This is a post to the acor list byDeirdre Menoyo- David

Date:    Sat, 3 May 2008 23:15:13 -0400
From:    Deirdre Menoyo <dmenoyo@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: More on 'cancer stem cell theory"

Dear Friends,

Following up on Alex's hopeful email, I thought you might like to know
that one of the major funders of MM research has taken on this
approach.

The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (Kathy Giusti's group out of
CT), sponsored a "research roundtable" in NYC in Jan 08 . It was
called Cancer Stem Cell Research Strategies: Applications to Multiple
Myeloma.

It does not appear that Drs. Matsui and Jones from Johns Hopkins, who
discovered the mm "cancer stem cell" for in 2003, were part of the
presentation or discussion.  At least, they are not mentioned in the
recent write-up from MMRF.  (I think it would be great if they were.)
But they did have a presentation by Dr. Andrzej Jakubowiak of U. Mich.
 U. Mich. is one place that has big players who have been publishing
on this subject for years.  (Dr. Michael Clark was there, but now is
at Stanford.)  U.Mich. is also a new member institution of the MMRC --
a consortium of institutions that collaborate their mm research.

I find these developments hopeful because I believe research sponsored
by MMRF brought us Velcade and Revlimid -- at least their science
chair Ken Anderson was key to these developments.  I believe they did
fund some of the key research.  So, if they are considering the cancer
stem cell theory so publicly, they may be going down that road.

Basically, the theory is that certain cancer cells produce tumor
cells and "daughter stem cells" that keep dividing.  In other words,
the fully differentiated clonogenic plasma cells that clog up the bone
marrow and squeeze out the good cells, etc., are the "tumor" cells.
But there are other cells that are not fully differentiated that make
the tumor and reproduce themselves.  The typical analogy is tumor =
dandelion plant and flowers; cancer stem cell = roots.

The one other substance I don't think Alex mentioned is one that I
asked Dr. Matsui about years ago is fever few.  He said it looked
"promising."  The key ingredient is parthenolide.  And it is being
trialed in England now, and perhaps in US?? -- DMAPT.

I only wish all this comes together in time for my husband.  They are
doing a GRN163L trial at Dana Farber, which is also a good sign that
those folks at Harvard think there's something to the cancer stem cell
theory.  They were right about Velcade and Revlimid.

Hope May is treating you well.  In MA, it's come in like a lion....

Best wishes,

Deirdre, MA, USA