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About ACKC
PRESS RELEASE: SCIENTIFIC PEER REVIEW OF RESEARCH APPLICATIONS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Fred Atkin
Kidney cancer advocate, Fred Atkin of Commack, NY, recently participated in the evaluation of research proposals submitted to the Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) sponsored by the Department of Defense. Fred Atkin was nominated for participation in the peer review process by Action to Cure Kidney Cancer (ACKC). As a consumer reviewer, he was a full voting member of the scientific peer review panel, along with prominent scientists and clinicians. The Fiscal Year 2009 (FY09) PRMRP received a $50 million congressional appropriation to fund research across 19 topic areas including kidney cancer.
ACKC Awards Grant to Stanford University Researcher
Amato GiacciaAction to Cure Kidney Cancer (ACKC) is pleased to announce the awarding of a grant of $45,000 to Dr. Amato Giaccia of Stanford University to fund a research in kidney cancer. We are able to make this grant as the result of a very generous contribution to ACKC by the Cecile and Ken Youner Fund for Cancer Research, which was established in memory of Cecile Youner, the beloved wife of ACKC's Medical Director.
ACKC Appoints Medical Director
Ken YounerACKC is proud to announce the appointment of Dr. Kenneth Youner as Medical Director of our organization. Dr. Youner, who is a 6-year survivor of stage IV kidney cancer, is a gastroenterologist by training and has had 30 years practical experience in his field. In the area of kidney cancer advocacy, Dr. Youner has been an advisor to ACKC since 2005. Among his other advocacy activities, in 2008, he served as a Super Advocate to the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship and testified before Congressional health aides in Washington, DC on NCCS's behalf. He serves as New Jersey State Delegate to the Livestrong Lance Armstrong Foundation and has participated in several bicycle rides to support their work. Dr. Youner is also an active member of the Association of Online Cancer Resources (ACOR) listserv providing medical advice to kidney cancer patients and caregivers. Finally, Dr. Youner has represented ACKC in our recent lobbying campaign in Washington to urge Congress to appropriate additional funding for kidney cancer research.
Department of Defense Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2008
ACKC has been successful in getting the Department of Defense to include kidney cancer as one of 21 areas eligible to compete for research funds in the Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program as part of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program. The total pot is $50 million. There are four award mechanisms funding grants from $900,000 plus indirect costs to $2.5 million plus indirect costs. the grants are from three to four years. To see the full details go to:
http://cdmrp.army.mil/pubs/press/2008/08prmrppreann.htm
Last year Maria Czyzyk-Kreska, MD, PhD, of the University of Cincinnati received a three year grant of $932,919 for kidney cancer research.
Military Aid for Kidney Cancer
Maria Czyzyk-Krzeska
ACKC Lobbying Efforts Result in $933k Grant for Kidney Cancer Research
In 2006, Action to Cure Kidney Cancer and its supporters lobbied Congress seeking a $15 million appropriation within the Department of Defense's Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) for kidney cancer research (see Campaign 2006 below for details). Although we did not get the $15 million, we were successful in getting kidney cancer listed as one of the twenty-eight topic areas eligible to compete for $50 million in research grants in the FY2006 Peer Reviewed Medical Program (PRMRP), which is also within the CDMRP. This was the first time kidney cancer was eligible to receive Department of Defense (DoD) money for research.
ACKC Offers Free Book
Incidental Finding
Cynthia Chauhan has compiled an excellent and very readable book of essays on kidney cancer called "Incidental Finding". The contributors are a mix of researchers and physicians from the Mayo Clinic and kidney cancer survivors who tell their own personal stories. Cynthia is making the book available without charge to kidney cancer survivors/caregivers who request it. A generous contributor is allowing ACKC to distribute the book without charge as well to residents of North America.
ACKC e-Newsletter Volume 1 Number 2
Sunitinib (Sutent) Survival Data
Of the targeted therapy drugs that have so far been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for metastatic renal cell carcinoma, only temsirolimus (Torisel) was approved (May 2007) based on increase in survival time. The FDA approved sunitinib (Sutent) (January 2006) on its ability to shrink tumors and sorafenib (Nexavar) (December 2005) on its capacity, over that of a placebo, to increase the time it takes for metastases to progress after initiation of therapy. The temsirolimus trial upon which the FDA approval was based evaluated kidney cancer patients who were in advanced stages of their disease (over 70% classified as poor risk), however the other two therapies were administered to patients who had "good performance status", i.e. they were in much better condition than the temsirolimus patients, therefore, survival data were not mature enough to be available for evaluation.
Kidney Disease and Kidney Cancer Survivors
25 million Americans suffer from kidney disease. After a nephrectomy, the second kidney usually grows and takes over the filtration function of the missing kidney. However, this is not always the case, and many kidney cancer survivors also suffer from early stage kidney disease. We hear a lot about creatinine level as being a marker for kidney disease, but it is only one factor. The normal creatinine level varies depending on one's individual characteristics, so the standard measure of kidney function is GFR, or Glomerular Filtration Rate, which is a combination of creatinine level, age, gender, and ethnicity. GFR is measured in milliliters per minute of blood clearance by the kidneys with 100 mL/min considered normal. For example, a GFR of 50 would indicate a 50% filtration or kidney function rate.
TroVax
There were two renal cell TroVax studies presented at ASCO, an oral presentation by Howard Kaufman of Columbia University and a poster by Robert Hawkins of The Christie Hospital, Manchester, UK.
5T4 is a protein that is over-expressed in 90% of renal cell tumors including clear cell and papillary but not in other cancer types. Simply stated, TroVax is a 5T4 vaccine that has the objective of stimulating the immune system to attack the tumor.
Columbia University Trial
In the Columbia University Phase II trial, 25 patients (21 clear cell and 4 papillary) entered the trial, to be treated with the combination of high-dose Interleukin-2 (HD IL-2) and TroVax. The maximum treatment level, if tolerated, was 8 vaccinations and 4 cycles of IL-2. All but one patient had had prior therapies.
Interleukin-21 (IL-21)
Interleukin-21 is a protein that has a regulatory effect on the body's immune system by activating T-cells and natural killer (NK) cells, which normally target cancer cells for destruction. It is similar to Interleukin-2 in this respect, however, IL-2 induces proliferation of regulatory T (T-reg) cells, which are immune suppressor cells that are necessary to keep the immune system from attacking healthy body tissue but may have a dampening effect on the ability of IL-2 to fight tumors. IL-21 does not enhance proliferation of T-reg cells.
There are three recent IL-21 trials of interest:
