The Preuss Foundation, Inc.
The Preuss Foundation, Inc. Past and Present Grantees
ANALYSIS OF CLINICAL DATA
The Preuss Tumor Registry of LAK
Cell Treatment of Brain Tumors
Stephen Mahaley, Jr., M.D., Ph.D.
University of Alabama, Birmingham
This invesitgator headed a project to review results of LAK (lymphocyte-activated killer) cell treatment of brain tumors. Patient cases were reviewed by a neuropathologist, neuroradiologist, neurosurgeon, and medical statistician. Data was obtained from several treatment centers in the United States. Results of this analysis were presently available only to contributing researchers of The Preuss Tumor Registry.
The Brain-Stem Hyperfractionation Working Group
Jeffrey P. Krischer, Ph.D.
Larry E. Kun, M.D.
Florida Assocation of Pediatric Tumors Programs
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
This working group studies two aspects of brain-stem glioma tumors: the development of nomenclature for review of MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scans in characterizing brain-stem gliomas; and, the assessment of which MRI characteristics are prognostic factors for survival.
THE PREUSS NATIONAL FAMILIAL BRAIN TUMOR REGISTRY
Roger J. Packer, M.D.
Children's Cancer Study Group
Washington, District of Columbia
This registry was established at the Johns Hopkins Oncology Center in 1990 with multidisciplinary collaborators in neuro-oncology, pathology, and epidemiology, bio-statistics, cytogenetics, and molecular biology. The goals are to document and evaluate primary brain tumors occurring as a familial disorder.
BLOOD BRAIN BARRIER RESEARCH
Keith L. Black, M.D.
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Edward A. Neuwelt, M.D.
Oregon Health Sciences University
Portland, Oregon
This research involves studying which chemicals may influence the permeability of the "blood brain barrier" (capillary-brain cell interface which only allows certain chemicals to penetrate the brain). Differential effects on normal brain versus brain tumor capillaries are also studied. This information is helping to increase successful delivery of therapeutic compounds.
BRAIN TUMOR SPECIMAN BANK
Roger J. Packer, M.D.
Children's Center Study Group
Washington, District of Columbia
This project involves the initiation of a tumor speciman bank which will allow for future cytogenetic and molecular biologic studies.
DIFFERENTIATION RESEARCH
Judah Folkman, M.D.
Harvard University Medical School
Children's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts
Paul L. Kornblith, M.D.
Richard Morrison, M.D.
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Montefiore Medical Center
Bronx, New York
William A. Maltese, Ph.D.
The Geisinger Clinic
Weiss Center for Research
Danville, Pennsylvania
Mark L. Rosenblum, M.D.
Michael E. Berens, Ph.D.
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, California
Mr. Marc Schwartz
Jacob Sarid, M.D.
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts
David G. Thomas, M.D.
National Hospital
Institute of Neurology
London, United Kingdom
Mark Noble, Ph.D.
Karen Armitage, B.A.
Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
London, United Kingdom
These investigators are studying effects of intrinsic human compounds and exogenous pharmacologic chemicals on differentiation (development from embryonic to mature cells). One scientific group studies how new blood vessel formation influences tumor growth. Another group is associating certain chemicals with particular stages of neural and glial development. Knowledge of differentiation effects of specific chemicals may allow their manipulation to prevent tumor growth.
GROWTH FACTOR RESEARCH
Antonino Cattaneo, Ph.D.
Pietro Calissano, M.D.
Consiglio Nazionale Richerche
Institute of Neurobiology-CNR
Rome, Italy
Adalbert Koestner, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
Victor Levin, M.D.
Hideyuku Saya, M.D.
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, California
J. Regino Perez-Polo, Ph.D.
University of Texas Medical Branch
Galveston, Texas
Michael G. Rosenfeld, M.D.
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, California
Karl Welte, M.D., Ph.D.
Torsten Pietsch, M.D.
Hannover Medical School
Hannover, Germany
Robert A. Weinberg, Ph.D.
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Bengt Westermark, Ph.D.
University of Uppsala
University Hospital
Uppsala, Sweden
W.K. Alfred Yung, M.D.
University of Texas System Cancer Center
M.D. Anderson Hospital & Tumor Institute
Houston, Texas
This research involves studying genes and their associated growth factors which in turn regulate growth and differentiation of normal brain cells as well as tumor cells. One research team is inserting the PDGF growth factor into Òtransgenic mice ovaÓ in order to study its effect on normal neural development. By characterizing where and how these factors work, it will be possible to modulate their mechanism of action and control tumor growth. In a similar fashion, one investigator is inserting a gene which produces a monoclonal antibody against another gene within that nucleus in hopes of internally regulating cell growth and differentiation.
IMMUNOLOGIC RESEARCH
Elizabeth A. Grimm, Ph.D.
Johannes A. Koeppen, M.D.
Laurie Owen-Schaub, Ph.D.
University of Texas System Cancer Center
M.D. Anderson Hospital & Tumor Institute
Houston, Texas
Adriano Fontana, M.D.
University Hospital
Zurich, Switzerland
Nicholas de Tribolet, M.D.
Maria Kuppner, Ph.D.
University Hospital, CHUV
Lausanne, Switzerland
William A. Wara, M.D.
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, California
These scientists study the immunologic response of certain chemicals and white blood cells to brain tumors. Interactions between brain cells and two sub-populations of lymphocytes-lymphocyte activated killer (LAK) cells and tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) cells (along with specific interleukin and interferon compounds)-are being studied. Research is also being done to study the effect of radiation to the brain on peripheral blood lymphocyte function.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY & CYTOGENETICS RESEARCH
Robert R. Chilcote, M.D.
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, California
W.A.J. van Daal, M.D.
Richard van der Maazen, Ph.D.
The Institute of Radiotherapy
University Hospital
Nigmegen, The Netherlands
Mark A. Israel, M.D.
National Cancer Institute
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland
Arthur Pardee, M.D.
Alfred Geller, M.D.
Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Boston, Massachusetts
Bernd R. Seizinger, M.D., Ph.D.
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts
Joan Rankin-Shapiro, Ph.D.
William R. Shapiro, M.D.
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York
Steven A. Reeves, Ph.D.
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts
Abnormal genes and chromosomes play important roles in the development of brain tumors. The most common genetic and chromosomal abnormalities of glial tumors are studied by these researchers. Knowledge of these abnormal genes will allow their selective modulation and control of tumor growth.
MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY RESEARCH
Darell Bigner, M.D., Ph.D.
Duke University Medical Center
Preuss Laboratory for Brain Tumor Research
Durham, North Carolina
Hugh Coakham, M.D.
Frenchay Hospital
London, England
G. Yancey Gillespie, Ph.D.
M. Stephen Mahaley, Jr, M.D., Ph.D.
University of Alabama, Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Paul L. Kornblith, M.D.
Joseph Moskal, Ph.D.
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Montefiore Medical Center
Bronx, New York
Stanley Order, M.D.
Jeffrey Williams, M.D.
Johns Hopkins University Oncology Center
Baltimore, Maryland
Roger J. Packer, M.D.
Bruce H. Cohen, M.D.
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Ralph A. Reisfeld, Ph.D.
Thomas A. Waltz, M.D.
Scripps Clinic & Research Foundation
La Jolla, California
These investigators study the use and development of monoclonal antibodies-molecules which recognize specific targets on cell surfaces. These antibodies are used to study patterns of differentiation of brain cells, or for therapeutic treatment of brain tumors. These antibodies can ÒcarryÓ radioactive chemicals, chemotherapy drugs, or toxins to a cell surface target. Because of the problem of human immune response to mouse derived antibodies, one research group is making antibodies from human peripheral blood lymphocytes (from patients with glioma tumors) fused with human lymphoblastoid cells.
RADIATION EFFECTS ON NORMAL NERVOUS SYSTEM TISSUE RESEARCH
Emmanual van der Schueren, M.D.
University Hospital St. Rafael
Leuven, Belgium
This investigator studies effects of radiation on normal nervous tissue. Results of this work can then be applied to increasing radiation to brain tumor cells, while minimizing damage to normal surrounding neural tissue.