Therapeutic monoclonal antibody targeting of AML-LSCs

New Targeted Therapy Finds And Eliminates Deadly Leukemia Stem Cells, ScienceDaily July 3, 2009. [FriendFeed entry]. First two sentences:

New research describes a molecular tool that shows great promise as a therapeutic for human acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a notoriously treatment-resistant blood cancer. The study, published in the July 2nd issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell, describes exciting preclinical studies in which a new therapeutic approach selectively attacks human cancer cells grown in the lab and in animal models of leukemia.

This news release is about the article Monoclonal antibody-mediated targeting of CD123, IL-3 receptor alpha chain, eliminates human acute myeloid leukemic stem cells by Liqing Jin and 14 co-authors, including John E Dick and Richard B Lock, Cell Stem Cell 2009(Jul 2); 5(1): 31-42. PubMed Abstract:

Leukemia stem cells (LSCs) initiate and sustain the acute myeloid leukemia (AML) clonal hierarchy and possess biological properties rendering them resistant to conventional chemotherapy. The poor survival of AML patients raises expectations that LSC-targeted therapies might achieve durable remissions. We report that an anti-interleukin-3 (IL-3) receptor alpha chain (CD123)-neutralizing antibody (7G3) targeted AML-LSCs, impairing homing to bone marrow (BM) and activating innate immunity of nonobese diabetic/severe-combined immunodeficient (NOD/SCID) mice. 7G3 treatment profoundly reduced AML-LSC engraftment and improved mouse survival. Mice with pre-established disease showed reduced AML burden in the BM and periphery and impaired secondary transplantation upon treatment, establishing that AML-LSCs were directly targeted. 7G3 inhibited IL-3-mediated intracellular signaling of isolated AML CD34(+)CD38(-) cells in vitro and reduced their survival. These results provide clear validation for therapeutic monoclonal antibody (mAb) targeting of AML-LSCs and for translation of in vivo preclinical research findings toward a clinical application.

We need to stop teaching her about nature

Last night, I told WCK for the hundredth time that she needed to go to bed.

"I can't, Mama," she said patiently. "I'm nocturnal."

Celebrity Makeover Part 1

Here it is--what y'all been waiting for!  Yeah, it was kinda weird to watch myself on national tv, and in high def no less (who knew I had so many freckles? I didn't.). And what was extra weird for me was seeing how emotional I was.  Maybe it was just so shocking and surreal at the time that I had no memory of what I was saying or how I felt (other than the shock). I'll admit it--I teared up a bit.  Yeah.

And in other news...my fab friend Victoria Namkung, who is journalist to the stars, posted an entry on her amazing Las Angelenas blog about my makeover. Thanks, Girl!

The plan

"I think the whole family should work together and build a new goose," said WCK, "and we can paint it rainbow colors!"

Aw. Sweet.

"And," she continued, "we'll put BIG SPIKES in its head to scare away anyone who wants to steal it!"

It's so crazy it just might work.

and then it just got even more canadian around here

photo: A Kaplan-Myrth

Because every Canadian finds a Mountie on their front lawn on Canada Day.

The food was good, the beer was cold and their was maple syrup in the salad dressing. Now the dogs are being driven crazy by the fireworks.

It's been a good one.

From high in the Buda hills...

Budapest is the new Prague, which was the new Paris, which was just plain Paris, and forever Paris because that's what Paris is. And Prague is known for its own magic, which may be what has drawn frat boys from all over the world. In Sofia the people wore dark jeans and mostly dark clothing, solids. Here the people dress baggier and more fashionably and there are a million young people walking around so that it seems like Wrigleyville, where I live. The drunks aren't quite as obnoxious, though. The people are bigger and more well-fed, as are the cars. I don't take note of brands, but the cars are more substantial-looking here and I saw a very long limo the length of half a city block. When I was here 10 years ago I used to keep a log on number of dachshunds vs. number of cell phones. Now the cell phones are definitely winning. I just saw two dachshounds today. One beagle, my first on this trip. I also saw black people. I saw not a one in Bulgaria or Serbia.
There is much angry-looking graffiti here, scrawled all over empty display windows under a cannonade. Adults wear shorts here, and sandals, espcially (for the men) with black socks. There are many bike riders, though few with helmets. The feeling is that this town is here to provide food and drink and fun for anyone who can afford it, and most of all to the young. There are sidewalks filled with cafes and you can see people plugged into their iPods. One street corners you can see the slogan of the right-wing party stenciled on the cement. Like everywhere in Europe, there is a crazy scary party that's popular. The buildings are so solid and heavy that I thought of course they're that way to make the people of the Austro-Hungarian empire feel they were subjects. My friend V said they were not built this way for that reason. Still, it's interesting to think of Paris' graceful buildings, and these heavy, imposing ones. Tonight is Wednesday and people were partying like it was the weekend. It is summer, in the new Europe. V offered me President's cheese today and I think it's the same brand we get at the Jewel. I said it was surprising to see it in Hungary, and she said, This isn't Hungary, it's Europe.
So it is.

rhetorical question

Do you know hard it is to keep track of two six year olds in a museum on Canada Day, when admission is free and everyone is dressed in red and white?

So far today I have been to the Museum of Civilization, eaten Vietnamese noodle soup, watched two boys play in a splash pad at a park and taken the dogs for a walk in the rain.

Now that the sun is out, I'm going to join friends on their back deck, watch the kids splash in the pool, eat some barbecued stuff and have a beer or two.

Very Canadian.