Hematologic Malignancy and Transplantation (HMT)

Developing new approaches to augment the immune response against cancer and reduce complications associated with bone marrow transplantation

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Full Project Name:Hematologic Malignancy and Transplantation (HMT)Principal Investigator:Gustavo Leone, PhD, BiochemistryCo-Investigator:Hallgeir Rui, MD, PhD, PathologyAward Amount:$4,012,787

Award Date

November2011

Project Duration:116 months

Project Description Narrative:

Over 2,500 new cancer cases in Wisconsin each year are cancers of the blood. Many patients who develop these diseases are in the prime years of their life, and almost half die from the disease. New approaches are needed to boost the immune system's ability to fight cancer and reduce complications associated with bone marrow transplants.

Through this award, researchers aim to develop new approaches to augment the immune response against cancer and reduce complications associated with bone marrow transplantation so that this therapy is more effective, leading to clinical applications that improve survival rates and quality of life for patients.

Project Updates:

Published more than 100 articles from inception through this reporting period that share research findings with the larger scientific community, actively engaging in collaborative research that results in 11% of publications being collaborative within MCW and 86% collaborative with external researchers
Awarded MCW Cancer Center seed grants to several scientists to spur research and provide preliminary data for grants to outside agencies, including the National Cancer Institute of the NIH
Recruited additional faculty
Increased clinical trial participation in this reporting period, resulting in MCW being positioned as one of the highest accruing institutions in the United States to bone marrow transplant clinical trials
Leveraged AHW investment with significant additional dollars for Wisconsin cancer research through extramural funding. There were more than 30 applications for extramural funding in 2017, with six awards totaling $2.23 million