Department Affiliation: Primary: Oncology;
Secondary: Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences;
Degree: M.D., Ph.D., New York University School of Medicine
Rank: Professor
Chair, Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
Director, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins Bayview
A team of researchers led by Dr. Goutham Narla at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in collaboration with scientists at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, have discovered a previously unrecognized signaling network disrupted in lung cancer that can be turned back on by a novel combination of two previously approved FDA drugs. The drug combination targets a pathway to treat advanced/late stage lung cancer. The work highlights how understanding the basic mechanisms regulating cancer development and progression can lead to new uses for existing FDA approved drugs in the treatment of cancer.
“Because of the financial constraints and length of time it takes to bring new drugs through clinical trials, scientists are moving toward using existing drugs in new ways so that the process of translating the discoveries of today into the treatments of tomorrow can be accelerated,” said Goutham Narla, MD, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Medicine, Institute of Transformative Molecular Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Dr. Narla is also a medical geneticist at University Hospitals Case Medical Center.
“This ‘movement’ in science toward using existing FDA approved drugs for new purposes in the treatment of cancer has expanded our understanding of the pathways that cause the disease and significantly accelerates our ability to treat a greater number of patients. In many instances, every month makes a difference for a patient when dealing with terminal cancer,” said Dr. Narla.
Dr. Narla’s laboratory focuses on the identification and characterization of the genes and pathways involved in cancer metastasis. By studying the functional role of the KLF6 tumor suppressor gene, Dr. Narla and his team have identified new signaling pathways regulated by this gene family thus providing new insight into cancer diagnosis and treatment. The team’s research found that KLF6 and FOXO1, both tumor suppressor genes, are turned off as cancer spreads through the body. By using a combination of two existing FDA drugs — Erlotinib, a targeted cancer drug, and Trifluoperazine, a medication used to treat schizophrenia — the team developed an understanding of the properties that turn these critical genes back on, initiating tumor cells to die.
Since first discovering the KLF6 gene 13 years ago as a medical student at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in the laboratory of Dr. Scott Friedman, Dr. Narla has been involved in the identification and characterization of the KLF6 gene and its role in cancer development and the progression of cancer.
This study appears online in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Additional support for Dr. Narla’s research comes from the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine, and the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. Narla is also supported by an early physician scientist career award from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI).
Recently, Dr. Narla has also been named the first Harrington Distinguished Scholar. This inaugural award provides physician-scientists who have potential breakthroughs with the ability to tap into grant funding, as well as a peer network of innovators and mentors within the University Hospitals Harrington Discovery Institute’s infrastructure to support their discovery efforts.
Dr. Narla is the principal investigator leading a multidisciplinary team with investigators at both the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine that includes Jaya Sangodkar, Neil S. Dhawan, Heather Melville, Varan J. Singh, Eric Yuan, Huma Rana, Sudeh Izadmehr, Caroline Farrington, Sahar Mahzar, Suzanna Katz, Tara Albano, Pearlann Arnovitz, Rachael Okrent, Michael Ohlmeyer, David Burstein, David Zhang, Katerina Politi and Analisa DiFeo.
Sunday, May 13th would have been Keasha’s 39th birthday. Team Draft marked the occasion by kicking off a week-long bicoastal tour in support of our national campaign to change the face of lung cancer. The tour took Team Draft to our 30th cancer treatment facility, to the set of Dancing With The Stars, and to Bank of America Stadium, home of the Carolina Panthers. And none of this would have been possible without the generation support and donations of people like you. Please help us continue the campaign by making a donation today: http://www.teamdraft.org/page/content/donate/
Finding HOPE on the West Coast
Team Draft began the tour in Southern California. On Monday, we had the opportunity to sit down with the newly-appointed Director of Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego, Dr. Scott Lippman. And on Wednesday, Team Draft achieved a major milestone when we visited our 30th cancer treatment facility since launching the national campaign: USC’s Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. Thanks to cutting-edge research like that being performed at these state-of-the-art facilities, for the first time in decades, there is hope in the fight against lung cancer.
Applying revolutionary genomic approaches, researchers have now identified the molecular changes in certain genes that cause some lung cancer tumors to grow. This discovery opens the door for the development of targeted drugs designed to stop tumor growth in its tracks by interfering with the growth receptors in these mutated genes. These new targeted drug therapies are extending the lives of some patients by several months, and in some cases, even years.
The key to making even greater strides (and ultimately saving lives) is funding, but funding for lung cancer research is impacted by the stigma that it is a “smoker’s disease.” The truth is, anybody can get lung cancer—a fact underscored on Thursday by the tragic death from lung cancer of disco legend Donna Summers, who was a non-smoker like Keasha. That’s why Team Draft is campaigning to change the face of lung cancer and to raise public awareness. Thankfully, we are not alone.
Before leaving the West Coast, Team Draft visited the set of Dancing With The Stars to show our support for the show’s lung cancer awareness efforts. This season, DWTS Pros Jonathan Roberts and Anna Trebunskaya performed a tribute dance in honor their friend and fellow ballroom dancer, Julia Ivleva, who is in the middle of her own battle with Stage IV Lung Cancer. Jonathan, Anna, and Julia embody the dance, smile, and live philosophy, and Team Draft thanks DWTS for helping to shine a light on lung cancer.
Raising AWARENESS on the East Coast
After completing the West Coast leg of the tour, Team Draft headed to back to the East Coast. We concluded the tour on Saturday by taking part in two events to raise awareness and funding for cancer research in Keasha’s adopted hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Team Draft began the day at Charlotte’s Park Road Park where Chris addressed a crowd of lung cancer survivors, advocates, and supporters at The North Carolina Lung Cancer Partnership’s inaugural Free to Breathe 5K and Rally. The event raised money for lung cancer research and advocacy.
After the Rally, Team Draft headed to Bank of America Stadium, home of the Carolina Panthers. As a Panther’s linebacker, Chris used to come to the Stadium to tackle opposing quarterbacks. On Saturday, Team Draft was there to tackle cancer by participating in the Keep Pounding 5K Stadium Run in support of the Panther’s Keep Pounding Fund and pediatric cancer research at Levine Children’s Hospital.
Team Draft’s national campaign to change the face of lung cancer would not be possible without support from people like you. Your donation will help ensure that we can continue to raise public awareness of the true nature of the disease and increase the funding needed to tackle it. http://www.teamdraft.org/page/content/donate/
To learn more about Team Draft, share your story, and respond and donate, visit www.teamdraft.org. You can follow the national campaign to change the face of lung cancer on our blog at www.thedraftreport.net, and don’t forget to “Like” us on Facebook at facebook.com/TeamDraft. teamdraft.org , and also chrisdraftfamilyfoundation.org
The Laird-Offringa laboratory is focused on identifying changes in the genetic material (DNA) of lung cancer cells, to help us understand how lung cancer develops, and to use as markers for early detection. The kind of molecular change we study is called DNA methylation. DNA methylation is a chemical modification of DNA that doesn’t change the genetic sequence, but does change the way the DNA looks to a cell. Excessive methylation leads to the silencing or inactivation of genes. In cancer cells, DNA methylation is now recognized as a key molecular mechanism for the inactivation of so-called “tumor suppressor genes”. If one thinks of the genetic material as a very thick textbook, with instructions for the cell, DNA methylation can be thought of as post-it notes stuck to the beginning of certain chapters, instructing these chapters to be skipped. The pattern of methylation, or the “methylation profile”, is not the same for all types of cancer. Thus, abnormal methylation changes could provide important insights into the changes that lead to a particular kind of cancer. In addition, they could yield powerful biomarkers that may help the detection of different kinds of cancer.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States and Western Europe. Adenocarcinoma, the histological subtype most frequently seen in never smokers and former smokers, is now the most common type of lung cancer in men and women in the United States. The increasing incidence of lung adenocarcinoma and its lethal nature underline the importance of understanding the development and progression of this disease, and the need for the development of accurate tools for early diagnosis. Atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH) and bronchioalveolar carcinoma (BAC), defined as non-invasive lesions, are thought to be sequential precursors along the path of progression to lung adenocarcinoma. Elucidation of the molecular changes underlying the development and progression of lung adenocarcinoma is of great importance for devising targeted drugs and methods of early detection. Respond and Donate
Scott M. Lippman, MD, chair of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology at The University of Texas (UT) MD Anderson Cancer Center, has accepted the position of director of Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego, beginning May 1, 2012.
UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, home to nearly 350 medical and radiation oncologists, cancer surgeons, and researchers, is one of only 41 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the country. It is part of UC San Diego Health System, the San Diego region’s only academic health system.
“As the new director, Lippman will implement strong initiatives for ramping up the research-driven cancer therapy and prevention programs and clinical trials of the Moores Cancer Center,” said David A. Brenner, MD, vice chancellor for Health Sciences and dean of the School of Medicine at UC San Diego. “His ultimate goal, and ours, is to facilitate the translation of novel discoveries from our world-class laboratories into personalized therapies. I am confident that under Dr. Lippman’s leadership, research at Moores Cancer Center will benefit our patients and change standards of care for decades to come.” Respond and Donate
Keasha Rutledge Draft
May 13, 1973 – December 27, 2011
Lakeasha Monique Rutledge Draft passed away on Tuesday, December 27. She courageously faced lung cancer, showing us all with every breath that we all need to hold onto life and love with both hands for as long as we can. Not just an inspiration, but a light, and a force that led the way with a beautiful, sweet smile and bright shining eyes that both belied the pure steel of her strength and determination.
Strong is too pale, too shallow and too small of a word to describe Keasha’s vibrancy… Quite simply, she was ferocious. She fiercely held onto life, and love with a forcefulness that was absolutely awe-inspiring and completely breathtaking. Rest in peace, Mrs. Draft.
A Celebration of Keasha Rutledge Draft’s life will be held on Saturday, December 31st, 1pm at Calvary Baptist Church in Williamston, South Carolina. She will be laid to rest following the Celebration at New Prospect Baptist Church.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks for support of Team Draft, the Chris Draft Family Foundation’s tribute to Keasha. Team Draft was created by Chris and Keasha during her year-long struggle with lung cancer in hopes that her valiant fight to live, love, laugh and smile will give hope and comfort to people across the world. Chris and Keasha, the Draft and Rutledge families, friends and loved ones ask for your support, and love, and thank you for joining Team Draft… because it takes a Team to tackle cancer!
Donations to Team Draft can be made via the Chris Draft Family Foundation’s website or via mail to the Foundation’s Atlanta office.
Psalm 23
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Dr. Mayfield earned his bachelor’s degree from Mercer University in Macon, Ga., and his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. He completed his internship and residency at the University of California, Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, and his fellowship at the University of Florida College of Medicine Shands Hospital in Gainesville.
He serves as WellStar’s chief surgical officer, leading the surgeons and clinical teams that make up WellStar’s Surgery Network. His research and development efforts have focused on thoracoscopy instruments and innovative cardiac and thoracic surgical procedures, such as Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS).
Dr. Mayfield has been a driving force for WellStar’s cancer program, as well as participation in the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program (I-ELCAP), a lung cancer screening collaborative program. He is active in the development of novel instrumentation for surgery and teaches board certified thoracic surgeons about VATS procedures.
Dr. Mayfield is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and Society of Thoracic Surgeons and is board certified in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery. Respond and Donate
Ramaswamy Govindan, MD is the director of the thoracic oncology program at Washington University School of Medicine. He is the principal investigator of several institutional, cooperative group, and other multicenter studies. One of his main areas of research is to use genomics to predict outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer. He has authored and coauthored more than 100 publications in peer reviewed prestigious journals. He is the editor of the ASCO Educational Book, Washington Manual of Oncology, and the Review Book based on DeVita’s Cancer Principles and Practice of Oncology. Dr Govindan received his medical degree at the University of Madras, Madras, India, completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, and was a fellow in hematology/oncology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. He is board certified in medical oncology. Respond and Donate
As the Rams welcome newly drafted Louisiana State defensive tackle Michael Brockers to the fold today, we welcomed former Rams linebacker Chris Draft to our Siteman Cancer Center this morning. Draft visited with lung cancer expert Ramaswamy Govindan, MD to learn more about targeted therapies for cancers.
It’s important to Draft as he started the Chris Draft Family Foundation after the passing of his wife Keasha last year to lung cancer. While the vast majority of lung cancers are directly tied to cigarette smoking, Keasha had never smoked.
Draft was very much part of the community when he played for the Rams and as an asthmatic, he was a big part in getting across the message that smoking is dangerous.
It’s also the message of Team Draft. According to his website, “Team Draft was created by Chris and Keasha during her year-long struggle with lung cancer in hopes that her valiant fight to live, love, laugh,and smile will give hope and comfort to people around the world. Team Draft is working to save lives by changing the face of lung cancer, but it takes a team to tackle cancer, and we need your help.” Respond and Donate
For more about Draft and his visit to Siteman, watch this interview with John Pertzborn from this morning’s FOX2 News.
Dr. Kolesar is the Director of the Analytical Instrumentation Laboratory for Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamcis and Pharmacogenetics (3P) at the University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Center and an Associate Professor (CHS) at the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy. She completed a specialty practice residency in oncology/hematology and 2 year fellowship in molecular oncology pharmacotherapy at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Dr Kolesar joined the UW faculty in 1996.
Dr. Kolesar’s research includes the use of biomarkers and pharmacokinetics to predict response and monitor efficacy of drug and gene therapy, population genotyping for cancer susceptibility and the regulation of gene expression of the two electron reductases. She holds two patents for developing novel technologies for evaluating gene expression and point mutations. She is currently a member of the National Cancer Institutes’s Adult Central IRB, chairing the adverse events subcommittee and is a member of the Board of Regents of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy. In addition, Dr. Kolesar chairs the Lung Cancer Biology Subcommittee for the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group as well as serving on the core committess for the Thoracic and Developmental Therapeutics Committees of ECOG.
Dr. Kolesar teaches in the area of oncology and pharmacogenomics and is a co-editor of the textbooks, “Pharmacogenomocs Handbook”, ” Pharmacotherapy Essentials” and Pharmacogenomics: Applications to Patient Care. Respond and Donate