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33rd Festival of Life

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USC Norris celebrates the courage and strength of their cancer survivors and families at the 33rd annual Festival of Life

USC Trojan Marching Band

The thundering sound of the USC Fight Song, piercing through the brass and percussion instruments of the USC Trojan Marching Band, signaled the beginning of the 33rd Festival of Life. The sound echoed throughout all of Pappas Quad at the Health Sciences Campus.

The event, held on the beautiful morning of Saturday, June 3, celebrated the strength, resilience, and tenacity of cancer survivors and their families. USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Hospital hosts this annual event, which included moving speeches from cancer survivors and an awe-inspiring dove release.

In keeping with tradition, the Tree of Life was installed near the check-in area, enabling attendees to honor loved ones who have survived, are currently battling, or have lost their lives to cancer by leaving uplifting words of survivorship. Additionally, patients and caregivers shared notes of appreciation with members of their support system from their cancer journey on the Festival of Life scroll.

W. Martin Kast, PhD, leader of the USC Norris Tumor Microenvironment Program and a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology, obstetrics and gynecology, and urology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, served as master of ceremonies.The event included opening remarks by Steven Grossman, MD, PhD, the deputy director for Cancer Services at the USC Norris Cancer Center, and Joi Torrence-Hill, MHA, FACHE, the chief of hospital operations for the USC Norris Cancer Hospital.

Joi Torrence-Hill, Chief of USC Norris Hospital Operation

“Surviving cancer is an extraordinary feat, one that demonstrates your unwavering strength, courage, and determination,” said Torrence-Hill. “Your journey has inspired countless others and serves as a beacon of hope for those who continue to fight. We are celebrating YOU, your triumphs, and the immense significance of this milestone in your lives.”

Huyen Q. Pham, MD, a gynecologic oncologist and director of the Gynecology/Oncology Clinic at Keck Medicine of USC, and an assistant professor of clinical obstetrics & gynecology at the Keck School, also spoke about updated information on treatment advances and new cancer research. In addition, Dr. Pham shared his experiences as a physician.

Cancer survivors, including Jared Lipscomb, a leukemia cancer survivor, and Julie Clauer, a colorectal cancer survivor, shared their cancer journeys, inspiring all those in attendance with their bravery, resilience, and strength.  

Jared Lipscomb, cancer survivor

“I know survivorship looks different for everyone, and I know survivorship is a gift not everyone receives, but I do believe that the moment we get that diagnosis, we become survivors,” said Jared. “Getting through a single round of chemo or radiation makes us survivors. Being able to hold on one more day makes us survivors. If this community has taught me anything, it is that strength can be found when you least expect it. Today’s celebration of survivorship is a reminder that each day is a gift, and I am so lucky and grateful to be here, alive and able to celebrate with all of you.”

Led by Judy Stark, a 22-year cancer survivor and volunteer at the cancer center and cancer hospital, and Awa Jones, chief nursing officer at the USC Norris Cancer Hospital, cancer survivors were invited to stand amid applause during the Festival of Life as a show of celebration and support. This tradition takes place every year at this event. Cancer survivors ranging from 20 years or more to those who are just beginning their survivorship were honored and received a roaring round of applause from all in attendance. Additionally, everyone in attendance at the Festival of Life applauded the patients currently undergoing treatment at USC Norris Cancer Hospital in a heartwarming, inspiring display of community and support.

The conclusion of the event was signaled by the annual tradition of the release of the doves. During this moment, the Bayou Brass Band played “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand)” by Diana Ross. Doves are a symbol of hope, and by releasing the doves that day, attendees not only celebrated the cancer survivors and patients who battle their cancer every day, but also remembered those lost along the way.

“At USC we ‘Fight On.’ To all the cancer survivors out there, keep fighting on,” said Dr. Kast in his closing remarks.  

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USC research identifies biomarker that may predict treatment response to chemoimmunotherapy

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USC research identifies biomarker that may predict treatment response to chemoimmunotherapy

Originally posted on Keck School of Medicine News

May 11, 2023 

By Zara Abrams 

The T-cell biomarker, which can be detected with a blood test, could help identify early in the treatment process which cancer patients will benefit from the combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy and which are unlikely to see results.

Cutting-edge cancer treatments like immunotherapy are offering new hope for patients, often in combination with more common approaches such as chemotherapy. But determining the best treatment combination isn’t always straightforward. Many patients spend valuable time on expensive therapies with serious side effects that aren’t effective against their cancer. 

Now, a new discovery is poised to help. Researchers from USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified a biomarker that indicates which patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) will respond well to chemoimmunotherapy. The biomarker, known as CX3CR1, is expressed on T-cells and can be detected with a simple blood test, six to nine weeks after a patient starts treatment. The results were published in the journal Cancer Research Communications. 

“We found that T-cell CX3CR1 expression can be used to monitor treatment effectiveness, and can be used as a biomarker to predict treatment response and prognosis for these patients,” said the study’s lead author, Fumito Ito, MD, PhD, associate professor of surgery at the Keck School of  Medicine of USC and co-leader of the Translational and Clinical Science Research program at the USC Norris cancer center.  

Ito and his team collected a series of blood samples from 29 patients with NSCLC who received a combination of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy and chemotherapy. They found that patients with elevated levels of CX3CR1 after six and nine weeks of treatment were more likely to see long-terms benefits from chemoimmunotherapy, including tumor shrinkage and cancer remission. 

The findings build on earlier work by Ito and his team, published in 2021, which found that CX3CR1 can be used to predict treatment response in NSCLC patients receiving immunotherapy only. The biomarker may also be useful for other cancers and therapies and could ultimately help doctors and patients determine the most effective cancer treatments while avoiding unnecessary side effects and invasive biopsies.  

An “early-on” treatment biomarker 

ICI therapy has revolutionized the treatment of lung and other cancers, but it doesn’t work for all patients. For some, it can even trigger an autoimmune reaction marked by life-threatening problems with the lungs, liver, kidneys, or other organs. 

Current pre-treatment methods to determine which patients will benefit from ICI therapy—and which will experience harmful side effects—don’t always work. CX3CR1 is the next best thing: an “early-on” treatment biomarker that is noninvasive. It can be measured when patients attend their first check-up and imaging appointment, typically about two months after starting ICI. 

“If ICI is not working, we like to stop as soon as possible,” Ito said. “We have other viable treatment options for NSCLC patients, so the biomarker can help us identify patients who might have better results with an alternative therapy.” 

Ito and his colleagues used a multi-omics approach, combining two cutting-edge sequencing methods to find the genomic and transcriptomic signature of T-cells. Each T-cell has a unique receptor pattern that can be used as a “barcode” to track them down in different parts of the body, including those attacking a tumor and those circulating in the blood. 

“By combining two different types of next-generation sequencing, we found a way to characterize and monitor patients’ T-cells,” he said. “Next, we plan to use this analysis in a larger cohort to see if patients with other cancers will respond in a similar way.” 

More evidence for CX3CR1 

Because ICI therapy targets a patient’s immune system, rather than the tumor itself, the newly discovered biomarker could have broad utility across multiple types of cancer. In addition to testing other cancers, Ito and his colleagues also plan to explore whether CX3CR1 can predict treatment response to other types of immunotherapy, including adoptive T-cell therapy and vaccine-based therapy. 

The team will also collect additional evidence for CX3CR1 in a larger group of non-small cell lung cancer patients undergoing ICI, both with and without chemotherapy. If additional research is successful, a blood test for the biomarker could reach broader patient populations in two to three years, Ito said. 

About this study 

In addition to Ito, the study’s other authors are Takayoshi Yamauchi from the Keck School of Medicine of USC; Eihab Abdelfatah from New York University Langone Health; and Mark D. Long, Ryutaro Kajihara and Takaaki Oba from the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. 

This work was supported by the Department of Defense Lung Cancer Research Program [LC180245], the National Cancer Institute [K08CA197966, R01CA255240-01A1, R01CA188900, R01CA267690, P30CA016056] and the Uehara Memorial Foundation. 

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New USC study shows immigrant adults with liver cancer have higher survival rates than those born in the US

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New USC study shows immigrant adults with liver cancer have higher survival rates than those born in the US

By Hinde Kast

May 10, 2023

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Immigrant adults with liver cancer in the United States have higher survival rates than people with the disease who were born in the U.S., according to new research from the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer, contributes to more than 27,000 deaths annually in the United States. Immigrants comprise a significant proportion of those diagnosed with HCC in the U.S. Research has shown that birthplace, also referred to as nativity, impacts incidence and risk factors for HCC, but little was known about its influence on survival after diagnosis.

The new study, just published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, identified a previously unrecognized disparity in survival after a diagnosis of liver cancer across all major racial/ethnic groups, with immigrants having better survival compared to those born in the U.S. This study is one of the first to robustly address nativity status as a predictor of overall survival for adults with HCC and provides important estimates of HCC survival by region of birth.

“Liver cancer is one of few cancers with increasing deaths. We identified a novel disparity by birthplace, whereby immigrants with liver cancer demonstrated better survival than their U.S.-born counterparts,” said study author Kali Zhou, MD, member of the Cancer Epidemiology Program at the USC Norris cancer center and a transplant hepatologist specializing in the treatment of chronic liver disease at Keck Medicine of USC. “This was true across different racial/ethnic groups. This finding is important as liver cancer rates are rising among U.S.-born and understanding why immigrants have better outcomes may help us create strategies to improve the survival of those born here.”

California has a high concentration of immigrants, representing about a quarter of the foreign-born population nationwide. This study used California Cancer Registry data to investigate whether birthplace impacts survival among patients with liver cancer, a cancer with poor prognosis that is common among immigrants, though rising in those born in the U.S.

Zhou, who is also an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, and her colleagues identified 51,533 adults with HCC with available birthplace data in the California Cancer Registry between 1988 and 2017, of which 20,400 were people who were born in foreign countries. Cases were categorized as people who are born in the U.S. or people born in any other country, then stratified by four mutually exclusive race and ethnicity groups: Hispanic, non-Hispanic (NH) White, NH Black, and NH Asian/Pacific Islander. Results showed that 40% of all HCC cases were among those born outside of the U.S., and that their five-year survival rate was higher than patients with HCC who were born in the U.S. across all four major race and ethnicity groups. Among foreign-born people, lower mortality was observed in those from Central and South America compared to Mexico for Hispanics, East Asia compared to Southeast Asia for Asian/Pacific Islanders, and East Europe and Greater Middle East compared to West/South/North Europe for Whites.

The population-based California Cancer Registry provided a unique opportunity to compare HCC survival by nativity overall separated by regions of origin within individual race and ethnicity groups. Understanding the reasons for better survival among immigrants may help researchers address the disparity in survival rates by identifying ways to improve outcomes for people born in the U.S.

In addition to Kali Zhou, other contributors from the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Keck School of Medicine include Lihua Liu, PhD; Mariana Stern, PhD; Wendy Setiawan, PhD; Norah Terrault, MD, MPH; and Myles Cockburn, PhD.

This work was supported by the California Department of Public Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Program of Cancer Registries, and the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program.

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USC Norris collaborates with Auransa on clinical trial of new targeted treatment for liver cancer and other solid tumors

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USC Norris collaborates with Auransa on clinical trial of new targeted treatment for liver cancer and other solid tumors

Dr. Anthony El-Khoueiry at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center will lead the phase 1 clinical trial of the novel drug AU409.

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The University of Southern California (USC) is collaborating with Auransa Inc., on a phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate a new kind of treatment for cancers of the liver and solid tumors with liver dominant disease. The drug, known as AU409, was developed by Auransa, a clinical stage drug development company focused on identifying novel drug candidates for oncology, inflammatory diseases and diseases of the central nervous system. In preclinical trials, AU409, has been shown to work in a unique fashion by limiting the cancer cell’s ability to translate the message from various genes that are essential for the cancer cell’s ability to survive and multiply. In other words, AU409 interrupts the cancer cell’s machinery, preventing it from using DNA code to produce proteins that it needs to grow.

Liver cancer is estimated to be the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for about 80% of all liver cancers. Despite major improvements in treatment, patients with advanced HCC continue to have limited median overall survival due to primary or secondary resistance to existing therapies. While chronic hepatitis B and C infections continue to be important risk factors for liver cancer, the rising prevalence of obesity, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and alcohol consumption are becoming the dominant risk factors for liver cancer in the United States as well as the rest of the world.

The trial will involve patients from the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center with advanced primary liver cancers or with advanced solid tumors with liver predominant metastatic disease. Its principal investigator is Dr. Anthony El-Khoueiry, a leading expert in early drug development for solid tumors, particularly gastrointestinal cancers. Dr. El-Khoueiry is the Director of the phase I program and Associate Director for Clinical Research at the USC Norris cancer center and Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

“We are excited at the potential impact our collaboration with Auransa can have for patients with solid tumors with liver predominant disease, in particular patients with hepatocellular cancer and cholangiocarcinoma. AU409 has a unique mechanism of action that impacts gene expression in the tumor and may represent a novel therapeutic approach for these tumors with high unmet need.” said Dr. El-Khoueiry.

“The collaboration with the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center is an important first step in the clinical development of AU409 which is a new chemical entity with a unique mechanism of action.  We plan to work closely with the team at USC to advance this very differentiated potential new drug for patients with liver cancers, specifically hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), who may not respond to the currently available drugs.” said Pek Lum, Ph.D., co-founder and chief executive officer of Auransa.

“Dr. El-Khoueiry’s clinical trial experience spanning first-in-human, phase 2 and phase 3 trials, together with his interest in liver cancer, makes him the perfect lead of the AU409 clinical trial.” said Andrew Protter, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Auransa.

Auransa and USC are also collaborating on a broader approach to bring novel and much needed therapeutics to cancer patients, leveraging both Auransa’s proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) drug discovery platform to identify novel disease mechanisms and capabilities from the Rosalie and Harold Rae Brown Center for Cancer Drug Development at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“The Brown Center for Cancer Drug Development takes an integrated academic-industry approach to achieve our mission of accelerating promising oncology therapeutics into the clinic through collaborative drug development,” said Caryn Lerman, PhD, director of USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, and associate dean for cancer programs at the Keck School of Medicine at USC.   “Together with Auransa, we are optimistic that we can develop new therapeutics for patients in need and further our mission.”

Disclosure: If this trial is successful, USC has the potential to receive royalty payments under the collaboration agreement with Auransa.

About University of Southern California’s Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center

The USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center (USC Norris), located in Los Angeles, is a major regional and national resource for cancer research, treatment, prevention, education, and community engagement. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has designated the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center as one of the nation’s 52 comprehensive cancer centers, a select group of institutions providing leadership in cancer treatment, research, prevention, and education. USC Norris has held this designation since 1973, at which time it was named as one of the first eight such centers in the country. The Rosalie and Harold Rae Brown Center for Cancer Drug Development (CCDD) at the USC Norris was launched in 2020 with a generous gift from the Rosalie and Harold Rae Brown Foundation.  The CCDD employs an integrated academic-industry-focused management model to engage investigators from different disciplines, collapse gaps in expertise, resources, and funding, and ensure that programs have a high likelihood of progressing to the clinic.

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Stand Up To Cancer has awarded USC Norris a $550,000 Grant to Help Diverse Populations Access Cancer Clinical Trials

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Stand Up To Cancer has awarded USC Norris a $550,000 Grant to Help Diverse Populations Access Cancer Clinical Trials

By Hinde Kast

February 8, 2023

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To reduce health disparities and advance health equity, it is crucial that people from diverse backgrounds participate in clinical trials, so researchers can better understand the risks as well as the benefits novel treatments present to different populations.

Now, a two-year grant from Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C) will fund a new program at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center to eliminate barriers and facilitate access to early phase cancer clinical trials in traditionally underserved communities in Los Angeles County. This grant was funded as part of the SU2C Diversity in Early Development Clinical Trials Research Grants Program and is supported by a sponsorship from Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. As a part of SU2C’s Health Equity Initiative, the program aims to create unique and replicable approaches that engage medically underserved communities in Phase 1 and Phase 2 cancer clinical trials.

“We are very excited to work with SU2C to improve access to early therapeutic trials among diverse patients through an innovative collaboration with hospitals that serve underrepresented patients within the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, the Lazarex Foundation, and the Men’s Cancer Network,” said Chanita Hughes Halbert, PhD, associate director for cancer equity at USC Norris cancer center. “By working collaboratively with these stakeholders, we will be able to develop, implement, and evaluate multilevel approaches to improve referrals to early phase trials and enhance enrollment outcomes.”

Co-led by Anthony El-Khoueiry, MD, associate director for clinical research at the cancer center, and Dr. Hughes Halbert, the research team will implement a project entitled Eliminating Enrollment Barriers to Early Phase Trials in a Diverse Population in Los Angeles County. The team will first identify barriers to referral of underserved patients from the center’s diverse catchment area for early phase therapeutic trials. They will then implement and evaluate a multilevel, multi-component program for removing those barriers and improving early phase therapeutic trials referral and enrollment among underserved patients and explore the impact of remote clinical trials on enhancing the enrollment of these patients.

“Cancer clinical trial diversity in Los Angeles needs to be improved significantly to represent and serve our underserved communities,” said Dr. El-Khoueiry, who is also an associate professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “Through a more strategic, collaborative approach with oncology care providers, facilitated referral and recruitment processes involving private and public health systems collaboration, a more targeted review of our patient demographics and further exploration of remote clinical trials, we hope to advance cancer health equity by facilitating access to early phase trials among our community’s medically underserved patients.”

Additionally, as part of the project, USC Norris cancer center researchers will participate in the SU2C Community Engagement Innovation Summit, connecting with other leaders in health equity to identify common goals and approaches to overcome existing barriers through community outreach.

“The SU2C Diversity in Early Development Clinical Trials Research Grant Program offers a unique opportunity to leverage USC Norris faculty members’ extensive experience increasing access to clinical trials among individuals historically underrepresented in trials,” said Caryn Lerman PhD, director of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, H. Leslie and Elaine S. Hoffman Chair in Cancer Research, and associate dean for cancer programs in the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “Leveraging the center’s robust early phase clinical trials program, this team aims to develop scalable models to advance equity in clinical trials.”

Additional researchers on the team include Jacob Thomas, MD, Jorge Nieva, MD, Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati, PhD, Myles Cockburn, PhD and Jennifer Tsui, PhD, all members of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and faculty from the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

SU2C raises funds to accelerate the pace of groundbreaking research that provides new therapies to patients quickly and saves lives now. By galvanizing the entertainment industry, SU2C has set out to generate awareness, educate the public on cancer prevention, and help more people diagnosed with cancer become long-term survivors.

About USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center

At the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, more than 250 dedicated physicians and scientists are leading the fight to make cancer a disease of the past. As one of the eight original National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the United States, USC Norris has revolutionized cancer research, treatment, and prevention for nearly 50 years. Multidisciplinary teams provide the latest evidence-based care at USC Norris Cancer Hospital, a 60-bed hospital, as well as outpatient clinics throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties.

For more information, visit https://uscnorriscancer.usc.edu

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USC Norris receives American Cancer Society grant to enhance innovative research by new investigators

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USC Norris receives American Cancer Society grant to enhance innovative research by new investigators

December 13, 2022

By Hinde Kast 

Photo by Ricardo Carrasco

With scientists facing increasingly stiff competition for federal research dollars, Institutional Research Grants (IRG), funded by the American Cancer Society (ACS), provide a critical leg up for junior faculty seeking to launch their independent careers in cancer research. The grants help new investigators accumulate the substantial preliminary data needed to secure long-term stable research funding.

Thanks to a continuing ACS IRG, USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center will be able to further one of its key missions — fostering the career evolution of the next generation of cancer researchers. Myles Cockburn, PhD, co-leader of the USC Norris Cancer Control Research Program, and Caryn Lerman, PhD, director of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, oversee the grant, which supports cancer research by faculty at the rank of Instructor or Assistant Professor who have not yet received national funding.

“This continuing partnership between USC Norris and the American Cancer Society recognizes the critical importance of targeting resources to the best and brightest of our new scientists, ensuring that the future of innovative cancer research gets a jump start which can then be maintained across successful careers directed at tackling cancer disparities and reducing the cancer burden,” said Dr. Myles Cockburn, who is a professor of population and public health sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “This partnership puts our future in good hands!”

The grant will fund pilot work, training, mentoring, and career development focusing on addressing cancer disparities in the populations of Los Angeles and beyond. The funding recognizes the cancer center’s dedication to developing the next generation of cancer researchers, supporting their efforts to encourage junior faculty to work with local communities to enhance the impact of their research, and to provide mechanisms for communicating research success stories to cancer survivors and community members.

The growing applicant pool for junior faculty at USC represents diverse cancer research interests – ranging from basic to clinical, pharmaceutical, etiological, behavioral, and psychosocial studies of cancer – and many different departments and schools throughout the University of Southern California. To meet those interests, the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center has launched various programmatic initiatives such as personalized oncology medicine, cellular therapy, breast oncology, chemoprevention, immunology, bioinformatics, genetics and genomics among others.

“The ACS IRG is an invaluable and unique resource to provide research funding to junior faculty members who are beginning their independent research careers in the areas of cancer biology and treatment at USC Norris,” said Lerman, who is also the H. Leslie and Elaine S. Hoffman Chair in Cancer Research, and Associate Dean for cancer programs at the Keck School of Medicine. “It has a long and valued history at our university, providing support and encouragement that subsequently lead to successful national and statewide competition for peer-reviewed grant support. The ACS IRG has truly enhanced cancer-related research among junior faculty across a broad spectrum of disciplines.”

About USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center 

At the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, more than 250 dedicated physicians and scientists are leading the fight to make cancer a disease of the past. As one of the eight original National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the United States, USC Norris has revolutionized cancer research, treatment, and prevention for nearly 50 years. Multidisciplinary teams provide the latest evidence-based care at USC Norris Cancer Hospital, a 60-bed hospital, as well as outpatient clinics throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties.

For more information, visit https://uscnorriscancer.usc.edu.   

About The American Cancer Society    

The American Cancer Society is the leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision to end cancer as we know it for everyone. For more than 100 years, we have been the only organization improving the lives of people with cancer and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support, to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. To learn more, visit cancer.org or call our 24/7 helpline at 1-800-227-2345. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

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PHASE ONE Foundation has awarded Dr. Kevin Kelly at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center $150,000 to fund a phase 2 study investigating the efficacy of a novel combination of drugs to treat relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma

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PHASE ONE Foundation has awarded Dr. Kevin Kelly at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center $150,000 to fund a phase 2 study investigating the efficacy of a novel combination of drugs to treat relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma

Originally posted on PHASE ONE Foundation News

October 13, 2022 

Multiple myeloma is the second most common hematologic malignancy. It is a type of blood cancer that targets plasma cells, causing them to multiply unchecked, taking over space in the bone marrow of those affected, and producing excessive harmful proteins.  Multiple myeloma causes many secondary problems, including anemia, severe bone pain, and an inability to fight infection. The average life expectancy after diagnosis is three to five years, and 12,000 individuals lose their lives to it each year. It is seen most commonly in African American populations, and Hispanic patients have the lowest survival rate.

Multiple myeloma is considered incurable at present. There are many available therapies at initial diagnosis, but most patients experience relapse at one to three years. Treatment after relapse requires combination therapy to enhance the body’s antitumor immune response. Dr. Kelly and his team have previously combined Pelareorep (Pela) and Bortezomib (Bz) in a trial with a remarkable 55% response rate, significantly more successful than other available rescue therapies. 

“We are very excited to take our novel immunotherapy approach targeting multiple myeloma to the next phase of development,” said Dr. Kelly, member of the USC Norris Translational and Clinical Sciences Program and Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine. “Our approach of combining an oncolytic virus and an immune checkpoint therapy seeks to harness the potential of the immune system for optimal disease control.”

In the current trial, Dr. Kelly will expand to add Pembrolizumab (Keytruda®), a PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor, to allow and enhance the anti-tumor immune response of Pela and Bz. Pela has dramatic PD-L1 immune priming effects (by increasing cell expression of PD-L1) that make it an optimally precise agent to sensitize multiple myeloma cells to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. In the lab, this drug combination demonstrated a significant decrease in disease burden and increased overall survival.  

“We are very grateful to the PHASE ONE Foundation for their support which will bring new treatments to the clinic and renewed hope to patients,” said Caryn Lerman PhD, Director of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, H. Leslie and Elaine S. Hoffman Chair in Cancer Research, and Associate Dean for cancer programs in the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “These scientific discoveries would not be possible without philanthropic partners such as the PHASE ONE Foundation.”

This trial will establish the safety and efficacy of this specific combination of medications in patients with recurrent multiple myeloma.  It will also evaluate predictive biomarkers of treatment success to aid future trials in this realm.  PHASE ONE will support the operations aspect of this innovative and necessary clinical trial, ultimately accelerating the development of a new combination therapy to treat multiple myeloma.  Mieke Neumann, Co-Chair of the Granting Committee for PHASE ONE Foundation, remarked, “Dr. Kelly’s innovative use of drugs and immunotherapy gives those who have been diagnosed with multiple myeloma and those who love them new hope!”

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USC Norris shares $500,000 federal grant with Chinatown Service Center to improve equity in cervical cancer screening and treatment

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USC Norris shares $500,000 federal grant with Chinatown Service Center to improve equity in cervical cancer screening and treatment

USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center is taking part in a new program launched by the Department of Health and Human Services to improve access to cancer care by partnering NCI designated cancer centers with community health centers across the country.

By Hinde Kast 

October 19, 2022

Due to the HPV vaccine and screenings, the vast majority of cervical cancers are preventable. Yet each year 13,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 4,000 women die from the disease in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Los Angeles County, racial/ethnic minorities and other marginalized groups, including Chinese Americans and Latinas, are more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer.

To address this disparity, the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center (USC Norris) is joining forces with the Chinatown Service Center to improve access to life-saving cervical cancer screenings, referrals, and treatment for Chinese and Latina women in Central Los Angeles. This first-of-its-kind partnership is part of a new program just launched by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to promote equitable access to cancer screenings and care by bringing community health centers together with National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Cancer Centers. The Chinatown Service Center is one of 11 community health centers across the country sharing a $5 million award from HRSA to implement the new partnerships — and it is the only one in Los Angeles.

“I am extremely excited by the partnership between USC Norris and the Chinatown Service Center and the initiatives that will be developed and implemented to find ways to optimize access, shorten the time frame between diagnosis and treatment, and enhance the quality and delivery of screening and follow up to abnormal findings for cervical cancer patients in our catchment area,” said Dr. Caryn Lerman, director of USC Norris, H. Leslie Hoffman and Elaine S. Hoffman Chair in Cancer Research and associate dean for cancer programs. “We hope to become a model for the nation on how this innovative work can be done to improve cancer outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients and their families.”

USC Norris efforts will be led by Jennifer Tsui, Ph.D., MPH, a member of the USC Norris Cancer Control Research Program and associate professor at the Keck School of Medicine’s Department of Population and Public Health Sciences. The team also includes two additional USC Norris members, Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati, Ph.D., associate director for community outreach and engagement for USC Norris, and Chanita Hughes- Halbert, Ph.D.,associate director for cancer equity for USC Norris.

“Cervical cancer is a highly preventable disease, but the disproportionate burden of this cancer still rests on racial/ethnic minorities and other marginalized groups, including Chinese American and Latinx communities in Los Angeles,” said Dr. Tsui. “This HRSA-supported project with the Chinatown Service Center will play an instrumental role in facilitating improvement in access to cancer screenings and access to follow-up care while addressing social determinants of health, cultural influences, and structural health system barriers that lead to poor outcomes.”

Cervical cancer death rates within Los Angeles are nearly five times the rate of those in the county, state, and nation.  Ensuriing that vulnerable communities have access to HPV vaccines and early detection/screening strategies, which prevent 93% of cervical cancers, is vital to bringing the cervical cancer death rate down in the city.

“The partnership between the Chinatown Service Center and USC Norris supported by HRSA is truly a game changer,” said Dr. Baezconde-Garbanati, a professor in the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine. “Not only will this effort eliminate disparities, but it will help save lives. This grant will support significant systemic changes to accelerate the integration of traditionally medically underserved disadvantaged communities in Los Angeles into treatment, optimizing access, and shortening the time between screening, diagnosis, and follow-up care. We are delighted to join our Chinatown Service Center partners in this significant venture. “

To maximize equitable access to cervical cancer screening and treatment, the USC Norris cancer center and the Chinatown Service Center will work together to address barriers to equitable care by providing community outreach and patient education, training staff in cultural competency practices, especially for the female perspective; guiding patients through the treatment process; establishing referral pathways to ensure follow-up for abnormal screenings; establishing systems to assist patients in adhering to ongoing treatments; providing printed and electronic educational materials in culturally and language specific ways; and providing training in cervical cancer prevention and treatment so the support staff is equipped to provide education in the community.

“We are excited about the partnership between the Chinatown Service Center and USC Norris,” said Dr. Hughes-Halbert, vice chair for research and professor at the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences. “The investment made by HRSA to support cancer screening through collaborative partnerships between Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) and NCI-designated cancer centers leverages the resources and assets in these settings.  Working together to address key drivers of disparities at system, provider, and patient levels will bring us closer to cancer health equity.”

Founded in 1971, the Chinatown Service Center is one of the largest community-based Chinese- American organizations in Southern California. As a multi-service, non-profit community health center with FQHC designation, they care for underserved populations at their five clinic sites across Los Angeles County. At these sites, the Chinatown Service Center provides health, dental, and behavioral health services to diverse, immigrant, limited English speaking, and low-income populations. In addition to their community health centers, they also operate a youth center and social service offices, as well as provide economic development services.

“Chinatown Service Center is grateful to HRSA for the opportunity to work alongside the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center to help strengthen our tools to fight and prevent cancer,” said Jack Cheng, chief operating officer at the Chinatown Service Center. “We are so thrilled for this innovative partnership and what it will bring to the underserved patients in our community.”

This investment from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through HRSA, supports President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot Initiative and advances President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot goals, which aim to close the cancer screening gap, decrease the impact of preventable cancers, and support patients and caregivers.

About USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center

At the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, more than 250 dedicated physicians and scientists are leading the fight to make cancer a disease of the past. As one of the eight original National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the United States, USC Norris has revolutionized cancer research, treatment, and prevention for nearly 50 years. Multidisciplinary teams provide the latest evidence-based care at USC Norris Cancer Hospital, a 60-bed hospital, as well as outpatient clinics throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties.

For more information, visit https://uscnorriscancer.usc.edu