News:
June 5, 2009 - Using PET/CT Imaging, Researchers Can Tell in a Single Treatment if Chemotherapy is Working Oncologists often have to wait months before they can determine whether a treatment is working. Now, using a non-invasive method, researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (JCCC) have shown that they can determine after a single cycle of chemotherapy whether the toxic drugs are killing the cancer or not. Using a combination Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) scanner, researchers monitored 50 patients undergoing treatment for high-grade soft tissue sarcomas. The patients were receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy treatments to shrink their tumors prior to surgery. The study found that response could be determined about a week after the first dose of chemotherapy drugs. Typically, patients are scanned at about three months into chemotherapy to determine whether the treatment is working. The study appeared in the April 15 issue of the journal Clinical Cancer Research. (Full Story)
Aug. 15, 2008 - Dr. Hong Wu and colleagues identify leukemia stem cells and alterations that cause them Stem cell researchers at UCLA have identified a type of leukemia stem cell and uncovered the molecular and genetic mechanisms that cause normal blood cells to become cancerous. The discovery, led by Dr. Hong Wu, professor of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, may lead to the development of new therapies that target these leukemia stem cells, attacking the disease at its very root and killing the early cells that give rise to mature cancer cells. The study appeared in the May 22, 2008 issue of the journal Nature. (Full Story)
June 01, 2008 - Genetic Cause for Type of Childhood Epilepsy Identified NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Scientists have identified the mutated gene responsible for development of a type of epilepsy called childhood absence epilepsy, or CAE. The condition is associated with frequent "absent" seizures where the patient's consciousness is impaired leaving the child staring blankly ahead not aware or responsive for up to 10 seconds at a time. An inherited disorder, CAE accounts for 10 to 12 percent of epilepsy in children under age 16. "We identified this genetic mutation in eight percent of study patients with CAE, which is significant," said Dr. Richard W. Olsen of the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, who was involved in the discovery, noted in a written statement. The research, reported in the American Journal of Human Genetics, may provide insight into developing treatments and cures for this and other forms of epilepsy, the scientists say. (Full Story)
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May 08, 2008 - Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Superior to Standard Evaluation Tools in Measuring Response to treatment Positron Emission Tomography (PET) was much more sensitive and more accurate than conventional imaging methods in detecting response to treatment in sarcoma patients, according to a UCLA study led by Dr. Fritz Eilber that is among the first to directly compare PET to CT scanning. The study has important implications for patients. If conventional imaging fails to detect treatment response, oncologists may discontinue therapies that in fact are working and study participants may be dismissed from clinical trials that are actually helping them. Conversely, if a patient is not responding, using PET scanning to evaluate response could help prevent them from undergoing toxic therapies that aren't working. (Full Story)
March 12, 2008 - Pre-Awards Manager, Kathy Kawamura, Honored by UCLA's Office of Research Administration Kathy Kawamura, our Pre-Awards Office Manager, has recently received recognition from the UCLA Office of Research Administration (ORA) for her work as a trainer for OCGA (Office of Contracts & Grants). Kathy is the recipient of an "Apple Trophy" - an award given out annually to individuals who have contributed significantly to the development and implementation of Contracts and Grants coursework taught throughout the University. Kathy was instrumental in the creation of the "Proposal Preparation and Submission" course and served as the course instructor with over 40 staff members participating, the largest class to date. Kathy was also cited for her outstanding contribution to several OCGA Task Force Committees which worked on the evaluation of different electronic proposal systems and final selection of the new submission system that will be rolled out on a campus wide basis in the near future.
Jan. 17, 2008 - Research Leader on Scientific American's List of 50 UCLA's Desmond J. Smith, Ph.D., (Malibu resident) has been named by Scientific American magazine as one of the "Scientific American 50" - the noted publication's sixth annual list recognizing research, business and policy contributions worldwide to science and technology from the past year that have exceptional potential to improve society. The "Scientific American 50" appears in the magazine's January 2008 issue (Full Story)
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