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News from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
UAMS
Myeloma Researcher Wins $100,000 Grant
JAN. 24, 2003 | A researcher in the Myeloma
Institute for Research and Therapy
at the University of Arkansas for Medical
Sciences (UAMS) has received a one-year,
$100,000 research grant.
Frits van
Rhee, M.D., Ph.D., director of Imunotherapy
at the institute and associate professor in the
College
of
Medicine
was one of six researchers from around the country selected to
receive a Senior Research Award from the Multiple Myeloma
Research Foundation (MMRF).
The grant will help fund Dr.
van Rhee’s work with myeloma-specific cytotoxic cells.
“What we’re trying to do is make white blood cells which
are going to specifically kill myeloma cells,” he said.
“We’ve identified two proteins which are unique to myeloma
and other cancers. We make these proteins in the laboratory,
then give these proteins to specialized immune cells. These
immune cells can stimulate other white blood cells to grow out
and become specific for this protein.” Dr. van Rhee said his
project is experimenting both with expressing the whole
protein and with transferring them to genes for a form of gene
therapy against myeloma cells.
After serving a fellowship at Oxford, Dr. van Rhee earned a Ph.D. in immunology at the Royal
Post
Graduate
Medical
School
in
London
. He moved to the United States, where he was first a visiting associate professor at the
National Institutes of Health, and then associate professor of
Medicine at the
University
of
South Carolina
before moving to UAMS in 2001.
MMRF was founded in 1998 by
twin sisters Karen Andrews and Kathy Gusti after Kathy was
diagnosed with multiple myeloma. The Senior Research Awards
were presented Jan. 6. An associate of Dr. van Rhee on the
project at UAMS, Ramesh
Batchu, Ph.D., won a Junior
Research Award from MMRF in November.
“It allows us to continue the
work that we are currently doing,” Dr. van Rhee said. “It
will be very important for us to be able to meet salary
obligations and obtain necessary equipment. So I think it’s
very important.”
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Links
on This Page
Myeloma Institute for
Research and Therapy: http://myeloma.uams.edu/
Frits van Rhee, M.D., Ph.D.:
http://myeloma.uams.edu/vanrhee.asp
Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation:
www.multiplemyeloma.org
Ramesh Babu Batchu, Ph.D.:
http://myeloma.uams.edu/Batchu.asp
New Gift Will Help UAMS Shine "Floodlight" on
Genetics of Multiple Myeloma http://www.uams.edu/today/2002/121802/newgift.htm
Japanese TV Crew Interviews UAMS’s Bart Barlogie, M.D.,
Ph.D.: http://www.uams.edu/today/2002/120602/barlogiejapan.htm
Audio – Barlogie, Japanese TV Interview:
http://www.uams.edu/htyh/12-02/barlogie.htm
© 2003 University of Arkansas
for Medical Sciences (UAMS). A single copy of these materials
may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "UAMS,"
"UAMS Online," "UAMS Today," "UAMS
Update," "uams.edu," and "Here’s to Your
Health" are marks of UAMS.
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03/29/05 |
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