To EDUCATE the
public on prevention, early detection and effective
treatment of skin cancer, particularly melanoma
•To RAISE FUNDS
to support medical research on the causes, detection,
treatment, management and eventually a cure for melanoma
All
donations earned will go to the MELANOMA RESEARCH FOUNDATION
www.melanoma.org
Miles for Melanoma of Delaware's
Kristen Bumpus meets up with Cal Ripken. Cal was at Bank
of America honoring volunteers and Kristin was one of the lucky
honorees!
Girl
Scout Troop 42 remains dedicated to supporting Miles for
Melanoma of Delaware. The girls participated in the 2009
Walk/Run and have honored our group on their web site -
www.gstroop42.com.
Thanks, girls!
In
2008, Miles for Melanoma of Delaware raised enough money to fund
a research grant. Dr. Paul Antony is the recipient of this
grant and the abstract below describes the research that he is
pursuing.
Melanoma
represents one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in
the United States. To date, CD8+ T cells have been
the primary focus in the immunotherapy of melanoma with little
focus on CD4+ T cells. Recently, immunotherapy given
after inducing lymphopenia (decreased number of T cells in the
body) by radiation or chemotherapy has improved response rates
in patients with melanoma. Animal models have also shown that
inducing lymphopenia before therapy enhances CD8+ T
cell immunotherapy against melanoma. However, inducing
lymphopenia in humans has it risks and carries high rates of
morbidity and mortality, especially when patients are sick.
Furthermore, the mechanisms by which lymphopenia augments
immunotherapy are relatively unknown. His goal is to understand
how to reject established melanoma in the absence of lymphopenia
using tumor-reactive CD4+ T cells and to develop
novel translational cancer immunotherapies using the knowledge
gained from understanding the mechanisms of lymphopenia.
Therefore, he has developed a new transgenic mouse that produces
CD4+ T cells that recognize a tumor-antigen that is
also self-antigen expressed in the normal skin, called
tyrosinase related protein-1 (tyrp-1). He will use CD4+
T cells directed against B16 melanoma, a poorly immunogenic
tumor, to study the requirements to treat established cancer in
lymphopenic and non-lymphopenic mice. Thus far he has found
that tumor-specific CD4+ T cells can cause the
regression of established tumors and cause autoimmune vitiligo
through a CD8+ T cell and vaccine independent
mechanism in lymphopenic mice but fails in mice with a normal
immune system. In summary, tyrp-1 CD4+ TCR transgenic
mice represent a new model to study ways to induce potent
anti-tumor immunity against melanoma using self-reactive CD4+
T cells. Understanding the mechanisms of tumor regression in
mice with lymphopenia will allow him to develop new therapies
that could work in the absence of lymphopenia, thus doing less
harm to the patient. These therapies have high translational
feasibility because tyrp-1 is also expressed in humans and CD4+
T cells are starting to be used in clinical therapies.
The Melanoma Research Foundation, a national tax-exempt health
organization, is committed to melanoma research, education and
advocacy. Our EIN number is 76-0514428.
We will be posting the 2010 sponsorship
package on the web site soon. Check back frequently for
more information.
MORE
OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Have ever wanted to run or walk a marathon or half-marathon but
just didn't know where to start? Have you ever wanted to do
something good while at the same time getting something in
return?
TEAM M4M (Miles for Melanoma) is a team training program
providing runners and want to be runners (and walkers!) with
personal one-on-one coaching and individual training plans in a
team training atmosphere, while raising money for melanoma
research and support programs. Joining TEAM M4M means you will
be teaming with other runners and walkers to help millions who
are fighting the silent BEAST of Melanoma.
In 2009 TEAM M4M in Washington, DC will be sending teams to run
in the Marine Corps Marathon and the Richmond (Virginia) Full
and Half Marathon while raising close to $100,000. If you are
interested in joining a TEAM M4M in Delaware in 2010 or just
have questions about this program, please contact us at
miles4melanomade@gmail.com.