters


Beloved volunteer and former employee Cece Robman remembered

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Christa Thomas, Chapters Managing Editor

Longtime City of Hope volunteer and employee CeceRobman died in January at age 88 in Los Angeles. Thedaughter of late City of Hope Board Chair Lou Tabak,Robman befriended hundreds of chapter members duringher lifetime.

As a board chair’s daughter, Robman grew upwatching City of Hope’s growth and expansion firsthand— exposure that influenced her own career path. InDecember 1979, she joined City of Hope’s staff as adirector of nursing practice and remained with theinstitution until 1994, when she left the organization as a national events executive coordinator. Her husband,Marvin, also a devoted volunteer, served as a City of Hope board member.

After her City of Hope employment ended, Robmanremained involved as a tireless volunteer, overseeingfundraising events, including Walk for Hope to CureBreast Cancer, Workout for Hope and Coupons for Hopein Southern California. The committed supporter alsoworked closely with the Apparel Industry Group, as well as its predecessor, the Merchants Club, for more

than 40 years.

Even when she no longer volunteered, Robmanremained closely aligned with City of Hope, maintainingcontact with scores of volunteers and employees. She tookspecial pride in bestowing her father’s namesake award tooutstanding volunteers at numerous National Conventions.

Guadalupe “Peng” Garbo, senior coordinator ofnational campaigns, worked with Robman for more than 13 years. “Cece always was pleasant, kind and, most of all, caring. I know many people affiliated with City of Hope will miss her. She was a great inspiration and a role model for many of us,” Garbo said.

Roz Phillips, associate vice president of development,also remembers her fondly. “Her effervescent personality,her calm demeanor and her ability to smooth over anydifficult situation were Cece’s personality trademarks,”Phillips said. “She was a true example of a lifelong devotedsupporter of City of Hope.”

Robman is survived by three grown sons: Steve,Mark and David.


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Actress and author BrookeShields and mortgage industrypioneer Melissa L. Cohnwere feted at the East EndChapter/Jeanne Kaye League’sannual “Woman of the Year”luncheon, held May 8 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. More than$300,000 was raised for City of Hope through the event,

where more than 500attendees gathered to see theaccomplished women honoredwith Spirit of Life® Awards.

Shields, whose film careerhas spanned nearly two decades,accepted her award in honor ofher late father, Francis A. Shields.With the publication of her book,“Down Came the Rain: MyJourney Through PostpartumDepression,” she became a high-profile advocate for women’shealth issues. A Golden Globe-nominated performer, Shields isbest known for her televisionseries “Suddenly Susan” andfeature films including “The BlueLagoon” and “Endless Love.”

Fellow honoree Cohn, chief executive officer of The Manhattan MortgageCompany, often is cited as amortgage industry leader byThe New York Times and TheWall Street Journal and regularlyappears on news channels. Herentrepreneurial spirit led her to

found Manhattan MortgageCompany, now a premierresidential mortgage firm thatoriginated loans last year worth$5 billion. She also was honoredwith a Stevie Award for WomenEntrepreneurs in 2007. TheIsrael Cancer Research Fundrecently acknowledged hersupport of causes benefitingwomen and children with its“Woman of Action” award, and in 2005 she received TheRetreat Hope Award, an honorfrom The Retreat, a group thatsupports women experiencing domestic abuse.

Each year, the East EndChapter/Jeanne Kaye Leaguerecognizes women of distinguishedachievement and leadershipwho have made significantcontributions to their professionand community. Past honoreesinclude Fran Drescher, KellyRipa, Cindy Crawford, PaulaZahn, Mary Tyler Moore andKatie Couric.

C I T Y N E W S

Chapters

More than 300 guests gatheredto honor Sunny Isles Beach, Fla.,Mayor Norman S. Edelcup whenhe was recognized with The Spiritof Life®Award at the TrumpSonesta Beach Resort on Feb. 8.

Hosted by the long-standingPhyllis Dropkin Chapter, thefestive dinner raised more than$250,000 for City of Hope, makingthe event one of the group’s mostnotable achievements.

Dedicated City of Hope

supporter Rhoda Ehrlich,president of City of Hope’sSoutheast Regional Council,played a key role in the event’ssuccess. “Rhoda’s long andstoried support of City of Hope isto be commended,” said JoanWizner, senior director ofdevelopment in the Florida office.“She has been a dedicated leader in Florida for many years nowand truly deserves our heartfeltthanks for all of her efforts.”

East End Chapter/Jeanne Kaye League honors Brooke Shields, Melissa L. Cohn

�Rhoda Ehrlich and Norman S. Edelcup

Stories by Carmen R. Gonzalez


Brooke Shields andMelissa L. Cohn

Phyllis Dropkin Chapter gala feting Sunny IslesBeach, Fla., mayor raises $250,000

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Supporters raise the stakes More than 300 supporters gathered for the InnerCircle’s first Racing for Hope event March 17 at SantaAnita Park, where more than $130,000 was raised forCity of Hope. Among the celebrities who attended theevent at the Arcadia, Calif., racetrack were actor FredSavage and Los Angeles KNBC-TV weatherman andcomedian Fritz Coleman, who served as emcee.Legendary Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye andhorse trainer Doug O’Neil attended the event, as well.

The Inner Circle is a group of distinguishedSouthern California executives, community leaders and entrepreneurs with a long history of supportingCity of Hope. Savage, best known for his role on “TheWonder Years,” also has starred in the television series

“Working” and in such feature films as “Vice Versa” and “The Wizard.” Delahoussaye is a two-timeKentucky Derby winner, seven-time Breeders Cupwinning rider and winner of the Preakness andBelmont Stakes.

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When children learn about theimportance of philanthropy fromtheir parents, the lessons staywith them for the rest of theirlives. In the City of Hope family,such legacies are not uncommon,and may carry on for generations.

New York’s Teens for HopeChapter — which Jamie Fuld,Joey Kuhn, Jocelyn Levy, ErinSchwartz and Jon Steeleestablished in 2001 — serves asan inspiring example of suchintergenerational support. Thenew chapter’s roots lie in the EastEnd Chapter/Jeanne KayeLeague, a long-term chapter also located in New York.

Jamie Fuld and her brother Ryan are the thirdgeneration of their family to provide support for City of Hope. The siblings’ grandmother, Jeanne Kaye,is the chapter’s namesake. And their mother, LisaKaye Fuld, now serves as one of its co-presidents.

The creativity and vitality of the Teens for HopeChapter members show in their unique fundraisingideas. During one project, they sold flip-flop sandals to raise funds for the institution and to educate otherteens about the cause.

From its core membership, the Teens for HopeChapter has grown to include students from severalNew York-area high schools. With Ryan Fuld nowserving as president, the group boasts 39 active members.

“In a society that seems self obsessed at times, it is refreshing to see young adults so dedicated tohelping others,” said Harry Giordano, senior director of development. “Ryan, Jamie and their fellow chaptermembers advocate tirelessly with other youth

around Manhattan to raise funds and awareness forCity of Hope. It truly is an honor to work with them.”

Teens further an inspirational legacy

�

Teens for Hopemembers include(top row, from left)JT Della Femina,Ian Franklin, RyanFuld, Scott Levy,(bottom row, fromleft) Alex Witkoff,Zachary Witkoff,Jaclyn Chesner,Taylor Bloom andAaron Scheinfeld.


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�Inner Circle PresidentStephan Tow (farright) honors Reneeand Marc Paul fortheir philanthropy.

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SOUTHEAST:Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — City of Hope President and Chief Executive Officer Michael A.Friedman, M.D., joined more than 450 chapter members and volunteers on Feb. 16 at theSoutheast Region Annual Children of Hope Luncheon, where more than $13,000 wasraised for City of Hope. Chapter members also collected thousands of toys and books forpediatric patients at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, Fla. As part of thefestivities, members and volunteers also celebrated the 100th birthday of Gerry Bogatin,

the Palm Beach Chapter’s beloved founder and president.

Aventura, Fla. — Keynote speaker City of HopePresident and Chief Executive Officer Michael A.Friedman, M.D., addressed a special cocktail reception for major south Floridadonors and Northern Trust Bank clients on Feb. 15. Florida’s YoungLeadership Chair Kim Biller spoke at the gathering.

SOUTHWEST:Duarte, Calif. — More than 500 Lions Club members gathered on campus on March 25 for Lions’ Day to celebrate the service organization’s 50thanniversary supporting City of Hope. Guest speakers included Fouad R. Kandeel,M.D., Ph.D., director of the Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology &Metabolism. To date, Lions Club International has raised $4.5 million for City of Hope, as well as spearheading the creation of the Japanese Garden.

Mission Viejo, Calif. — With his son and granddaughter by his side, longtimeShelia Sporn Chapter member Jack Lieberman toured City of Hope aftercompleting a recent significant gift. Over the years, Leiberman has donated nearly$75,000 to City of Hope. During the 1960s, both Lieberman and his wife, Bea,were active members of the now-honorary Orange County, Calif., chapter.

Porterville, Calif. — The Porterville Chapter held its annual City of HopeSpectacular Gala honoring its late, past-president Frank “Buck” Shaffer for 45 yearsof chapter service. More than 1,200 supporters gathered at the Feb. 24 event toraise funds for City of Hope, and more than 200 entertainers performed at thetribute. Nine-year-old Marshall Cotta, a former City of Hope pediatric patient fromSan Diego, also spoke about Shaffer’s recommendation that he seek treatment forhis brain tumor at City of Hope — a referral that ultimately saved his life.

NORTHEAST:Philadelphia — Bob Rovner, former Pennsylvania senator and assistant district attorney,recently was acknowledged as the Rissie Markowitz Chapter’s 2007 Spirit of Life® honoree.Honored because of his many achievements in politics, private philanthropy and broadcastcommunication, Rovner was recognized at a gala on June 6, which raised $80,000.

Collingswood, N.J. — The South Jersey Hope Chapter hostedits Annual Hope Dinner Dance and Auction on March 10 at theCollingswood Ballroom with more than 400 supporters inattendance, raising more than $50,000 for City of Hope.

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Regional Roundup Chapter News From Around the Country


C I T Y N E W S

Chapters� From left, Howard

Lieberman, JackLieberman andWendy Lieberman.

� From right, South Jersey Hope Chapter supporters Roxeen Froio, KathyMiddleton, Jill Walters, Marybeth Nolan and Vicky Thorp

Michael FriedmancongratulatesGerry Bogatin.

�� From left, MichaelFriedman, ToniNathan, Kim Biller,Ricky Paskow andMichael Yavner,wealth strategicvice president,Northern TrustBank.

� Bob Rovner

Lions Club members tour campus.�

Buck Shaffer�


Nearly 800 volunteers from across the country shared their

fundraising successes and learned about the latest advances

in medical research at City of Hope’s 2007 National

Convention in Beverly Hills, Calif., in June.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

From left, Bob Marx accepted the Gold award on behalf of the Board ofGovernors Chapter, Susan Rosman accepted the Bronze award onbehalf of the Medical Center Aides Chapter, and Sandy Hoffmanaccepted the Silver award on behalf of the 500 Club Chapter.

THE BENHOROWITZAWARDSrecognizethe highestlevel ofplannedgivingachieved by a chapter.


NATIONAL CONVENTION CELEBRATES CONTRIBUTIONS OF

VOLUNTEERSNATIONWIDE


Held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel,

the three-day convention — themed

“Building a Future of Hope” —

recognized the

significant

and ongoing

contributions

of auxiliary

members from scores of chapters

nationwide. The highly anticipated

gathering also enabled them to celebrate

their fundraising achievements and hear

inspirational messages from City of Hope

leaders and patients.

The convention began on June 23,

when City of Hope President and Chief

Executive Officer Michael A. Friedman,

M.D., and outgoing Board Chair Philip L.

Engel welcomed delegates at the

opening banquet.

The next day, at one of the more

popular convention activities, nearly

300 conventioneers traveled to the

Duarte, Calif., campus to hear faculty

members talk about research and

treatments. City of Hope patients also

shared their own stories of hope and

healing at the event, called the “Day of

Discovery.”

2007 NATIONAL CONVENTION

Adrienne Stern, left, wasrecognized for raising the mostindividual donations, while JaniceCohen received the award onbehalf of the Children’s LeukemiaChapter for most chapter fundsraised.

THE BRAVO!AWARDS recognizeoutstandingfundraising onbehalf of Walk for Hope to CureBreast Cancerbetweenconventions.

Front row, from left, Bea Wolfe,Monterey Park Chapter; PattiNewby, Donnez Nous Chapter;Lorraine Santoro, Phyllis DropkinChapter; Joan Stein, BerniceChernove Chapter (back row, fromleft) Eileen Stern, Desert Women’sCouncil Chapter; Bill Miller, Gift ofLife Chapter; Bob Marx, Board ofGovernors Chapter; Ira Sax,Children’s Leukemia Chapter; andFrancine Cohen, Seattle Chapter.

THE LOUIS TABAKAWARDS recognizechapter members for their outstandingindividual fundraisingefforts and chapterleadership qualities.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

20I CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007

The Circle of Hope Chapter, which is not represented in the photo, alsowon a Tabak Award.


Norm Crosby and Florence Henderson

Izzy Freeman and Sharon Berrickco-hosted Roll Call.

From left, Beverly Horowitz and herchildren Zach and Jody

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The All-American Boys Chorus performed an upbeat medley of tunes on Sunday evening.

Saturday’s opening events were co-hosted by Bonnie Fein and herbrother, Michael Kaplan.

Alexandra Levine delivers her address.

From left, Steve, David and MarkRobman, sons of decades-longsupporter, Cece Robman, andgrandsons of Lou Tabak.




On the convention’s final day,

participants attended Hope Forum, a

series of educational sessions that

focused on fundraising tools and

strategies, as well as the traditional Roll

Call, where chapter members report on

fundraising results since the last

convention. At an evening dinner gala,

Peets addressed the conventioneers.

“One of the best aspects this year

was the addition of so many new faces —

chapter members who had never been

to a convention before,” said Roz

Phillips, associate vice president of

Development. “They really brought a

new energy to

all of the events.

I know they and

many other

attendees have

helped to

revitalize their

own chapters

with the renewed sense of purpose and

dedication they took back home

with them.”

Among the hosts at the three-day

event were longtime legacy supporters

Bonnie Fein and her brother, Michael

Kaplan; Ambassador Leadership

Izzy Freeman, right, presented hisnamesake award to longtime City of Hope champion Andy Spiegl.

THE “IZZY”AWARD recognizesone individual’sextraordinarydedication to City of Hope.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

On Monday night, sisters Kathy Kaye, left, and Lisa Fuld, whose mother foundedthe East End Chapter/Jeanne Kaye League of New York, hosted the gala event.

Patient speaker Beverly Austin

Mike Hersch and his grandson,Oliver Berger

Ernie So and his guest, ElissaBong


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Barry Tyson accepted for the Angels ofHope Chapter.

Morrie Darnov accepted on behalf of theGift of Life Chapter.

Joan Perry, left, and Janice Brumeraccepted the award on behalf of theDonnez Nous Chapter.

Sandy Hoffman accepted the award onbehalf of the 500 Club Chapter.


Norman Crosby, right, presented his namesake award to Maurice“Morrie” Darnov, who thanked hisdaughter, Sharon, for her ownsupport of City of Hope.

Norman Beals accepted on behalf of theDershewitz/Aid to Life Chapter.

THE NORMAN CROSBYGOODWILL AMBASSADORAWARD acknowledges an outstanding volunteer who provides tireless support and kindness, and exhibits a benevolent spirit.

Ambassador Leadership Councilmembers Pat Perrott and Don Hoffmanhosted Sunday evening’s gathering.

Patient speaker Susanna Sawydan

Philip L. Engel,center, iscongratulatedby Michael A.Friedman, left, and Chair TerryPeets after he accepted anaward on Mondaynight in recognitionof his tenure.

INCOMING AND OUTGOING CHAIRS

THE SAMUEL H. GOLTERAWARDS highlightextraordinary gains in chapterfundraising betweenconventions.

Three chapters won Golter awards but were not represented at Roll Call: The Diamonds of the Desert Chapter,the Faith Guild TSSL Chapter and the Fred and Gertrude Rosen Tucson Chapter.



Council members Don Hoffman and Pat

Perrott; and New York-area supporters

and sisters Lisa Fuld and Kathy Kaye.

Other hosts and presenters included

Norm Crosby, City of Hope’s National

Ambassador of Goodwill, Florence

Henderson, the institution’s Star of

Hope; Board of Regents member Bobbie

Stern and former City of Hope patient

Dale Shartsis.

Monday’s traditional Roll Call was

led by board member Israel “Izzy”

Freeman and Ambassador Leadership

Council member Sharon Berrick, and

accompanied by legendary game show

host Monty Hall and Crosby.

“This convention would not have

been possible without the enthusiasm

and dedication of convention planning

committee members from here in

Southern California, as well as around

the country,” said

Alan Levey, senior

vice president

of development.

“You deeply

inspired me and

everyone else

who attended

this year’s

convention.”

Joseph P. Sanford

SIX OUTGOING DIRECTORS were honored fortheir leadership, support and ongoing, dedicatedservice on City of Hope’s board of directors.

Jack R. Suzar

Stephen B. Kass Claire L. Rothman

Israel “Izzy” Freeman Robbin L. Itkin


Rhoda Makadon


Timothy Wilson, M.D., director, Department ofUrology/Urologic Oncology and the City ofHope Prostate Cancer Program, accepted theGallery of Achievement Award for Medicinefor outstanding contributions in the field ofurologic oncology.

Shiuan Chen, Ph.D., professor/director of theDepartment of Surgical Research, acceptedthe Gallery of Achievement Award forScience for outstanding contributions in thefield of breast cancer research.

GALLERY OF MEDICAL ANDSCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENTAWARDS

Pat Perrott presents her family’s namesake award to LoringLeeds, a stalwart City of Hope supporter.

THEPERROTT“VOICES OF HOPE”AWARDrecognizesremarkablededication to informing and inspiringothers about City of Hope’smission.

HOPE FORUM

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Bobbie Stern and Dale Shartsis co-presented awards on Sunday evening.




Joanne McKenzie, left, andNancy Jo Flint

From left, Salma Erlich, RichardErlich and Elaine Bloom

Richard Ziman, left, Kathleen Kane and Sid Kline

Lois and Don Bailey Lee and Shelly Greenberg

DAY OF DISCOVERY

Patient family speaker Bill Cloershared his story of hope and healing.

Monty Hall and Steve Gorelick

Michael A. Friedman, left, Rhonda Fleming and her husband, Darol Carlson

CONVENTION PHOTOGRAPHERS: TOM BROWN, AMY CANTRELL AND MARKIE RAMIREZ


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Thankfully, surgery has greatlyadvanced over the millennia.

Today, neurosurgeons such as BehnamBadie, M.D., director of the Brain TumorProgram at City of Hope, have perfectedhighly sophisticated techniques to operateon the brain through the nose to removepituitary tumors as gently as possible.

Badie has unique expertise in thestrategy, dubbed the endonasal transsphenoidalapproach.

As Badie explains, tumors and cysts mayarise in the pituitary gland or in the tissuesurrounding it, called the sellar region. Thearea lies behind the nose and sinus. Althoughonly 10 to 15 percent of all brain tumors arepituitary tumors, and most of these arebenign, they can cause troublesomehormonal and neurological symptoms thatcan be relieved through surgery.

Few surgeons have the mastery andequipment to operate using the latest, mostprecise endonasal methods, which offeradvantages over earlier approaches.

“For years, surgeons were using whatwe call the sublabial-transseptal approach,where incisions are made through the upperlip and the septum of the nose — thecartilage — to access the brain,” said Badie,who has performed more than 200pituitary procedures. “This offered lessfacial scarring than earlier techniques, butpatients still experienced post-surgicaltrauma. And patients could be left withseptal perforation and permanent damage

to the sinuses.”The newer endonasal approach,

developed within the last decade, unites the visual precision of a slim, tiny camera,called an endoscope, with the power of anavigation system, magnetic resonanceimaging and highly specialized microscopes.The equipment in City of Hope’s operatingroom magnifies the tight surgical field whilethe StealthStation AXIEM electromagneticnavigation system guides surgeons to theirtargets, much like a global positioningsystem, or GPS, in a car.

The system provides stereotaxy — theability to pinpoint important structuresthree-dimensionally in the brain — withoutrequiring a patient’s head to be held inplace within a rigid frame.

Research indicates that the endonasalapproach is as effective as the sublabial-transseptal technique in removing pituitarytumors, and patients experience less painthrough the endonasal approach.

“The combination of the endoscope,operating microscope and framelessstereotaxy has improved the endonasaltranssphenoidal procedure by freeing thesurgeon’s hands, while also providingstereoscopic visualization,” Badie said.“Using these devices reduces operatingtime and provides easier control ofbleeding. As a result, my patients have notexperienced any cosmetic complications ornasal perforations, and most patients aredischarged home within 48 hours.”

Besides his successful procedures atCity of Hope, Badie also has contributed tothe surgery’s effectiveness worldwide. Heinvented two surgical instruments used inthe transsphenoidal procedure: the BadieSuction Bipolar Forceps, which a surgeonmay use to both grasp tissue and clean the surgical area, and the Badie SellaconPlate, a reabsorbable plate that is used toreconstruct the sella after surgery.

He also has published numerousarticles on the endonasal transsphenoidalapproach, including a chapter in the“Neurosurgical Operative Atlas — Neuro-Oncology,” an American Associationof Neurological Surgeons textbook herecently edited.

More information about the pituitary surgery technique is availableon the program’s Web site,www.cityofhope.org/braintumor. � � �

Behman Badie operates on pituitary tumorsendoscopically through the nose, resulting inless post-operative pain for patients.

Some 5,000 years ago,ancient Egyptians were thefirst to operate through thenasal passages. Their surgicaldevice: a special hook that,when inserted through a nostril, allowed morticians to remove brain matter forthe mummification process.

By Pat Kramer and Alicia Di Rado

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On May 10, the drive to build theArnold and Mabel Beckman Center forCancer Immunotherapeutics and TumorImmunology began in earnest.Representatives from the Arnold andMabel Beckman Foundation and City of Hope broke ground on the newcenter, which will support research intothe cancer-fighting potential of theimmune system. More than 150 facultymembers, elected officials, boardmembers and other dignitaries attendedthe campus event.

The five-story, 108,000-square-footfacility will serve as headquarters forinvestigators in the Division of CancerImmunotherapeutics & TumorImmunology, or CITI. These scientistsstudy how cancerous tumors avoid theimmune system and, in turn, how toharness the immune system againstcancer. The center also will house

City of Hope’s Graduate School ofBiological Sciences.

“None of this would be possiblewithout the generous and visionary giftfrom the Arnold and Mabel BeckmanFoundation,” said Michael A. Friedman,M.D., president and chief executiveofficer of the institution, who noted theconstruction symbolizes an “era ofgrowth and expansion for City of Hope.”

The Arnold and Mabel BeckmanFoundation donated $20 million in 2006as the lead gift in a campaign to establishthe center. In 1983, the foundationinvested $10 million to establish andendow Beckman Research Institute ofCity of Hope — the first of five suchinstitutes nationwide — and thefoundation’s annual gifts have supportedthe continued growth of the institute.

“I think the whole foundation isexcited to be a part of this,” said Patricia

Beckman, daughter of Arnold and MabelBeckman. “I know I am.”

Ambassador George L. Argyros,chair of the board of the Arnold andMabel Beckman Foundation, also spoke at the groundbreaking, praising City of Hope’s ongoing research efforts. “I know that my dear friends Arnold andMabel Beckman would feel that theirmoney was well spent,” Argyros said.

During the ceremony, City of Hopechair emeritis Philip L. Engel announcedthat Argyros and his wife, Julia, alsopledged $5 million for the facility throughThe Argyros Foundation. (See the storyon page 29.)

City of Hope research leaders areenthusiastic about the science the giftswill support. Arthur Riggs, Ph.D., directorof Beckman Research Institute andprofessor of biology, noted that some ofthe research projects under way by CITIfaculty may seem like science fiction —such as engineering T-cells to attackcancer — but they are already in clinicalstudies. “The center will promoteabsolutely outstanding research, both basicresearch and clinical trials,” Riggs said.

Theodore Krontiris, Ph.D., director of City of Hope Comprehensive CancerCenter and executive vice president ofmedical and scientific affairs, said thecenter and CITI represent fulfillment ofthe institution’s three most importantmissions: discovering biological diseasemechanisms, speeding treatments toclinical trials and patient care, andfostering future scientists. � � �

From left, Arthur Riggs, Patricia Beckman,Michael A. Friedman, George L. Argyros, PhilEngel, Harry Gray and Andrew Raubitscheckwere among those to break ground for City of Hope’s new immunotherapeutics facility.

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Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center ushers in new era in

IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS RESEARCHBy Alicia Di Rado

Their shovels crunched through the earth, metal against soil, lifting and sifting pebbles and sand.Soon, beams and columns will rise from that earth, forming the skeleton of a structure that willhouse researchers striving to bring an end to cancer.



City of Hope leaders announced thegenerous gift during the building’s May10 groundbreaking, where AmbassadorGeorge L. Argyros was an honored guest.Argyros serves as chair of the board ofthe Arnold and Mabel BeckmanFoundation, which provided $20 millionin 2006 as the lead gift in a campaign to build the center.

“We are privileged to contribute to the ongoing efforts of City of Hope’sprominent researchers who arepioneering innovative technologies andbasic science discoveries towards newforms of treatment,” said Argyros, whooversees the Argyros Foundation with his wife, Julia. “This center will speed the outstanding work of City of Hopescientists directly to the hands ofphysicians to benefit patients morequickly than ever before.”

Michael A. Friedman, M.D., president and chief executive officer of City of Hope, noted that the gift will spurmore than construction of a building.“This generous gift will have an enormousimpact on the lives of patients battlingserious diseases,” Friedman said. “TheArnold and Mabel Beckman Center forCancer Immunotherapeutics and TumorImmunology will provide a venue forspecialists to share ideas and acceleratethe pace of scientific discovery.”

The 108,000-square-foot facility,designed by architect Ralph E. Johnson,will house researchers in the Division ofCancer Immunotherapeutics & TumorImmunology, or CITI. These scientistsstudy how cancerous tumors avoid the immune system and, in turn, how to harness the immune system againstcancer. CITI investigators conduct what is known as translational research,an approach that encouragescommunication between basic scientistsand clinicians to speed new treatmentsfrom the lab to the clinic.

The new facility, which also willhouse the Graduate School of BiologicalSciences, is scheduled for completion in 2009.

Argyros, an accomplished OrangeCounty businessman and former UnitedStates Ambassador to Spain from 2001to 2004, has served on many boards and

received numerous awards, including the Horatio Alger Association ofDistinguished Americans, an honor heshares with other successful figures whorose from humble beginnings, includingRonald Reagan and Oprah Winfrey.

Born in Detroit, Argyros grew up in Pasadena, Calif. He earned a degree in business and economics in 1959 from Chapman College, where he laterserved as the longest-serving chairman of the board of trustees from 1976 to 2001.

He is chairman and chief executiveofficer of Arnel & Affiliates, a prominentWest Coast diversified investmentcompany, and serves as general partnerin Westar Capital. He was formerly co-owner of AirCal, from 1981 to 1987, and the owner of the SeattleMariners Baseball Club from 1981 to 1989. � � �

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The Argyros Foundation hasdonated $5 million towardconstruction of the Arnold andMabel Beckman Center forCancer Immunotherapeuticsand Tumor Immunology.

The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for Cancer Immunotherapeutics and Tumor Immunology�

ARGYROS FOUNDATIONsupports Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center with $5 million gift



By Kathleen O’Neil

As just about anyone who has

undergone chemotherapy can

attest, traditional cancer-killing

drugs can damage healthy

tissue, too. Gastrointestinal

problems, hair loss, fatigue

and other effects can

accompany chemotherapy’s

cancer-battling work. But now City of Hope researchers and

their colleagues may have found a way tofocus chemotherapy more specifically oncancerous tissue. That may mean not onlyless toxic treatments, but also moreeffective ones.

Investigators at City of Hope and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital areusing modified neural stem cells to activateand concentrate chemotherapeutic drugspredominately at tumor sites, so thatnormal tissues surrounding the tumorsand throughout the body remainrelatively unharmed.

The investigative technique couldhelp increase the chemotherapy doses thatpatients can safely tolerate, potentiallyincreasing their cancer-cell-killing power.That may potentially bring good news forpatients with advanced cancers that havespread.

“This approach could significantlyimprove future treatment options forpatients with metastatic cancer,” said KarenAboody, M.D., assistant professor in thedivisions of Hematology & HematopoieticCell Transplantation and Neurosciences atCity of Hope. “It not only has the potentialto destroy residual tumor cells, but itshould also improve patients’ quality oflife by minimizing toxic side effects such as nausea, diarrhea or bone marrowsuppression.”

Aboody was the lead author of thestudy done in collaboration with seniorauthor Mary Danks, Ph.D., associatemember in the Department of MolecularPharmacology at St. Jude Children’sResearch Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. Thestudy was published in PLoS ONE, and asecond, related paper appeared in Cancer Research.

Most chemotherapy drugs damagefast-growing cells in the body — whethercells are normal or cancerous — which is why the drugs are toxic to tissues such as the intestinal lining and hair follicles.

Aboody and her colleagues havedeveloped a two-part system that mayreduce that toxicity. It first infiltrates tumorsand then activates a chemotherapeutic drug,providing a killing effect at the tumor site— or sites, if the tumor has spread. Thetechnique takes advantage of thetendency for invasive tumors to attractneural stem cells.

In their study, the researchers injectedmodified neural stem/progenitor cells intoimmunosuppressed mice with neuroblastomatumors. After waiting a few days to allowthe stem cells to migrate to the tumors,researchers administered a compound thatinteracts with an enzyme produced by theneural stem/progenitor cells. That compoundconverts into an active drug that killssurrounding tumor cells.

The precursor drugs were administeredfor two weeks. Then, after a two-weekbreak, researchers administered a secondround of stem/progenitor cells and drugs.

All of the neuroblastoma mice appearedhealthy and tumor-free at six months. All of

the untreated neuroblastoma mice diedwithin two-and-a-half months.

The results hold promise for treatingsolid tumors that metastasize, includingneuroblastoma, which represents 6 to 10percent of all childhood cancers worldwide,with higher incidence in children under age two.

“The results are especially important in the case of high-risk neuroblastoma,because treatment-resistant cancer returnsin as many as 80 percent of children, andthe majority die of their disease,” Danks said.

Aboody and her colleagues hadpreviously demonstrated the technique’sefficacy in primary and metastatic tumorsin the brain. This research is the first todemonstrate that the technique also iseffective in a metastatic cancer model,targeting many solid tumor sites spreadthroughout the body.

They believe that the technique couldalso be applied to other malignant solidtumors, including colon, brain, prostate andbreast cancers, and are planning preclinicaltrials using those tumors.

The research was funded by grants fromthe National Cancer Institute, the STOPCANCER Foundation, the Phi Beta PsiSorority, The Rosalinde and Arthur GilbertFoundation, theNeidorf FamilyFoundation, theMarcusFoundation andALSAC(AmericanLebanese SyrianAssociatedCharities). � � �

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RIGHT ON TARGETResearchers find new ways to improve chemotherapy


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City of Hope is a nationally recognized leader in biomedicalresearch. The institution ranked in the top 5 percent amongindependent research institutes in total grants awarded by theNational Institutes of Health, or NIH, in 2006. Following is aroundup of some notable grants awarded recently.

> Ralph M. ParsonsFoundation fundsteaching laboratory

The Ralph M. ParsonsFoundation has awarded

a $750,000 grant to

establish the Ralph M.

Parsons Teaching

Laboratory at the

City of Hope Graduate

School of Biological Sciences.

The teaching laboratory, which

will enhance educational

offerings for students in the

graduate school and the

Eugene and Ruth RobertsSummer Student Academy at

City of Hope, will be located on

the first floor of the Arnold andMabel Beckman Center for

Cancer Immunotherapeutics

and Tumor Immunology.

> UniHealth Foundationaward supports nurseeducation and trainingprogram

UniHealth Foundation has

awarded a three-year,

$511,130 grant to develop

evidence-based practice skills

in staff nurses, which will

promote patient safety and

quality nursing care. The

program will foster clinical

excellence and quality of care,

as well as the professional

development of future nurse

leaders. The mission of the

UniHealth Foundation is to

support and facilitate activities

that significantly improve the

health and well being of

individuals and communities

within its service area.

> Henry L. GuentherFoundation aids acquisition of 3T MRI machine

The Henry L. GuentherFoundation awarded a

two-year, $500,000 grant

to help City of Hope acquire

a 3-tesla magnetic resonance

imaging (MRI) machine. The

3T MRI will provide highly

precise imaging capabilities

to physicians and researchers,

enabling more accurate

diagnosis and better

treatment of solid tumors.

The equipment will be housed

in City of Hope Helford

Clinical Research Hospital.

> W.M. Keck Foundationsupports lymphoma study

The W.M. Keck Foundation has

awarded a one-year, $450,000

grant to support the study of

molecular mechanisms

underlying cancer and to

develop therapies that destroy

lymphoma cells without harming

normal cells. Stephen J. Forman,

M.D., Francis and Kathleen

McNamara Distinguished Chair in

Hematology and Hematopoietic

Cell Transplantation, leads the

pilot study, which will include a

team of investigators from

City of Hope and the California

Institute of Technology.

> The Rosalinde and ArthurGilbert Foundation continuesstem cell research support

The Rosalinde and Arthur

Gilbert Foundation awarded

$150,000 for a one-year grant

to support the stem cell

Targeting Project led by Karen

S. Aboody, M.D., assistant

professor in the divisions of

Neurosciences and Hematology

& Hematopoietic Cell

Transplantation, and Chu-Chih

Shih, Ph.D., assistant professor

in the Division of Hematology

& Hematopoietic Cell

Transplantation. The project

investigates the ability of stem

cells to migrate toward human

glioma cells and other tumors.

The foundation has now

supported the program for

three years. � � �



A COMMITMENT TO

HELPINGOTHERSGenerous philanthropists whosupport City of Hope hail fromdifferent backgrounds. A variety ofcreative giving options, including life estate planning, IRA beneficiarydesignation and gift annuities, makeit easy for them to find a custom-fitfinancial strategy for fighting life-threatening diseases.

Hands-on philanthropy A results-oriented entrepreneur,Larry Flax typifies today’s high-profile philanthropist. As a co-founder of California PizzaKitchen, Flax knows a thing or twoabout getting involved firsthand inassembling the right ingredientsand team. He believes the same istrue for supporting worthwhilecauses. “People can watch theirgood do good by becomingpersonally invested,” said Flax.

When Flax and his wife, Joni,recently considered theircharitable giving options, they

chose City of Hope because of the leadership shown by Michael C.Jensen, M.D., co-director of the Cancer Immunotherapeutics &Tumor Immunology program (CITI), and the institution’s advancesagainst brain cancer. Jensen’s engineered T-cell therapies, whichboost the immune system to attack cancer, are pushing researchboundaries, moving ever closer to achieving cures. Eager to spurthe discovery of new treatments for brain cancer in children, theFlax family has provided significant funding in recent years to aidJensen’s efforts, enhancing the pool of funds they have dedicated topediatric research at City of Hope since 1992.

Flax notes that today’s health-care philanthropists want toknow that their money truly advances and delivers improvedtreatments. In this vein, Flax has joined a new consortium ofmodern donors to pool their enthusiasm and knowledge in order tobest manage philanthropic giving. “I want to help superchargephilanthropy to maximize its impact,” Flax said.

Instead of making charitable gifts through bequests, “I wouldurge people to consider life estate planning that works for themduring their lifetime,” said Flax. “There certainly are worthwhile taxbenefits. Plus, you can manage your own gift and see how it ismaking a difference.”

Flax’s personal connection to research at City of Hopemotivates his desire to change the face of philanthropy, and hewould not have it any other way. “At City of Hope, you can be intouch with your gift and see what they’re doing.” This satisfactiongives new meaning to the term “hands-on control.”

Larry and Joni Flax live in Beverly Hills, Calif. Joni’s son, PeterGillette, and his wife, Michelle, have two children, Alex and Avery. � � �

By Carmen R. Gonzalez

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A philanthropic visionaryTennessee resident CanoOzgener may be described as a man of tenacity anddetermination. Theseadmirable qualities served himwell during his career as amechanical engineer, andduring his first battle withlymphoma in 2000.

Not long before Ozgenerwas diagnosed withlymphoma, his good friendand Nashville Symphonyconductor KennethSchermerhorn already was

battling cancer. At a charity event, Ozgener met philanthropistMichael Milken, and they discussed Schermerhorn’s condition,prompting Milken to recommend City of Hope to Ozgener’s long-time friend. Later, when Ozgener’s own lymphoma recurred, herecalled Milken’s advice. “It was karma. God was showing me theway,” said Ozgener.

Once Ozgener arrived on campus, he met with Stephen J.Forman, M.D., Francis and Kathleen McNamara DistinguishedChair in Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, aphysician he feels embodies the institution’s renowned patient-centered philosophy. Inspired by the treatment he received,Ozgener praised all of those who cared for him. “Dr. Formangives confidence to patients and staff,” he said. “All thepersonnel are professional, caring, kind, compassionate — all of them.”

After his experience, Ozgener and his wife, Esen, weremotivated to find a way to support City of Hope. “We wanted todo even more to find a cure and reduce the suffering of all thoseaffected by cancer,” explained Ozgener.

The Ozgeners’ vision of helping to further better therapiesincluded making a significant gift to the institution. “I’mconvinced that with proper funding and research, one day we will win the fight against cancer,” said Ozgener.

The Ozgeners, who reside in Nashville, still travel to City of Hope, where Cano Ozgener continues his treatment. Hiscompassion also reaches beyond City of Hope, as he raises fundson behalf of the Michael Milken Foundation to support medicalresearch for prostate cancer.

“Making a gift through an IRA was easy,” noted Ozgener. “Theexpertise of the gift planning officers at City of Hope enabled meto choose the gift vehicle that best met my needs.” � � �

Esen and Cano Ozgener�

A show of brotherly loveJohn Click knew that he would keep a promisehe made to his latebrother, David. In the mid 1990s,

David was stricken with esophageal cancer.Frustrated by thebureaucratic andimpersonal medical care provided for hisyounger brotherelsewhere, Click directedhim to City of Hope for treatment.

After a prolonged struggle with the disease, David died. Throughout David’s stay at City of Hope, he told Click

that he did not feel like he was in a hospital, but instead felt athome and comforted. Click recalled fond memories about thethoughtfulness of the nurses and physicians who cared for hisbrother, including I. Benjamin Paz, M.D., director of theDepartment of General Oncologic Surgery.

“We lived in Desert Hot Springs back then, so ourcommute was long. Dr. Paz would take that into accountwhen scheduling treatments, making sure we’d avoidtraffic,” Click said. He also remembered his brother’sinstructions to someday contribute to City of Hope tosupport the institution.

Click made good on his promise. He began by makingCity of Hope the beneficiary of his IRA in 1997. Then, afterselling his home in 2006, Click donated $200,000 to City of Hope through a gift annuity, which produced annualincome. Not only did he honor his brother’s wishes, but hemade a smart financial move as well. “It was a good deal forme. I earn 8 percent a year for life, and it has tax advantages,too,” he said.

The donation to City of Hope will benefit crucialresearch into serious diseases, which pleases Click.“Maintaining research is important,” he said. “That’s whatmight produce the next cure.” And because his gift annuityis unrestricted, the institution may apply the funds to wherethey can do the most good.

The 80-year-old John Click resides in Calimesa, Calif.He grew up in Lone Pine, Calif., and enjoys many interestsrelated to mountain life. His hobbies include racing cars.His favorites are the 1932 and 1936 model Fords. � � �


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Office product industry leaders continuetheir steadfast support of City of Hope.The Paper Mate, Parker and Rolodexbrands in the Sanford, a NewellRubbermaid Company, family collectivelypledged to raise $270,000 for theinstitution through the end of 2008. 3M has raised more than $800,000 since 2004

via its Post-it Super Sticky Notes “StickUp for the Cause” campaign, including a $100,000 sponsorship of City of Hope’sWalk for Hope to Cure Breast Cancer, and its “Clean up for the Cause with O-Cel-O” scrub sponges program. Anotherindustry luminary, Staples, has raised

more than $1 million throughcause-related marketing during thelast two years with in-store,scratch-card coupons. Through its “Rock the Cure”

campaign, high-end fashionlabel Rock & Republic willdonate a minimum of 75 percent of profits fromspecial-edition jeans and T-shirts from June 2007 to June 2008 to benefitCity of Hope’s geneticresearch, treatment and education efforts.Sold in major upscale

retailers nationwide, additional productsare slated to be added to the campaign in 2008.

“American Idol”contestantSherman Pore,64, won fanswhen he recentlyauditioned forthe populartelevision showand shared the touching story of losing hispartner to ovarian cancer. Following hisappearance, Pore recorded the CD “For MyLady Love,” now available at storesnationwide, such as WalMart andWalMart.com. Pore’s label, Z-Entertainment, will donate $1 fromeach CD to City of Hope for cancerresearch, treatment and education. “ForMy Lady Love” includes classic love songssuch as “You Belong to Me” and“Unforgettable” and was recorded inCapitol Records Studio B, where bothFrank Sinatra and Dean Martin oncecrooned many standards. For moreinformation, visit shermanporeidol.com.

A number of beauty productscompanies are launchingcampaigns to benefit City of Hope. Conair will make a one-time charitablecontribution of $45,000 insupport of the institution’sbreast cancer research,treatment and educationefforts through its Jilbère de Paris brand’s“Pink Collection” hair products. ZotosInternational is donating $35,000 andpromoting City of Hope through its Zotosand Joico beauty and hair product brands.And Ergo will donate $15,000 through its“ProSleeker1” flat iron. � � �

Through cause-related marketing programs, City of Hope’s dedicated corporate supporters have helped raise

more than $25 million since 1999. These programs generate considerable national awareness and enhance

community support for our mission to eradicate life-threatening diseases. We thank all of the companies that

support our lifesaving research, treatment and education efforts through cause-related marketing campaigns.

COMPANIES ALIGN WITH CITY OF HOPE TO SAVE LIVES

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CAROL RAMNARINE

I did not realize the importance of my treatment at first.

Clad in little more than a hospital gown, I approached the TomoTherapy HI-ART System with as much calm as an apprehensiveperson being fed into a radioactive machinecould muster in a situation like that.

Eventually, though, the magnitude of the event dawnedon me.

I was the first multiple myeloma patient in the world togo through total marrow irradiation. Two years of plannedresearch by the City of Hope TomoTherapy team was aboutto come together for the first time on a patient: me. I silentlyprayed, dedicating my participation to my father, William L.Grover, M.D., in addition to asking God’s steadfast hand tobless this team.

The TomoTherapy system is a specialized machine thatfocuses radiation treatment on a tumor site with little spill-over into the healthy tissue that surrounds it. Less but moreprecise radiation offers the potential benefit of lesseneddebilitating side effects. Total marrow irradiation meant theyhad to administer radiation to the bone marrow throughoutmy body.

The physicians made adjustments. Shifts were made inthe fabric and laser beams aligned to tattooed marks on mybody; shoulder straps and a face mask were put into place.Attention to details was evident; accuracy was paramount.The art of precision prevailed over the chatter of excitement.

Once they aligned the machine, my treatment began. First,a red light appeared, and then I heard a sound similar to awashing machine, or a marching band, drumming in a rhythmthat drowned out the music piped into the treatment room.

I held still. I did not want to move and cause them tostart all over. I escaped into my imagination as I lay there. Thedrumming sound of the machine melted into the snow-ladenstreet I raced down on my red wooden bobsled with mysiblings and friends on Crofton Road in Garfield Heights, Ohio.

The last 27 minutes of the procedure were the mostdifficult for me. I no longer was able to entertain my mind. I began to feel the fatigue of remaining still and lying on aplatform. I felt like the kid who kept asking her parents, “Arewe there yet?” The minutes and seconds ticked away slowly,but the terrific staff kept me motivated and resolved until the end of each treatment.

Each evening, before I was taken back to my room, myteam of doctors would see how I was handling thetreatment. I experienced minimal side effects; nothing wasas severe as the effects I saw in other patients who receivedtraditional radiation treatment.

Nearly two years have passed since then, and I amdoing great. This noninvasive radiation therapy, with fewerside effects, is amazing. I now volunteer my time at City of Hope mentoring other patients through their owncancer experiences, and also with the nonprofit Firefighter Cancer Support Network.

I am grateful to the people who have acted on theirdreams and dedicated their time, as well as the investors in research who have enabled so many great advances incancer treatment. I am truly blessed with a professionalmedical team and a fellowship of friends and family all supporting me. � � �

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On a minute scale, stem cells do thesame for their chromosomal DNA, fixingsplits and breaches in it. But how well dothey do it?

A noted City of Hope investigatorwants to find out.

Timothy O’Connor, Ph.D., professor inthe Division of Biology, was recentlyawarded one of the first grants to fundhuman embryonic stem cell researchresulting from passage of California’s Proposition 71, also known as the CaliforniaStem Cell Research and Cures Initiative.The grant funds his work in DNA repair.

O’Connor shared the honor with Prop.71 investigators statewide, accordingto the California Institute for RegenerativeMedicine (CIRM). These SEED (forScientific Excellence through Explorationand Development) grants are awarded toexperts working outside the embryonicstem cell field in the hope that they bringnovel insight to stem cell biology.

For 20 years, first at the InstitutGustave Roussy in Villejuif, France, and inthe last 10 at City of Hope, O’Connor hasidentified proteins that repair nicks andbreaks in chromosomal DNA. “We areinterested in how cells protect themselvesfrom DNA damage, and how thosestrategies can be exploited for possible

therapy,” he said. Breaks in double-helical DNA strands

occur following exposure to mutagens orradiation and much less frequently duringnormal cell division. Healthy cells expresslegions of proteins whose job is to repairbattered DNA. Without them, cells can dieor become cancer cells.

Although the amount is not yet finalized,the CIRM governing board will awardO’Connor about $350,000 over two years todetermine how efficiently DNA repairproteins operate in human embryonic stem,or ES, cells. Funds will support specialistswho know how to make finicky stem cellsthrive in a Petri dish. “ES cells take a lot ofcare and feeding,” explained O’Connor.

Steven Bates, a senior research associateat City of Hope since 1992, will handle thecells’ care. Bates devised a unique method toprepare “feeder” or support cells used tomaintain ES cells in culture.

Some studies suggest that over longperiods, ES cells accumulate mutations, orerrors in their DNA sequence, more readilythan other cells. “Our goal is to try tounderstand if repair processes differ atthese very early stages of developmentfrom repair processes operating in cells thathave developed into more mature celltypes,” O’Connor said.

One technique O’Connor will use toaccomplish that is to mutate a geneencoding a protein called luciferase, whichemits light. The scientist then forces that

nonfunctional luciferase gene into an ES celland waits to see if it will glow. “After differenttime points, say eight to 48 hours, we canstart to see a signal — that’s an indicationthat repair has occurred,” O’Connor said.Researchers then will compare the repair rateto that in non-ES cells.

O’Connor says that scientists mustdetermine how vulnerable human ES cells areto DNA damage before they are infused intopeople as replacement therapies. “It is notyet clear what will happen when you put aliving stem cell into a person, so it is veryimportant to understand what that cell isdoing. It’s not like a drug that you can stopgiving to someone,” O’Connor said.

The hope is that tissues derived fromstem cells will last a lifetime. O’Connor’swork is aimed at making sure that ES cellreplacement therapy is a good thing. � � �

Timothy O’Connor

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A shaving nick. A burn from a hot oven. A bruise from an unintendedmeeting of shin against coffee table. A parade of damaged tissue —tissue that is injured, heals and turns whole again.

City of Hope investigator receives one of California’s

FIRST HUMAN STEM CELL GRANTSBy Elise Lamar



Campos and Ruble had reason fortheir deep emotions: For the first time, theygot to meet the generous bone marrowdonors who helped save their lives whenthey were desperately ill with leukemia.

The donors and recipients met at the31st annual “Celebration of Life”hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT)reunion on April 27 on the Duarte, Calif.,campus. They were joined by nearly6,000 HCT recipients, their loved onesand caregivers, who gather each year forthe event, a City of Hope tradition.

While the success stories changeevery year, attendees at the highlyanticipated HCT reunions appreciateevery one, knowing how hard those canbe to come by.

“We do this year after year, and itnever gets old — there are always newstories of courage and hope in ourpatients,” said Stephen J. Forman, M.D.,Francis and Kathleen McNamaraDistinguished Chair in Hematology andHematopoietic Cell Transplantation andclinical director of the Division of CancerImmunotherapeutics & TumorImmunology, before introducing Camposand Ruble to their donors at a morningpress conference.

The experience is even morepowerful for the patients themselves.

“It’s like a family reunion,” saidformer patient Jeff Maurer, a SouthernCalifornia firefighter who is a two-timecancer survivor. “Every year, I see a lot ofpeople with the same stories as me whoare living healthy and full lives followingtheir transplant.”

The event also raised awarenessabout the need for hematopoietic cell

donation. Assemblyman AnthonyPortantino (D-Pasadena) spoke at a pressconference during the event about a billhe backs that would create a statewidepilot cord blood collection program. Theprogram would improve the chance of amatch for people who need transplantation.

“Umbilical cord blood, which 90 percent of the time gets thrown in thetrash, cures 70 diseases,” Portantino said.

Arizona patients reunite, celebrate

More than 200 former patients and lovedones gathered with physicians, nursesand other caregivers at the City of Hope-Banner Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT)Program’s 10th anniversary reunion, heldMay 18 at the Phoenix Art Museum.

The City of Hope-Banner BMT Program,formerly known as the City of Hope-Samaritan BMT Program, performedmore than 660 transplants in its firstdecade. (The program’s name wasrecently changed to better reflect the twoparent organizations.) The program alsohas accommodated almost 29,000outpatient visits, making a profounddifference in the lives of people in thePhoenix area and beyond. Patients in theprogram have come from 10 states andseven countries.

“Our program has grown significantlyfrom our opening 10 years ago, and manyimprovements in the care we are able toprovide are on the horizon,” said JeffreySchriber, M.D., medical director of theCity of Hope-Banner BMT Program. “Wehave built a program where patients fromthe Phoenix area can be transplantednear their homes, and we have alsoworked diligently to advance cancertreatment.” � � �

By Kathleen O’Neil and Alicia Di Rado

An overwhelmed Cindy Campos, age 10, cried when Doug Baxter, aCanadian airline pilot, knelt to give her a hug. Architect John Ruble’svoice cracked as he strained to hold back tears when he saw GregShaver, a young man from Indiana.

REUNIONScelebrate thousands of lives saved through transplantation

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Survivors shared laughter, hope and storiesfrom their lives at the 2007 “Celebration ofLife” reunion on April 27 in Duarte, Calif.

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Former patient Nathanael Buus, right, hugshis marrow donor, Justin Chaney, at the City of Hope-Banner Bone Marrow TransplantProgram’s 10th anniversary reunion, held onMay 18 in Phoenix.

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Each year, hundreds offundraising events heldacross the country raisemillions of dollars tosupport vital research,treatment and educationprograms at City of Hope.In this column, wehighlight a few of themajor fundraisingactivities that have taken place during the past few months.

Celebrating FUNDRAISING EVENTS


Real estate industry memberMatt Hoffer (above) lent histalent for the 13th annual RealEstate Action Committee for City of Hope’s (REACH) Socialat House of Blues in Chicagoon April 26. Hoffer competed for a spot as the lead singer of a supergroup on the 2006CBS reality series “Rock Star:Supernova.” More than 1,200supporters gathered at theREACH event, which raisedmore than $300,000 to benefitCity of Hope’s pediatric cancerresearch, treatment andeducational programs andfeatured musicians from thelocal construction and realestate industries, along withguest musician Rick Nielsenfrom ‘80s band Cheap Trick.Since its founding in 1996,REACH has raised more than$1 million for City of Hopeprograms. The committee hasgrown to include professionalsfrom many ancillary industriesincluding construction,brokerage, architecture, financeand building maintenance. � � �

Michael C. Jensen, M.D., co-director of the CancerImmunotherapeutics &Tumor Immunology programand director of pediatricneuro-oncology (left),congratulates honoree FrankL. Rollo, principal ofTreadwell & Rollo, at theNorthern California RealEstate and Construction(REC) Business Alliance’sannual Spirit of Life® AwardDinner. Held on May 10 inSan Francisco, the festive galaattracted more than 600 supporters, who alsocelebrated the REC’s annualfundraising total of $390,000— an amount that exceededthe group’s 2007 goal bymore than 10 percent. Rollohas served as seniorgeotechnical consultant forthe development of MissionBay, Embarcadero Center and many other high-risebuildings throughout the BayArea and California. � � �

Supporters teamed up forthe Southwest FoodIndustry’s Spirit of HopeGolf Tournament, held atthe Camelback Golf Club inScottsdale, Ariz., on April 27.From left, Dan Valenzuela,president, Safeway PhoenixDivision; Nikki Daly, director,Public Affairs andGovernment Relations,Safeway Phoenix Division;Frank Cannistra, vicepresident, Retail Operations,Safeway Phoenix Division;and Frank Conley, vicepresident, Finance, SafewayPhoenix Division. Presentedby Miller Brewing Company,the annual event attractedmore than 700 supporters,who helped raise more than$490,000 through thetournament, as well as adinner and silent auction on April 28. � � �

Ben “Clevelander”Cleveland from Equis laysa punch on MaxChopovsky of Grubb &Ellis at the fifth annualBroker Boxing Federation(BBF) event, held May 10 at the HotelInterContinental inChicago. This year’s 10-bout fight card, whichdrew a capacity crowd of more than 1,200supporters, includedrepresentatives fromcompanies such as Equis,NAI Hiffman, Grubb & Ellis and Junipar. The mission of the BBF,founded in 2003 by Eric Nixon of the MaronNetwork and DavidGoldberg of Newmark, isto bring the Chicago realestate communitytogether once a year toraise money for localcharities. This year’spugilistic event raisedmore than $275,000 forCity of Hope. � � �

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A recent study by Jeffrey Weitzel,M.D., director of the Departmentof Clinical Cancer Genetics, andhis colleagues, which found thatwomen who don’t have manyolder female relatives on one sideof their family may carry a BRCAgene mutation without realizingit, was featured in numerousnational publications. (BRCAmutations are linked to variouscancers, including breast cancer.)Publications and news outletscovering the story included TheNew York Times, The Wall StreetJournal, Washington Post, LosAngeles Times, U.S.News &World Report.com, TIME.com,Forbes.com, BusinessWeek.com,Associated Press, Reuters, UnitedPress International, ScientificAmerican, Miami Herald, ThePhiladelphia Inquirer and theChicago Tribune, among others.The study was also featurednationally by CBS affiliates,including KCBS and KCAL-TV in Los Angeles. The study waspublished in the Journal of theAmerican Medical Association.

A June 11 Los Angeles Timesstory quoted Sunita Patel, M.D.,assistant professor, Division ofPopulation Sciences, and YunYen, M.D., Ph.D., associatedirector of translational research,on findings from the 2007American Society of ClinicalOncology (ASCO) conference,including therapies for treatingliver cancer and a drug to reducethe cognitive side effects ofchemotherapy.

A June 22 segment on “GoodMorning America” highlighted“Hannah Montana” actressMiley Cyrus and her upcoming

concert tour, with a dollar fromeach ticket sold benefiting City of Hope.

The Los Angeles Times featured a lymphoma Q&A on April 23with Mark Kirschbaum, M.D.,director of new drugdevelopment and assistantprofessor in the Division ofHematology & HematopoieticCell Transplantation.

The May issue of Los Angelesmagazine included an articleabout private support’sincreasing role in fundinginnovative biomedical studies.The story cited City of Hope asone of Southern California’sworld-class research facilities.

OK! Magazine highlightedentertainer Sheryl Crow on April30 for her various charitablecontributions, including publicservice announcements sherecorded for City of Hope toraise cancer awareness.

On April 28, City of Hope’s 31stHematopoietic Cell TransplantationReunion was featured on thefront page of the Pasadena Star-News and also was coveredby the San Gabriel ValleyTribune, Whittier Daily News,

Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, SanBernardino Sun and KABC-TV.Newspapers covering eventparticipants also included theCalgary Sun on April 13, theWinnipeg Free-Press on April 27,the North County Times on April 28 and Today’s Local News(San Diego) on April 29.

The San Diego Union-Tribunereported on April 24 that Gail K.Naughton, Ph.D., was appointedto City of Hope’s national boardof directors.

On March 19, TheAssociated Pressran a story aboutthe planned

retirement of Ronald Shaw,president and chief executive

officer of Pen Pilot. In the article,Shaw said that after retirement,he will continue supporting City of Hope.

The Summit, a businessmagazine supplement in thePasadena Star-News, SanGabriel Valley Tribune, WhittierDaily News and Inland ValleyDaily Bulletin, quoted RobertFiglin, M.D., the Arthur andRosalie Kaplan Professor ofMedical Oncology, and chair ofthe Division of Medical Oncology& Therapeutics Research, in a March 30 story about City of Hope’s global and localimpact. City of Hope also waslisted in the magazine as one ofthe largest organizations in the San Gabriel Valley. � � �

These are just a few of the City of Hope developments that have been

MAKING NEWS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

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To find out about events taking place across thecountry that support City of Hope, visit our Web siteat www.cityofhope.org/calendar. For details aboutactivities happening in your area, please contact yournearest City of Hope Regional Development Office.

CITY OF HOPE MEDICAL CENTER800-423-7119

PATIENT REFERRAL LINE(for patient referral inquiries)800-826-4673

GIFT PLANNING800-232-3314

CITY OF HOPE REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICES:

LOS ANGELES DEVELOPMENTHEADQUARTERS800-544-3541

MIDWEST REGION Chicago Regional Headquarters800-779-5893

NORTHEAST REGIONPhiladelphia Regional Headquarters

800-344-8169

NORTHWEST REGIONSan Francisco Regional Headquarters

800-732-7140

Seattle Office 800-934-9196

SOUTHEAST REGIONFlorida Office (Fort Lauderdale)800-584-6709

SOUTHWEST REGIONLos Angeles DevelopmentHeadquarters

800-544-3541

Desert Communities Office(Cathedral City, Calif.)800-732-7121

Phoenix Office 800-732-7309

San Diego Office 888-805-8911

NUMBERST O K N O W


By H. Chung So

Many factors influence well-being,but daily habits can play a role insafeguarding health and evenlowering the risk of cancer and otherdiseases. This column includes tipsfrom City of Hope experts on makinggood lifestyle choices.

> Should you consider genetic testing? In a study published in a June issue of theJournal of the American Medical Association,City of Hope researchers found that womenwith early breast cancer (those diagnosedyounger than 50 years of age) who have fewfemale relatives on either side of their familytree should consider genetic testing formutations in the BRCA genes. The study foundthat these women are three times as likely tohave such a mutation, compared to womenwith sufficient family history to showa familial pattern of breast cancer.BRCA gene mutations are linkedto an increased risk of recurrentbreast cancers, as well asovarian and fallopian tubecancers. By detectingthese mutationsthrough genetictesting,women canconsidervariouspreventativeand screeningoptions tominimize those risks.

> Is hormone replacement therapy (HRT)okay? An April study in the New EnglandJournal of Medicine and a July study in theBritish Medical Journal suggested that hormonereplacement therapy (HRT) may be tied toincreased risks of breast cancer and

cardiovascular disease. However, researcherstied to both studies noted that women can stilluse HRT to alleviate menopause symptoms,

but recommended using the lowest possibledose for the shortest period of time.

> Do fruits and veggies really keepyou healthy? September is Fruit and

Vegetable Month, and the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention

(CDC) encouragesAmericans to eat more

fruit and vegetables tomanage weight andreduce risk of diabetes,

heart disease and certaincancers. For more

information about thehealth benefits of these foods

and tips on incorporating them into meals andsnacks every day, visit the CDC’s “Fruits &Veggies Matter” Web site atwww.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov.

>Before making significant lifestyle changes,consult with your physician.

C A L E N D A R

S TAY I N G I N TO U C H

You may have received this fundraisingcommunication because you previouslyreceived services at City of Hope NationalMedical Center. If you do not wish to receivesuch communications in the future, send awritten request to the following address:

City of Hope1055 Wilshire Blvd.Los Angeles, CA 90017Attn.: Publications Manager,

Communications

An ounce of prevention> Does depression in theelderly contribute todiabetes? A recentlypublished analysis of more than4,500 men and women 65 orolder across the nation revealedthat chronic depression and depression

that worsens over time is tied to ahigher chance of developing diabetes— even after accounting for

contributing lifestyle factors such asdiet and exercise. Because diabetes istied to conditions such as stroke, heartdisease, kidney failure and blindness,the study’s researchers suggest that

older Americans should be screenedfor both depression and diabetes.


Cards for Hope showcase City of Hope’s beautiful grounds and provide the

recipient with the stories behind many of the institution’s historical landmarks.

Each unique card informs the recipient that a donation has been made to City of Hope in his

or her name. Select a card that conveys your special message. Your generous contribution will help

City of Hope win the fight against cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Celebrate

Get Well In Loving Memory

Thinking of You Thank You

Blank

In Cherished Memory

For more information, call 877-302-4673, ext. 62635, or visit us onlineat www.cityofhope.org/cardsforhope.

A contributor envelope is included in this publication for yourconvenience so that you can send your special message right away.

Cards for HopeNew

Designs


Nonprofit

Organization

U.S. Postage

P A I D

Los Angeles, CA

Permit No. 5004

D E L I V E R T O :

J02-13475.ap.Summer07.120M

If your address is incorrect, or you are receivingduplicate copies of this publication, pleaseupdate the label and mail to City News, 1055Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90017. You canalso call 800-544-3541, ext. 26120, or [email protected]. By giving the code numberthat appears above your name, your requestcan be processed quickly. Thank you forhelping us to be more efficient incommunicating how your support is touchingmillions of lives.

TO CONTACT US

1055 Wilshire BoulevardLos Angeles CA 90017800-260-HOPE (4673)[email protected]

E Printed on recycled paper

www.cityofhope.org

Specifics and Benefits:• Must be age 70 1/2 or older.• You can donate up to $100,000 per year in 2007.• Your donation may be counted toward the required minimal distribution for tax-deferred

retirement accounts in the year the gift is made.• The IRA Charitable Rollover applies to outright gifts only.• A gift from your IRA will not generate federal taxable income or a tax deduction.• It’s easy — Simply instruct your IRA custodian to transfer funds directly to City of Hope.

For further information, please contact the Gift Planning Department at 800-232-3314.

Individual IRA distributions can be subject to income tax as high as 35%.Additionally, if an heir inherits the IRA it may be subject to estate tax.

By making an IRA Charitable Rollover directly from your IRA to City of Hope,BOTH OF THESE TAXES CAN BE AVOIDED.

The new Pension Protection Act allows you to contribute part of your IRA to charitywithout paying federal income taxes on the withdrawal through December 31, 2007.*

Did you know that...up to 65 cents of every dollar in yourIndividual Retirement Account (IRA) may go to taxes?

*Confer with your advisor regarding your options as differing state tax laws may affect your plans.

www.cityofhope.org/giftplanning


CN Summer 2007

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