            |
|
  April 13, 2009
Ken Grey, Vice Chair, NBTS
President
Marshall & Sterling Upstate, Inc.
300 Route 23B, Leeds, N.Y. 12451
Tel (518) 943-3900 ext. 17
Fax (518) 943-7440
Cell (518) 573-5481
Dear Ken,
Great to hear from you and truly glad to hear about the significant impact Team Billy is making on the support and advancement of brain tumor research. I can tell you personally that the contributions your organization and the National Brain Tumor Society have made to our work here at the placePlaceNamePreston PlaceNameRobert PlaceNameTisch PlaceNameBrain PlaceNameTumor PlaceTypeCenter at Duke have definitely been instrumental and are already paying dividends in the advancement of new therapies for patients with malignant brain tumors.
As you are aware, the work supported by the National Brain Tumor Society through the Billy Grey Chair of Research award I received has been a key source of funding leading to our publishing the first confirmatory report of the association between human Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and malignant gliomas since Dr. Charles Cobbs original findings published in 2002. This work, and the development of immunotherapy targeting CMV in brain tumors, has received national media attention, with press coverage in Newsweek, Scientific American, The Economist, and NBC World News. This past year has been extraordinary for increasing public awareness of about malignant brain tumors and the funding your organization provides is often the critically needed “start-up” money that will lead to the breakthroughs of tomorrow in this field. We are continuing to pursue CMV-directed immunotherapy for patients with glioblastoma and are in the process of formulating our vaccine into an “off-the-shelf” version that may be more widely available to patients at other centers if this new version shows clinical promise. We hope to initial clinical trials with this newer version of cancer vaccine in the very near future.
The funds you raise are critically important to allow investigators to take some risks and venture into new areas of research that may hold promise for better understanding and treatment of brain cancers. We know the knowledge we have today is not yet enough to cure malignant brain tumors in the majority of patients, but thanks to the undying spirit and continual efforts of organizations like the National Brain Tumor Society and Team Billy, we are continually getting closer to the day when we can tell patients and families of persons affected by a malignant brain tumor that we have the answers and the tools to definitely beat this horrible disease.
With sincerest respect and gratitude for all that you do,
 Duane A. Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D.
Alex H. Sands, Jr. Research Building, Room 213 · Box 3050 · Durham, NC · 27710
tel (919) 684-1951 · fax: (919) 684-9045 · d.mitchell@duke.edu
______________________________________________________________________
WATERTOWN, MA / SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Two leading nonprofits will join forces to form the largest organization that funds innovative brain tumor research and provides support services to patients and families. After nearly a year of discussions, the Brain Tumor Society (BTS) and the National Brain Tumor Foundation (NBTF) voted on an agreement to merge...it is hereby known as the National Brain Tumor Society.
 UPDATE: RESEARCH REVIEW!
Identification and Immunologic Targeting of CMV Antigens
Expressed in Malignant Gliomas
Grant Recipient
Duane A. Mitchell, MD, Ph.D.
Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
"I think that Duane’s progress is impressive. He has generated significant data to support an association between CMV infection and gliomas. Based on brain tumor models in mice, he undertook a pilot clinical trial of combination in patients pf temazolomide, dendritic cell vaccination, and adoptive cellular therapy. The results of this early stage study appear quite promising, with evidence of tumor regression and a favorable time to progression. These findings will now form the basis of a second trial which will employ a further refinement of the method of generating T cells for adoptive therapy. Duane’s ability to translate principles from the murine models to glioma patients is unusual; there are few investigators who have demonstrated this capacity. I think that the BTS made a wise investment."
-Grant Reviewer
June 2007
______________________________________________________________________
BILLY GREY RESEARCH GRANT APPROVED FOR 2007!
Your efforts and contributions to the 2nd Annual Billy Grey Ride for Research have made a difference. Thanks to the over 200 riders, volunteers and sponsors, the event raised over $40,000! The ride and ongoing donations have made possible a new $200,000 research grant awarded at the October Brain Tumor Society Symposium. This grant will enable the research team at the Cold Spring Harbor Institute to investigate genetic approaches to new therapeutic targets in brain cancer. Billy's current grant is in a phase 1 clinical trial at Duke Medical showing some positive feedback.
______________________________________________________________________
|