Winship Cancer Institute

Emory University School of Medicine

Dear Members and Supporters of the T.J. Martell Foundation,

Thank you for your commitment to groundbreaking cancer research and to the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University.  We are honored to be included in your family of institutions and appreciate the opportunity to highlight our work. 

During the past year, support from the T.J. Martell Foundation has enabled us to further our studies of multiple myeloma, a hematologic malignancy of the bone marrow. While the last decade has seen marked improvement in the survival of patients with multiple myeloma, the disease remains incurable.  At Winship, we have built one of the largest clinical research centers for the treatment of this disease. This group is strengthened through collaboration with top-rate basic and translational researchers throughout Emory. Together we are developing a better understanding of novel therapeutic agents in pre-clinical and clinical settings. 

The T.J. Martell Foundation has supported research in the laboratory of Lawrence Boise, PhD, in collaboration with Sagar Lonial, MD.  Both Drs. Boise and Lonial are faculty in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine and are members of the Winship Cancer Institute.   Highlights of this work include:

• Determining the expression and interaction patterns of Bcl-2 proteins in multiple myeloma cell lines and patient samples.  Bcl-2 proteins control cell survival, which is involved in the development of cancer as well as response to therapy.  By understanding how these proteins interact in cells we can predict responses to different therapeutic agents.  In addition, these proteins are now targeted by several novel therapeutic agents currently in pre-clinical development and clinical trials.  These findings also will be useful for determining which myeloma patients will be best served by this class of compounds. 

• In addition to the Bcl-2 proteins, myeloma cells depend on signals from other cells in the bone marrow. We have identified one of the receptors on the surface of myeloma cells that is required for interaction with bone marrow cells.  We are studying the mechanisms by which this receptor provides a survival signal to the myeloma cell.  This could ultimately lead to the development of a new therapeutic target in myeloma. 

• Our lab is investigating a gene associated with a form of myeloma that has a poor prognosis.  Previous studies have suggested that this gene allows for cell division, however, we have now demonstrated that it also can control cell survival.  

Thanks to the T.J. Martell Foundation, our multidisciplinary team is moving these projects forward at a pace that will positively impact patient care in the near future. Once again we are grateful for being included as one of many outstanding institutions to receive support from the T.J. Martell Foundation. 

Sincerely Yours,

Walter J. Curran, Jr, M.D.                                                           Lawrence H. Boise, Ph.D.

Director, Winship Cancer Institute                                          Professor of Hematology and Medical Oncology

Professor and Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology    Co-Leader, Cancer Cell Biology Program

Associate Vice President, Woodruff Health Sciences          Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University