Top

Annual Report 2013 : seminal discoveries, seismic changes

The resistance fighter

Historically, research and patient care have been kept separate or “siloed.” Guillermo Garcia-Manero wants to change that.

BY Hilary Graham

Photo: Wyatt McSpadden

An expert in blood cancers and translational medicine, Garcia-Manero, M.D., professor in Leukemia, notes that patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), in which the bone marrow doesn’t produce enough blood cells, often build a resistance to frontline drugs such as hypomethylating agents.

In turn, these patients develop acute myeloid leukemia (AML), which happens when there aren’t enough mature blood cells to prevent anemia, infection or bleeding. Hypomethylating agents, which target DNA, eliminate rapidly dividing cells without harming normal ones.

Through MD Anderson’s AML/MDS Moon Shot, Garcia-Manero is uncovering the molecular basis for the development of resistance to these agents. In other words, he’s seeking to discover what changes occur when the patient's body resists a drug and it stops working.

Understanding these changes is critical, according to Garcia-Manero, because resistance to hypomethylating agents also correlates with resistance to other drugs and, ultimately, poor patient prognosis

Unlike the genome, the presence and activity of proteins vary in each cell to support its unique functions. Garcia-Manero anticipates that identifying changes in protein type, levels and modifications in cells — a process called proteomic analysis — will reveal biomarkers that predict sensitivity, response and/or resistance to drugs. It also may uncover targets for new therapies.

MD Anderson Leukemia Center

Largest leukemia program in the world
Internationally known physicians
More than 150 active clinical trials
Access to investigational agents

48,610 people diagnosed with leukemia in the U.S. in 2013

15,680 cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia
14,590 cases of acute myeloid leukemia
6,070 cases of acute lymphocytic leukemia
5,920 cases of chronic myeloid leukemia

More Stories From Annual Report

“May you live in interesting times.”

Going beyond skin-deep, to the molecular level

As a dermatologist and dermatopathologist, Kenneth Tsai, M.D., Ph.D., has set his sights on preventing squamous cell carcinoma — the second most common form of skin cancer in the United States.

Working for inheritors of higher risk

People with inherited conditions that raise their risk of developing certain cancers, such as colon cancer, deal with a lot of anxiety that comes from uncertainty about their health. Hopefully, the work of Eduardo Vilar-Sanchez will one day alleviate that risk.

Improving odds by making cancer more predictable

By Katrina Burton

Paving the way for trailblazers

Dallas’ Lyda Hill is determined to help solve “the mystery that is cancer.”

Innovation grows from seed money

By Katrina Burton

Tanning bed ban for minors is a major step

Ovarian cancer screening is put to the test, with encouraging results

An old blood test now offers new hope and possibility.

MD Anderson's 'protein pioneer'

In 1983, Robert Bast Jr., M.D., and his colleagues published a seminal paper in the New England Journal of Medicine detailing his discovery of the protein CA-125 and its value in helping to predict if ovarian cancer might recur.

A revolutionary war against cancer

Imagine if oncologists around the world had access to the expertise of MD Anderson’s physicians. The standard of cancer care would be greatly improved, and lives would be saved.

Triumph after a trial and tribulations

When Mary Cates was told she had cancer, she didn’t flinch . . . either time.

Cracking the cancer code

Cancer is a genomic disease, and Harshad Mahadeshwar’s job is to decode its weaknesses.

The Oncology Expert Advisor

Training days

MD Anderson system is bolstered by Graduate Medical Education’s homegrown experts

With two, they’ve won

A year in, this duo of deans is racking up the accomplishments

Unleashing the immune system’s attack dogs

The first drug to improve the survival of people with end-stage melanoma works because of what it doesn’t do: attack tumors directly.

Trial fits attack on melanoma to a T

By boosting the number of T cells in his patients, Patrick Hwu is watching their immune systems defeat cancer.

The clone wars

Michael Gunter’s had time to think about melanoma.

Born to beat cancer

Marit Peterson may be genetically predisposed to melanoma, but the disease was no match for her and her team.

Strength in numbers: Send in the reinforcements

When immune system T cells that can’t kill a patient’s cancer get a shot at those same tumor cells in the lab, it’s another story altogether.

The Cancer Center Support Grant

Building a better T cell

Treatments relying on T cells, a key component of the body’s immune system, have had significant success, but a new experimental method customizes naturally produced cells to sharpen their attack on cancer.

When good genetic mutation goes bad

Generally speaking, hypermutation and DNA damage in a cell are bad things. That is, unless you’re talking about an immune system B cell.

The Nocturnal Program: Care, uninterrupted

The Nocturnal Program ensures a seamless transition from day to night for patients

Nights are a good fit for Day

When Lakeisha Day sees a patient in the wee hours, she knows she needs to make the most of their limited time together.

Acts of kindness are completely voluntary

By Will Fitzgerald

Getting a lot out of giving

Gloria Ayala walked into a hospital room and found a mother pacing while her daughter lay in bed. When Ayala was greeted with a big hug, she realized the experience was what being an MD Anderson volunteer was all about.