sanford-burnham cancer brochure

MELANOMA

LEUKEMIA

LUNG

CANCER

COLON

CANCER

PROSTATE

CANCER

BREAST

CANCER

BRAIN

CANCER

PANCREATIC

CANCER

TARGETS WITHOUT BORDERS SANFORD-BURNHAM NCI-DESIGNATED CANCER CENTER

TARGETING CANCER

Image showing how nanoparticles (red) can carry

cancer drugs to blood vessels (green) and distribute

the drugs directly to cancer cells (blue).

Courtesy of Erkki Ruoslahti, M.D., Ph.D.,

Distinguished Professor

500scientists working in collaborative

and interactive programs

$23.7 Mdirect funding from

all sources

10adjunct faculty

46faculty

136cancer-related

publications/year

150cancer research

projects

MISSION

The mission of the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute Cancer Center is to be a national leader in the effort to overcome cancer as a cause of human suffering and death.

VISION

Our vision is to make paradigm-shifting discoveries that will underlie novel therapeutic modalities by creating, translating, and disseminating exceptional basic cancer science.

WE WILL ATTAIN THIS BY

• Conducting state-of-the-art, multidisciplinary basic research into the causes, prevention, and treatment of cancer

• Advancing our discoveries into early pre-clinical development for the benefit of cancer patients everywhere

• Educating and training the next generation of cancer scientists

10shared scientific

resources

Sanford-Burnham is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with operations in San Diego (La Jolla), Calif., and Orlando (Lake Nona), Fla.

1 TARGETS WITHOUT BORDERS

2 SANFORD-BURNHAM NCI-DESIGNATED CANCER CENTER

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

“We view every day as an opportunity to engage in the fight to conquer cancer.”

GARTH POWIS, D.PHIL.Center Director

Conquering cancer has been a core mission of Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute since we opened in 1976 as the La Jolla Cancer Research Foundation. Today, our world-class Cancer Center is fulfilling that mission with new revelations about the molecular mechanisms of cancer, with state-of-the-art drug discovery capabilities, and with a team of scientists who are relentless in pursuing the Institute’s quest, “From Research, the Power to Cure.”

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) recognized our vast potential for scientific achievement when it awarded a 1981 Cancer Center Support Grant to our co-founders, Dr. William and Lillian Fishman. We are now one of seven NCI-designated basic research cancer centers in the nation, and we are a global leader in turning scientific discoveries into new therapeutic approaches. The Institute also is one of four Comprehensive Centers for the NCI Chemical Biology Consortium (CBC). Membership in the CBC places Sanford-Burnham in a highly collaborative drug discovery partnership with the NCI and a network of academic and industry partners.

At Sanford-Burnham, new findings from our basic biological studies are often conveyed directly from our laboratory benches to our drug discovery groups. The unique abilities of the Cancer Center scientists to discover new cancer targets, coupled with the Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics, which

has emerged as a leading infrastructure for small-molecule drug discovery in the nonprofit world, have placed Sanford-Burnham and the Cancer Center at the forefront of an emerging 21st century research model that aligns basic biomedical research, translational research, and drug discovery and development. And our robust partnerships with pharmaceutical companies and health care systems are speeding the delivery of therapeutic advances to clinical settings.

High-quality biological research, coupled with an exceptional ability to conduct early translational studies, has positioned the Cancer Center as a pioneer in this era of personalized medicine. Having spent my career in the field of oncology research, I know only too well that cancer is an extremely personal experience.

In this publication, we present the concept of "Targets without Borders" as a foundation for our research in the Cancer Center. Today, we understand that the targets for many cancer drugs are shared by multiple tumor types. Our research reflects this fact by leveraging our discoveries across many cancers to broaden the potential for new therapies.

Ultimately, my colleagues and I are working on behalf of cancer patients, and we are deeply committed to finding new ways of restoring their health and their hope.

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STEP STEP1 2

TAKING AIM AT CANCER

TUMOR INITIATION AND MAINTENANCE PROGRAM

Investigators in Sanford-Burnham’s Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program study the type of cells that give rise to cancer and the molecular mechanisms they use to escape the normal cell cycle, including death. Their findings point the way to developing drugs that prohibit and inhibit tumor cell growth.

CELL DEATH AND SURVIVAL NETWORKS PROGRAM

The Cell Death and Survival Networks Program studies the pathways and signals that tumors use to reprogram their metabolism to prevent cell death. Understanding these pathways helps identify therapeutic targets and is critical for the design of tumor-specific, less toxic therapies.

SOMETHING GOES WRONG IN A CELL AND THE CELL SPINS OUT OF CONTROL

TUMORS BECOME ESTABLISHED AS CANCER CELLS REFUSE TO DIE

TARGETS WITHOUT BORDERS

THE INSTITUTE’S NCI-DESIGNATED CANCER CENTER IS AT THE

LEADING EDGE OF MOVING TODAY’S INNOVATIVE DISCOVERIES

TOWARD THE CANCER SOLUTIONS OF TOMORROW

STEP3TUMORS CREATE A NICHE ENVIRONMENT TO SPREAD

TARGETS WITHOUT BORDERS

"Targets without Borders" is a conceptual foundation for much of the work in our NCI-designated Cancer Center. We now know that the targets for many of the cancer drugs that we and others are developing are found in multiple tumor types. Cancer drugs are no longer limited to a particular cancer, but can find application in many different cancer types.

We have organized research programs on the basis of the hallmarks of cancer. For example, all cells must acquire genetic mutations to become cancerous. Once formed, tumors need to devise ways to grow, survive, divide uncontrollably, avoid cell death, and in most cases move to new locations in the body. By grouping our cancer programs to match the steps that all cancers take, we create new opportunities for our discoveries to apply to different cancer types — independent of the tissue of origin. This approach maximizes our dedicated cancer research resources, but it still enables disease-specific research to generate advances in those areas.

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200+

580,000

1,600,000

different types of cancer

Americans will die of cancer in 2014

new cases of cancer in the U.S. in 2014

TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT AND METASTASIS PROGRAM

The Tumor Microenvironment and Metastasis Program aims to understand how cells interact with each other and their environment to promote tumor growth. The research includes explorations of how the immune system is altered to promote tumor growth and how tumors stimulate production of new blood vessels to metastasize.

Cancer encompasses over 200 disease types, and it can afflict more than 60 different organs in the body. But even with such multiplicity, we know that cancers share certain finite strategies for development, maintenance, survival, expansion, and migration to other organs.

SANFORD-BURNHAM NCI-DESIGNATED CANCER CENTER

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, in part due to its notorious metastatic capacity and resistance to therapy. Research over the past decade has greatly advanced our understanding of melanoma biology and has led to the development of specific inhibitors capable of combating this devastating disease. The success of these inhibitors, which primarily target the oncogene B-Raf, has demonstrated how cancer research can lead to novel and effective therapies. However, only 50 percent of melanoma tumors carry the B-Raf oncogene. And, despite the proven efficacy of B-Raf inhibitors, most tumors

undergo a metabolic reconfiguration and re-emerge as therapy-resistant tumors within months of their disappearance.

Fortunately, basic research in this area has maintained a rapid pace and has identified other molecules that can be targeted in a combination-therapy approach to overcoming drug resistance. Dr. Ronai’s laboratory is contributing to this effort by focusing on understanding the pathways that melanoma tumors use to rewire themselves. His work has led to new targets for melanoma therapy, including PDK1, ATF2, and Siah.

MELANOMA

ZE’EV RONAI, Ph.D.Scientific Director, Sanford-Burnham at La Jolla, Deputy Director of the Sanford-Burnham NCI-designated Cancer Center, and Professor in the Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program


RESEARCHER PROFILES

One persondies every hour from melanoma in the United States

Dr. Wechsler-Reya studies medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor in children. Despite aggressive therapy — including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy — many children still die of the disease, and survivors suffer severe long-term side effects from the treatment. Thus, more

effective and less toxic therapies are needed. The Wechsler-Reya lab uses animal models to identify the cells from which medulloblastoma arises, the mutations that transform these cells into tumors, and the signals that allow these cells to continue to grow and to evade therapy.

In conjunction with Sanford-Burnham’s Prebys Center, the lab is also carrying out high-throughput screens to identify new drugs that can be used to treat the disease. In partnership with clinicians at Rady Children’s Hospital, Dr. Wechsler-Reya hopes to bring these therapies to the clinic and improve outcomes for children with medulloblastoma.

“By studying the cells that give rise to cancer, we will deepen our understanding of how tumors form and can develop novel approaches to treating them.”

ROBERT WECHSLER-REYA, Ph.D.Professor and Director of the Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program

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MEDULLOBLASTOMA

2,200children in the U.S. are diagnosed with a brain tumor each year



MARIA DIAZ-MECO, Ph.D.Professor in the Cell Death and Survival Networks Program

JORGE MOSCAT, Ph.D.Director of the Cell Death and Survival Networks Program

Dr. Moscat’s laboratory is focused on the metabolic needs of tumors and their survival strategies. A remarkable feature of tumor cells is their “addiction” to glucose, and when deprived of the sugar, they fail to survive. Most recently, using human colorectal cancer cells, Dr. Moscat identified a new tumor suppressor, termed PKCzeta. If absent, it allows a tumor cell to reprogram itself and become independent of glucose for survival. This observation has tremendous implications for all cancer types. The discovery means that metabolic therapies for cancer need to make sure that tumor cells lose their ability to reprogram their metabolism. Inactivating the pathways unleashed by the deficiency of tumor suppressors such as PKCzeta is a promising approach to improving cancer treatment.

Dr. Diaz-Meco’s laboratory is using prostate cancer as a model to uncover the reasons why obesity is linked to cancer. They have identified genetic alterations of a gene called p62 whose inactivation results in obesity and type 2 diabetes. Additionally, p62 is overexpressed in a myriad of tumors, suggesting an additional role in cancer initiation and/or progression. This means that p62-driven signals could be a source of therapeutic targets in cancer by impacting metabolic homeostasis and tumor cell survival. Since p62 is present in all cancer cells, the implications are applicable to all tumor types. In fact, epidemiological evidence in humans demonstrates a clear association between obesity and more-malignant tumors, including those of the prostate, ovary, breast, and liver.

OBESITY, DIABETES, AND CANCER STARVING CANCER CELLS

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In healthy humans, the number of cells in the body is maintained by balancing cell division with programmed cell death — a process known as apoptosis. Bcl-2 is a family of proteins that regulates apoptosis. Elevated levels of the Bcl-2 protein have been shown to help cancer cells evade death, and have been identified as a cause of many cancers, including hematological cancers.

Dr. Pellecchia’s laboratory, in collaboration with UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, is using a combination of technologies, including rational drug design, medicinal chemistry, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), to create Bcl-2 inhibitors to treat a range of blood cancers, including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL).

Dr. Pellecchia’s team is focusing on two other Bcl-2 family members — Mcl-2 and Bfl-1 —that appear to contribute to chemotherapy resistance and relapse. Combining inhibitors of the Bcl-2 family of proteins may prove advantageous in the effective treatment of hematologic malignancies and reduce the incidence of relapse.

MAURIZIO PELLECCHIA, Ph.D.Professor in the Cell Death and Survival Networks Program

LEUKEMIA AND LYMPHOMA

“Our goal is to block the methods that blood cancers use to escape death.”

Approximately every four minutes, one person is diagnosed with a blood cancer in the U.S.

4minutes


Dr. Courtneidge and her lab study the way cancer cells invade their surrounding tissue and establish a microenvironment that suits their needs for survival and growth. Invadopodia are specialized cell structures that enable cancer cells to “walk away" from the primary tumor and metastasize to other parts of the body.

The oncogene Src — a protein kinase — and its substrate Tks5 are a primary focus of Dr. Courtneidge’s research, because in many tumors, including colon, liver, lung, breast, pancreas, and prostate, Tks5 promotes

invadopodia formation, new blood-vessel formation, and proliferation and invasion pathways. Dr. Courtneidge has recently shown that Src and Tks5 are clearly associated with the invasiveness of melanoma, breast, and prostate cancer. Since inhibitors of invadopodia formation might have utility in the treatment of cancer, Dr. Courtneidge has developed a high-throughput screening assay to identify molecules that inhibit invadopodia formation.

TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT AND METASTASIS

SARA COURTNEIDGE, Ph.D.Director of the Tumor Microenvironment and Metastasis Program


THERAPIES TO WATCH

Cancer cells do not exist in isolation. They recruit normal cells, blood vessels, and other components of their environment to become malignant, metastatic, and resistant to therapy.

Microscopic image of invadopodia

formation in head and neck cancer cells

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To overcome the hurdle of getting cancer drugs directly to cancer cells, Dr. Erkki Ruoslahti, distinguished professor at Sanford-Burnham, and his colleagues have developed peptides — short pieces of protein — that seek out tumors and can take a drug payload with them. These peptides have been shown to improve treatment efficacy against several types of human cancers grown in mice. The latest development is the discovery of peptides that are capable of penetrating deep into tumor tissue and are effective when given together with a drug. Typically, one third

of the normal dose of a drug has the same therapeutic effect as the normal dose without the peptide.

Nanomedicine — the medical application of nanotechnology — is a particular focus of the Ruoslahti laboratory. Their work has far-reaching implications for drug delivery and cancer. A first-generation peptide from this group is in late-phase clinical trials, and new tumor-penetrating peptides have been licensed by two biotech companies.

ERKKI RUOSLAHTI, M.D., Ph.D.Distinguished Professor in the Tumor Microenvironment and Metastasis Program

TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT AND METASTASIS

“One of the many challenges of creating effective cancer treatments is getting enough medicine to the tumor to kill it, without harming healthy tissues.”


POWER OF PARTNERSHIPSNO SINGLE INVESTIGATOR HAS THE KNOWLEDGE OR RESOURCES

NEEDED TO BATTLE A DISEASE AS COMPLEX AS CANCER

San Diego’s NCI-designated Cancer Center directors

Tony Hunter, Ph.D., Salk Institute Cancer Center (left), Scott

Lippman, M.D., UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center (middle), and

Garth Powis, D.Phil., Sanford-Burnham Cancer Center (right)

We join forces with leading cancer institutions to move our discoveries from “bench to bedside.” Our expertise in investigative laboratory discoveries, combined with the clinical observations and practices of our partners, creates opportunities to make meaningful advances in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.


Partners include:

• Yale University Cancer Center

• Mayo Clinic Cancer Center

• University of Colorado Cancer Center

• National Cancer Center of the Republic of Korea

• Cancer Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

• The University of British Columbia

• Florida Hospital Cancer Institute

• Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego

• UC San Diego Moores NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center

• Salk Institute NCI-designated Cancer Center


SANFORD-BURNHAM HAS A RICH HISTORY OF BENEFITING HUMAN HEALTH

10 CONTRIBUTIONS TO CANCER RESEARCH

Invented the technology used in the PSA test, the world’s only blood

test for the detection of prostate cancer.

1

Pioneered studies that led to Cilengitide,

currently in clinical trials for non-small cell lung

and brain cancer.

4

Produced foundational research for NGR-hTNF, a

novel therapeutic in clinical trials for mesothelioma, sarcoma, and ovarian

cancer.

5

Identified the enzyme target of gossypol, in

clinical trials for leukemia, lymphoma, and non-small

cell lung cancer.

6

Validated the biological action of Birinapant, in

clinical trials for leukemia and ovarian cancer.

7

Substantiated the anti-tumor properties of ABT-263, in

clinical trials for metastatic colon, melanoma, non-small

cell lung, and prostate cancer.

8Established the technology that

produced PX-866, in clinical trials for prostate, colorectal, melanoma, glioblastoma, non-small cell lung, and head and

neck cancer.

9

Created the technology for GC-1008, an anti-tumor antibody in clinical trials for renal cell carcinoma,

melanoma, breast cancer, and mesothelioma.

10

Performed research that helped identify Targretin®, an FDA-approved drug for

the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

3

Discovered technology that led to the drug Epogen®, used to treat patients

with anemia caused by chemotherapy.

2

Matt Petroski, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program, is taking full advantage of the core resources and programs at Sanford-Burnham to identify new, innovative cancer drugs.

Dr. Petroski started working with the Cancer Center’s Chemical Library Screening Shared Resource at the Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics to screen a library of 360,000 small molecules to identify inhibitors of NEDD8. NEDD8 is a protein that cancer cells require for proliferation and survival.

Two promising molecules were identified, which led Dr. Petroski to seek the help of Anthony “Tony” Pinkerton, Ph.D., a chemist and director of Medicinal Chemistry at Sanford-Burnham. Medicinal chemists are

the experts in drug optimization at its earliest stage. They look for the “methyls, ethyls, and propyls” that make molecules more like real drugs — more specific, less toxic, soluble, and active.

With Dr. Pinkerton's recommendations for lead compounds, Dr. Petroski presented his research to STRIVE, the Sanford-Burnham program that connects researchers with local biotech industry experts who provide advice. With funding from the Cancer Center, discoveries are moving along the clinical development path.

Dr. Petroski used the funds to begin biophysical and structural studies in collaboration with Stefan Riedl, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Cell Death and Survival Networks Program. By understanding how these new molecules bind their target, it will be possible to more rapidly and efficiently improve them to begin clinical studies.

The combination of Dr. Petroski's determination and Sanford-Burnham’s resources has quickly advanced the promise of a new cancer drug. The next milestone will be testing a lead NEDD8 inhibitor in animal models of cancer.


REACHING MILESTONES IN CANCER DRUG DISCOVERY Anthony Pinkerton, Ph.D., (left)

and Matt Petroski, Ph.D. (right)

IT STARTS IN THE PREBYS CENTER

PARTNERING WITH THE PREBYS CENTER FOR SUCCESS

The Prebys Center uses robotic technology to systematically search through hundreds of thousands of chemical compounds to find the few that are potential starting points for new medicines. The Center is available to Sanford-Burnham researchers as well as scientists from other institutions through collaborative agreements.

“The Prebys Center is like a magnet that attracts collaborations and partnerships with like-minded institutions that seek to build a pipeline of therapeutic drugs for disease with serious clinical unmet needs,” says Michael Jackson, Ph.D., vice president of Drug Discovery and Development at Sanford-Burnham.

“By working with partners and combining expertise, we can more rapidly translate basic research discoveries to enable new drug discoveries.”

Since it opened, Sanford-Burnham’s Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics has been shortening the distance between basic cancer research findings and therapeutics discovery.

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Michael Jackson, Ph.D., vice president,

Drug Discovery and Development


SANFORD-BURNHAM HAS ESTABLISHED THE MOST

ADVANCED DRUG-SCREENING FACILITY IN THE

NONPROFIT WORLD

Sanford-Burnham’s shared resources of the NCI-designated Cancer Center are specialized service facilities that support the cancer research efforts of our members, as well as other nonprofit and for-profit investigators in cancer research.


THERE ARE CURRENTLY 10 CORE FACILITIES WITH ADVANCED

TECHNOLOGY STAFFED BY TECHNICAL EXPERTS IN EACH FIELD

CORE FACILITIES

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CANCER METABOLISM

(DEVELOPING SHARED RESOURCE)

The cancer metabolism facility provides analytical services to measure metabolic flux, cellular metabolites, and cellular respiration measurements to better understand metabolic alterations associated with cancers and how they can be therapeutically targeted.

FUNCTIONAL GENOMICS

Functional genomics focuses on the dynamic aspects of genes, such as gene transcription, translation, and protein-protein interactions — as well as the role of noncoding RNA in cell function. This facility provides assay development, RNA and DNA libraries, and high-throughput screening services.

ANIMAL RESOURCES

Our animal resources include an AAALAC-accredited animal facility, with a variety of animal analysis technologies, including animal imaging, analysis of tumor formation, and treatment results.

BIOINFORMATICS

Scientific research produces vast amounts of data. Creating knowledge from data requires the use of sophisticated bioinformatics tools. This facility provides the tools and expertise to understand the biological and medical significance of research discoveries through the analysis, integration, mining, and contextualizing of data.

FLOW CYTOMETRY

Flow cytometry allows scientists to count and sort cells based on biomarker expression on cell surfaces. The flow cytometry facility provides both analytical and high-speed cell-sorting services.

GENOMICS

Genomic studies allow scientists to understand the role that specific genes play in cancer. Our facility provides next-gen sequencing, including experimental design, library prep, and data analysis, as well as full-service microarray and Q-PCR analysis.

PROTEOMICS

Researchers use the proteomics facility to understand which proteins are expressed or modified in normal cells compared to cancer cells. Technologies range from mass spectrometry and gel-based simple protein identification to proteome-wide, post-translational modification analysis.

STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY

The structural biology core offers central tools used to develop a complete picture of proteins at an atomic level — and gives scientists insights into protein functions, flaws resulting from genetic mutations, and drug interactions. Technologies include nuclear magnetic resonance, crystallography, and protein analysis.

CHEMICAL LIBRARY SCREENING

This core utilizes the extensive resources in the Prebys Center to support chemical biology, drug discovery, and drug development.

CELL IMAGING AND HISTOLOGY

In the cell imaging facility, we provide access to many types of microscopes, including bright field, fluorescence, confocal, and multiphoton confocal microscopes. Histopathology services include tissue section analysis, staining, IHC, laser capture microscopy, high-resolution slide scanning, and assistance with tissue procurement and pathology analysis.


TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTSSanford-Burnham’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences is training the next generation of scientists at a time when research has never been more intellectually exciting and practically important to society.

As the 21st century brings increasingly sophisticated tools to study genes, proteins, and biochemical reactions, Sanford-Burnham’s Graduate School provides students with a solid foundation in biology, chemistry, bioinformatics, and engineering to integrate research into meaningful applications that advance medicine and health care.

According to the dean of the program, Guy Salveson, Ph.D., “Our graduate students have the unique opportunity to carry out their studies in an environment of collaborative research, with access to the most-sophisticated minds and technologies in biomedical science.”

Sanford-Burnham graduate students, poised to become biomedical research leaders


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MEET A YOUNG SCIENTISTINTERVIEW WITH POSTDOCTORAL

FELLOW YOUNG JOO JEON, Ph.D.

What inspired you to pursue cancer research?

I pursue cancer research because I am interested in how organisms evolve, and particularly how cancer evolves. Unfortunately, for some people cancer not only evolves, but sometimes thrives, despite our best efforts to prescribe the best cancer drugs available. In some cases, people have no choice but to coexist with cancer, and so we will need to find the best ways to withstand cancer.

What is the best thing about being a postdoc at Sanford-Burnham?

We are in such a great location at Sanford-Burnham — there are so many resources at our campus as well as access to other medical research institutes in La Jolla. The proximity of facilities, technology, and collaborators makes it easy to work efficiently here.

What research highlights have you achieved?

I identified SLC1A5, a glutamine transporter that is a novel substrate of RNF5. SLC1A5 is highly expressed in breast tumors and its over-expression is related to poor prognosis. Therefore, my research suggests that down-regulation of SLC1A5 by RNF5 in response to chemotherapeutic drugs will significantly improve the treatment of breast tumors.

What are your career goals for the future?

I plan to become a principal investigator and perform research for my whole life. I hope that my experiences here at Sanford-Burnham will make me a good supervisor and leader as I train future medical researchers for careers in science.

Young Joo Jeon, Ph.D., is studying breast

cancer in the Ronai laboratory



STRIVE

SANFORD-BURNHAM CONNECTS TO

LOCAL BIOTECH INDUSTRY

STRIVE is a new program that provides Sanford-Burnham faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students with specialized knowledge and technical expertise to overcome the challenges with translating basic research discoveries into commercial products. STRIVE connects Sanford-Burnham researchers with the local biopharmaceutical industry in an informal atmosphere that encourages social and educational exchange. STRIVE meetings include presentations of translational projects, followed by research discussions and advice on funding opportunities and partnering. STRIVE also provides funding to move promising projects to the next step in development.

C3

SAN DIEGO’S NEW CANCER

CENTER COUNCIL

Sanford-Burnham is fortunate to have great, collaborative neighbors that perform biomedical research with a similar goal of advancing human health. In 2013, Sanford-Burnham, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, and UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center — all National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated centers — formed the San Diego National Cancer Institute Cancer Centers Council, or C3, to share their distinct core resources to accelerate the understanding and treatment of cancer.

Each San Diego institute provides reduced costs to the others to encourage sharing of their unique capabilities and talents.

SU2C

STAND UP TO CANCER

Stand Up To Cancer — SU2C — is a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, a charitable organization that has raised more than $250 million for cancer research since it was founded in 2008, much of it in connection with nationally televised fundraising specials. SU2C’s scientific partner is the American Association for Cancer Research.

Kristiina Vuori, M.D., Ph.D., professor, president, and interim CEO of Sanford-Burnham, and her collaborators on SU2C’s Melanoma Dream Team received a three-year grant of $6 million to explore a personalized medicine approach to treating metastatic melanoma. The team’s research, including data from Dr. Vuori’s drug discovery work, will focus on whether information specific to a patient’s tumor significantly improves clinical outcomes. The project may also lay the groundwork for fighting many other tumor and disease types.

CONNECTIONS TO BEAT CANCERREACHING BEYOND OUR BOUNDARIES TO ACHIEVE A SHARED GOAL

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PEDAL THE CAUSE A COMMUNITY FUNDRAISER TO

SUPPORT CANCER RESEARCH

Members of Team Sanford-Burnham

train for Pedal the Cause

“Pedal the Cause has become an inspirational goal for us, especially after hearing the survivor stories and the importance of the monies for cancer research. During the weekend, we experienced friendship, devotion, and compassion from everyone involved. We will continue to wear our jerseys and share our stories of Pedal the Cause and the fabulous people at Sanford-Burnham.”

JOHN AND CONNIE TEEGARDENSanford-Burnham supporters

Pedal the Cause is a new fundraising event for cancer research that benefits Sanford-Burnham as well as our two neighbor National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers: UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. The event is a bike ride through beautiful San Diego County, and is open to riders of all abilities. Riders can choose one- or two-day courses as short as 10 miles or as long as 150 miles.

Last year was the inaugural event — with an inspired group of more than 400 riders crossing the finish line. Total rider donations were $1,050,000 and proceeds were shared by the three NCI-designated centers, or C3, as they are known.

The event will now be held annually, with a goal of becoming one of San Diego’s premier cancer research fundraising events.



GARTH POWIS, D. PHIL. Center Director

ZE’EV RONAI, Ph.D. Deputy Director

ROBERT WECHSLER-

REYA, Ph.D. Director, Tumor Initiation

and Maintenance Program

JORGE MOSCAT, Ph.D. Director, Cell Death and

Survival Networks Program

SARA COURTNEIDGE,

Ph.D. Director, Tumor

Microenvironment and

Metastasis Program

GUY SALVESON, Ph.D. Cancer Center Associate

Director, Education and

Mentoring

CRAIG HAUSER, Ph.D. Associate Director,

Shared Resources

EVELINE HERNANDEZ,

M.B.A. Cancer Center Associate

Director, Administration

SANFORD-BURNHAM NCI-DESIGNATED CANCER CENTER LEADERSHIP

At the Cancer Center, patient advocates are our partners in the quest to discover cures. They join us on the road to those discoveries, providing guidance, encouragement, and support. We give them hope. They give us inspiration.

The Cancer Center’s Community Advisory Board serves as a powerful emissary between our scientific team and the external community. Its members are all cancer survivors and leaders in their respective fields. Knowledgeable and influential, they participate in a range of activities to promote the Cancer Center. They make presentations at faculty retreats, write advocacy support letters for research proposals, help steer project development, and host on-campus events for the public, including National Cancer Survivors Day.

SANFORD-BURNHAM CANCER CENTER'S

COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD

DANI GRADYFeatured member of Sanford-Burnham Cancer Center’s Community Advisory Board

Dani Grady was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer at the age of 29. After an arduous battle against the disease, she has been in remission for more than 23 years. She is a dedicated cancer research campaigner, community educator, and patient advocate who works to bring the patient’s outlook and concerns to the research community.

Why is basic science research important to cancer patients?

Cancer patients rely on basic science research because it is the key that will unlock the cure for cancer. Understanding the mechanisms of the disease will lead to answers on how to eradicate cancer.

What about the Sanford-Burnham NCI-designated Cancer Center gives you hope?

In tandem with the Institute’s progressive drug discovery program, the Center has the potential to advance cancer treatments out of the “one size fits all” approach, and into a new era, where the therapies are designed to directly target the personal genetic profile of a patient’s tumor cells.

ROBERT WECHSLER-REYA, Ph.D.Program Director

STEM CELLS AND DEVELOPMENT

Rolf Bodmer, Ph.D. Fred Levine, M.D., Ph.D. Mark Mercola, Ph.D. Robert Oshima, Ph.D. Evan Snyder, M.D., Ph.D. Alexey Terskikh, Ph.D. Robert Wechsler-Reya, Ph.D.

CELL GROWTH SIGNALING

Marcia Dawson, Ph.D. Elena Pasquale, Ph.D. Matthew Petroski, Ph.D. Ze’ev Ronai, Ph.D. Dieter Wolf, M.D. Xiao-kun Zhang, Ph.D.

RNA BIOLOGY

Tariq Rana, Ph.D. Ranjan Perera, Ph.D. Jing Crystal Zhao, Ph.D.

ADJUNCTS

Robert Cardiff, M.D., Ph.D. Manuel Perucho, Ph.D.

JORGE MOSCAT, Ph.D.Program Director

METABOLIC AND STRESS SIGNALING

Maria Diaz-Meco, Ph.D. Jorge Moscat, Ph.D. Jeffrey Price, M.D., Ph.D. Jeffrey Smith, Ph.D.

AUTOPHAGY AND CELL DEATH

Malene Hansen, Ph.D. Randal Kaufman, Ph.D. Guy Salvesen, Ph.D.

MOLECULAR THERAPEUTICS

Nicholas Cosford, Ph.D. Adam Godzik, Ph.D. Francesca Marassi, Ph.D. Maurizio Pellecchia, Ph.D. Garth Powis, D.Phil. Stefan Riedl, Ph.D.

ADJUNCTS

Robert Abraham, Ph.D. Michael Jackson, Ph.D. John Reed, M.D., Ph.D.

SARA COURTNEIDGE, Ph.D.Program Director

ANGIOGENESIS AND IMMUNE/

INFLAMMATORY MODULATION Sumit Chanda, Ph.D. Hudson Freeze, Ph.D. Masanobu Komatsu, Ph.D. Scott Peterson, Ph.D. Barbara Ranscht, Ph.D. Robert Rickert, Ph.D. William Stallcup, Ph.D. Carl Ware, Ph.D.

CELL MIGRATION, INVASION, AND METASTASIS

Sara Courtneidge, Ph.D. Dorit Hanein, Ph.D. Robert Liddington, Ph.D. Alex Strongin, Ph.D. Niels Volkmann, Ph.D.

DEFINING NEW INTERVENTION POINTS

FOR CANCER THERAPY Erkki Ruoslahti, M.D., Ph.D. Kristiina Vuori, M.D., Ph.D.

ADJUNCTS

Michiko Fukuda, Ph.D. Minoru Fukuda, Ph.D. Tomas Mustelin, M.D., Ph.D. Tambet Teesalu, Ph.D.

SANFORD-BURNHAM NCI-DESIGNATED CANCER CENTER FACULTY

DR. FRANK MCCORMICK Former Director of the UCSF

Helen Diller Family Compre-

hensive Cancer Center, and

Associate Dean, UCSF School

of Medicine

DR. TONY HUNTER Director, Salk Institute

Cancer Center

DR. ROBERT DIASIO Director, Mayo Clinic

Cancer Center

DR. WILLIAM DALTON CEO of M2Gen, a Moffitt

Cancer Center biotechnology

company, previously Moffitt

Cancer Center Director

DR. DAVID SCHEINBERG Former Director, Sloan

Kettering Research Institute,

Memorial Sloan Kettering

Cancer Center

DR. KENNETH TEW Chair of Cell and Molecular

Pharmacology, Medical

University of South Carolina

DR. JEAN WANG Distinguished Professor,

UC San Diego Moores

Cancer Center

MS. LISA SIDERAS Associate Director of

Administration, The Wistar

Cancer Center

PROGRAM 1

TUMOR INITIATION AND

MAINTENANCE (TIM)

PROGRAM 2

CELL DEATH AND SURVIVAL

NETWORKS (CDSN)

PROGRAM 3

TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT AND

METASTASIS (TMEM)

CANCER CENTER EXTERNAL ADVISORY BOARD


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