Cure Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma International (iCureASPS)

This coming weekend in August 2010, Team ASPS will ride for the 7th time the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (PMC). The PMC is a bike-a-thon that crosses Massachusetts to raise money for cancer research and clinical trials at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

I am asking you to sponsor our team bike ride. Your donation will specifically support two research projects aiming at finding a cure for Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma (ASPS).

All the money that Team ASPS collects is restricted to research on ASPS. This year it will support scientific efforts in the laboratories of Dr. Glenn Dranoff and Dr. Massimo Loda, both are at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
 
ASPS is a rare cancer that has no cure and we have to take the initiative into our hands to find the needed cure.
 
In the past 6 years thought the efforts of Team ASPS and iCureASPS, we raised and transferred over $270,000 exclusively for ASPS research programs at the Dana Farber and also in other research institutions in the USA and the world. Thanks to those efforts, the first “Cancer Vaccine” Clinical Trial (GVAX) to treat ASPS was opened in January 2005. This clinical trial was followed by the ARQ197 clinical trial and now by the Cediranib clinical trial.
 
 
There are two convenient ways to donate:
 
1.  Online donations through the PMC website: (http://www.pmc.org/).  Click on the “e-gifts” link on the upper left side of the page. You can use my eGift ID number: YL0002.
 
2.   You can write a check payable to “PMC-Team ASPS YL0002”.  For address, please contact me by using my e-mail below. 
 
Your donation is a fully tax refundable. The PMC tax ID is 04-2746912

I thank you for your support.
 
Best Wishes,
 
Yosef Landesman

______________________________________________________

Yosef Landesman, Ph.D.
President & Cancer Research Director
Cure Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma International (iCureASPS)
e-mail: landesmany@yahoo.com

The second Annual Knockin’ Down ASPS Event in the memory of Anthony Salisbury (AJ) took place on April 10th, 2010. Over $16,000 were raised this year, which were donated directly to the laboratory of Dr. Glenn Dranoff at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston in favor of his efforts of finding a cure for Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma. The Knockin’ Down ASPS committee asked to post the following message:

” It was great seeing so many people join for a cause that is so close to many of us. We truly appreciates everyone who participated, donated, or simply joined us the day of the event. We wanted to pass along the opportunity for everyone to check out a large number of pictures that were taken throughout the event. You can check them out be going to the following website: http://picasaweb.google.com/knockindownasps. We also wanted to inform everyone that we will continue to make Knockin’ Down ASPS an annual event. The fight against ASPS is very important to us and we want to continue to make a difference. There isn’t a day that goes by when we don’t remember all the great times we had with our dear friend AJ. We have already raised over $30,000 towards ASPS research in just two years and will continue to work towards a cure. We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing everyone again next spring for the 3rd Annual Knockin’ Down ASPS Event. We hope you have a safe and wonderful summer and we will be in touch later in the year as next year’s event draws closer. Thank you for your support.”

Cure Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma International and the Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma community extend our thanks to Knockin’ Down ASPS committee, participants and donors. It is our hope to see progress towards the so much needed ASPS cure.

______________________________________________________

Yosef Landesman, Ph.D.
President & Cancer Research Director
Cure Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma International (iCureASPS)
e-mail: landesmany@yahoo.com

For Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoms patients the use of aggressive surgery, appropriate diagnostic imaging, and long-term surveillance for metastases are critical to achieve long-term survival (Kayton et al 2006). When surgery is not possible, then local treatment like tumor ablation may be considered. In the past we discussed the benefits of Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS).
There are different ablation techniques that can be used to treat tumor locally: cryoablation (cryosurgery), radiofrequency ablation (RFA), laser-induced thermal therapy (LITT), microwave ablation, and focused ultrasound (FUS). Some of them are widely available - like RFA, and some are not avail. everywhere (like cryo and LITT) and some are only started to get used by a few doctors. The medical specialist that performs local tumor ablations is called Interventional Radiologist. Local tumor ablations are used when there is a need/reason to avoid the open surgery and have the advantage of the minimal pain, scarring, and cost.

1.   Cryoablation (formerly known as Cryosurgery) is the application of extreme cold to destroy abnormal or diseased tissue. It can be used percutaneously (as a minimally invasive procedure) and during the open surgery as an additional tool in case when resection is complicated. The most common method of freezing tumors is by using liquid nitrogen as the cooling solution. Other freezing agents are carbon dioxide and argon gas to drive ice formation. The cryoablation has the advantage of the continued direct visualization of the ablation quality during the ablation process using CT-scanner.
Click the following link and read about Cryosurgery in Cancer on the National cancer Institute website

Few ASPS patients had their tumors cryoablated at the Karmanos Cancer Institute with Dr. Peter Littrup

Click the following link to read a scientific article that supports cryosurgery over other tumor ablation methods

2.   Radio frequency ablation (RFA) is the application of the heat that is produced by the current and used to locally destroy a tumor. It can be used percutaneously (as a minimally invasive procedure) and during the open surgery as an additional tool in case when resection is complicated. Tumors in Lung, liver and kidney are the main tumors treated with RFA. The procedure is done by placing a needle-like RFA probe inside the tumor.

Click the following link and read about Radio frequency ablation in Cancer on the National cancer Institute website

Few ASPS patients had their tumors RFA-ablated.
3.   Laser-induced thermal therapy (LITT) is the application of the high temperatures generated by the local absorption of laser energy. It can be used percutaneously (as a minimally invasive procedure) and during the open surgery as an additional tool in case when resection is complicated. Organs or tissues in which LITT has been used for this purpose include brain, head and neck, liver, kidneys, and prostate. Laser applicators for LITT may be inserted into target tissue using a number of image-guided techniques including x-ray fluoroscopy, ultrasound imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, or stereotaxic approaches. LITT has the advantage of the tiniest applicator possible between the all ablative techniques, but it is rarely available technology.

One ASPS patient had her brain metastasis ablated by using LITT technology at the Dana Farber clinics in Boston, but the most experienced intervenional radiologist in using LITT is located in Europe in Frankfurt University Hospital, Dr.T.J.Vogl.
Click the following link to read about Lasers in Cancer on the National cancer Institute website

4.   Focused ultrasound (FUS) and microwave ablation are currently under development technologies. They use a microwave or focused ultrasound medical devices to heat and destroy tissue. Among the tumors destroyed by FUS are solid tumors of the bone, brain, breast, liver, pancreas, rectum, kidney, testes and prostate. When the procedure is done by MRI guidance it may be called Magnetic Resonance-guided Focused Ultrasound, or MRgFUS.
Click the following link to read about Focused ultrasound on the Focused Ultrasound Surgery Foundation website

The insurance coverage for the locally ablative procedures varies, consult your insurance guides for the up-to-date information as whether it is covered for your specific case as the coverage of these procedures is evolving as more data about its efficacy became available. Some of our patients had to pay out of pocket to have their tumors ablated in order to get an access to the technology that is able to locally destroy the tumors not treatable otherwise.
______________________________________________________

Yosef Landesman, Ph.D.
President & Cancer Research Director
Cure Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma International (iCureASPS)
e-mail: landesmany@yahoo.com

On January 26 2009, we lost Anthony Salisbury (AJ) to ASPS. AJ’s fiancée, family and friends remain committed to finding a cure for ASPS. In February 2009, they organized “Knockin’ Down ASPS”, the first fundraiser in AJ’s memory. This year, on Saturday, April 10, the second AJ memorial fundraiser, “Knockin’ Down ASPS” will take place. Donations will support the ongoing research studies of Dr. Glenn Dranoff at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Dr. Dranoff developed the first cancer vaccine (GVAX) clinical trial for ASPS patients. The results of this ongoing research will hopefully lead to the opening of another clinical trial. Please click the thumbnail below to read the full details. We thank the organizers of the fundraiser, and all of you who will participate and donate in favor of our efforts to find cure for ASPS.

______________________________________________________

Yosef Landesman, Ph.D.
President & Cancer Research Director
Cure Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma International (iCureASPS)
e-mail: landesmany@yahoo.com

Dr. Dina Lev, from the Cancer Biology and the Sarcoma Research Center at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson has published a new study on Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma. Her study appeared in the Journal of Histopathology. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of potential gene therapeutic targets in a cohort of ASPS tumor samples. Dr. Lev analyzed 26 primary and metastatic ASPS tumor samples. Her study confirmes that activation of c-Met and its downstream effectors are prominent in ASPS. She also identified limited EGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor) expression in few tumors as well. VEGF (Vascular endothelial growth factor), was expressed in all the tumors to varying degrees. Dr. Lev concluded that there is a crucial need for better anti-ASPS therapies. Her study demonstrated that combination therapies against few activated pathways in ASPS could be the right concept for the treatment of Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma.

______________________________________________________

Yosef Landesman, Ph.D.
President & Cancer Research Director
Cure Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma International (iCureASPS)
e-mail: landesmany@yahoo.com

During the first weekend of August, Team ASPS participated in their sixth Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (PMC) bike ride. This bike-a-thon crosses Massachusetts to raise money for cancer research and clinical trials at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Donations raised by Team ASPS are restricted for research and clinical trials that aim to find a cure for Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma.

I am very pleased to announce that this year Cure Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma International and Team ASPS raised a total of $42,160. All donations are transferred to support ASPS research in the laboratories of Dr. Glenn Dranoff and Dr. Massimo Loda at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Dr. Glenn Dranoff, who developed the GVAX clinical trial for ASPS patients, continues his studies to develop better cancer vaccine approaches. Dr. Massimo Loda does research that aims to identify new targets for therapy through the analysis of ASPS tissue samples.

I would like to extend my thanks to Team ASPS 2009, our donors, friends, family members, and to the ASPS community, for helping us in our fight to find a cure! Photos from the Team ASPS PMC 2009 bike ride below are courtesy of David Eisenberg. See more in the Facebook group dedicated to Team ASPS.

______________________________________________________

Yosef Landesman, Ph.D.
President & Cancer Research Director
Cure Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma International (iCureASPS)
e-mail: landesmany@yahoo.com

Cediranib (Recentin, AZD2171) is an inhibitor of VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor) receptors. Therefore, the drug inhibits angiogenesis: the formation of new blood vessels. Angiogenesis, in the context of cancer, enables blood supply to tumors, resulting in tumor growth and spread.

Cediranib is being developed by AstraZeneca as a possible anti-cancer chemotherapeutic agent for oral administration.

National Institutes of Health website has a list of 65 Cediranib clinical trials. Some of these studies are recruiting new patients. One of these studies, which was opened on 18 July 2009, recruits Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma Patients: “Phase II Study of Cediranib (AZD2171) in Patients With Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma”. Currently, this is one of the most promising known treatments for ASPS.

You can read encouraging comments about Cediranib from ASPS patients using the drug since September 2007 in the appropriate section of our forum.

______________________________________________________

Yosef Landesman, Ph.D.
President & Cancer Research Director
Cure Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma International (iCureASPS)
e-mail: landesmany@yahoo.com 

This weekend, Team ASPS rode the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (PMC) for the 6th time. This bike-a-thon crosses Massachusetts to raise money for cancer research and clinical trials at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Donations raised by Team ASPS are restricted for research and clinical trials that aim to find cure for Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma. This year’s donations will support ASPS research in the laboratories of Dr. Glenn Dranoff and Dr. Massimo Loda.

In the past six years, we have worked hand in hand with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The results of that work are the first “Cancer Vaccine” Clinical Trial to treat ASPS.  The trial opened in November 2005 and following that the ARQ197 clinical trial opened as well.

I am asking you to help and sponsor Team ASPS and directly support the current efforts to find a cure for Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma.

We welcome online donations through the pmc.org website: http://www.pmc.org/.  Click on the “e-gifts” link on the upper left side of the website page. Then use the code YL0002 as the eGift ID number.
 
We thank you for your support.
 
Together we will find the cure!

Best Wishes,

Yosef Landesman

______________________________________________________

Yosef Landesman, Ph.D.
President & Cancer Research Director
Cure Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma International (iCureASPS)
e-mail: landesmany@yahoo.com

On 26 January 2009, we lost Anthony Salisbury (AJ) to ASPS. AJ’s fiancé, family and friends remain committed to finding a cure for ASPS. In February 2009 they organized the“Knockin’ Down ASPS” event. During this fundraiser they collected over $19,000. Of that money, $3,000 went to AJ’s family, and $16,000 were donated to the laboratory of Dr. Glenn Dranoff at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Dr. Dranoff is the developer of the GMCSF Cancer Vaccine (GVAX) which has been used in the clinical trial on ASPS patients at the Dana Farber since November 2005. Dr. Dranoff is currently analyzing the samples and data that were collected during the trial. It is our hope that his analysis and conclusions will lead to a new cancer vaccine clinical trial. We wish to see more clinical trials that may lead to finding an effective treatment and cure for ASPS patients.

Here are few words from Katie Nemgar, AJ’s friend and one of the fundraiser organizers:

“Thank you to everyone who assisted us in the ongoing battle against Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma. The Knockin’ Down ASPS Committee is extremely happy to announce that we raised over $19,000!  We can’t thank each of you enough for your support! The majority of the money that was raised will be sent to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute towards ASPS research, more specifically to the research of Dr. Glenn Dranoff.  The remainder of the money will go to the Salisbury family as they pay off some of AJ’s hospital bills.

Although AJ was unable to physically attend our event, we know that he was there in spirit.  He would have been proud to see everyone come together to spread the word and work toward finding a cure for ASPS.  We think of AJ often and he is dearly missed.  We are grateful to have had the opportunity to know such a genuine person.

We have decided to make Knockin’ Down ASPS an annual event in memory of our good friend.  As the year moves along and plans come to fruition, you will be notified of upcoming information regarding next year’s event.  Our hope is that everyone who participated this year will be able to join us next year!  Once again, thank you to everyone who is helping us in Knockin’ Down ASPS!”

To read more about AJ, and the fundraiser, visit http://www.KnockinDownASPS.com/.

______________________________________________________

Yosef Landesman, Ph.D.
President & Cancer Research Director
Cure Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma International (iCureASPS)
e-mail: landesmany@yahoo.com

A poster presented last month at the 2009 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in Denver, CO, announced a breakthrough in research that aims to find a cure for ASPS.

For the first time, a team of researchers, among them Dr. David Vistica, reported their success in the establishment of a stable Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma cell line for the first time. The origin of this cell line is from a lymph node metastasis which was donated by a female patient. Very importantly, the cell line was carefully tested and was found to maintain the characteristics of the original ASPS tumor for over three years.

This cell line will facilitate investigations into the biology of ASPS, and aid in the pre-clinical identification of new ASPS therapeutics. Here below is the abstract of the poster:

Establishment and characterization of ASPS-1, a novel cell line derived from metastatic alveolar soft part sarcoma

Investigation into the biology of Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma (ASPS) and preclinical evaluation of potential ASPS therapeutics have been severely hampered by the lack of both in vitro and in vivo models of this soft tissue sarcoma. Recently we have described an in vivo xenograft model of ASPS in sex-matched NOD.SCID\NCr mice. This model, established from a lymph node metastasis from a female patient, has maintained characteristics consistent with those of the original ASPS tumor for over 3 years. Characteristics studied include: (1) tumor histology and staining with Periodic Acid Schiff/Diastase, (2) the presence of the ASPL-TFE3 type 1 fusion transcript, (3) nuclear staining with antibodies to the ASPL-TFE3 type 1 fusion protein, (4) maintenance of the t(X;17)(p11;q25) translocation characteristic of ASPS, (5) stable expression of signature ASPS gene transcripts and finally, the development and maintenance of a functional vascular network, a hallmark of ASPS. Utilizing this ASPS xenografted tumor we have successfully developed the first cell line of this rare pediatric sarcoma. Organoid nests consisting of 15-25 ASPS cells were isolated from ASPS xenograft tumors by capture on 70 um filters and plated in vitro. Following attachment to the substratum, these nests deposited small aggregates of ASPS cells. Over a period of 1.5 years, these cells were expanded and monitored for the following: ASPL-TFE3 type 1 fusion transcript, the t(X;17)(p11;q25) translocation and expression of up regulated ASPS transcripts involved in angiogenesis (ANGPTL2, HIF1 alpha, MDK, MET,VEGF, TIMP-2) , cell proliferation (PRL, PCSK1, IGFBP1), metastasis (ADAM9) as well as the transcription factor BHLHB3 and the muscle specific transcripts TRIM63 and ITGB1BP3. This ASPS cell line forms colonies in soft agar and retains the ability to produce highly vascularized ASPS tumors in NOD.SCID\NCr mice. Immunohistochemistry of selected ASPS markers on these tumors indicated similarity to those of the original patient tumor as well as to xenografted ASPS tumors. This ASPS cell line will facilitate investigation into the biology of ASPS and aid in the pre-clinical identification of new ASPS therapeutics.

Authors:  Susan Kenney, David T. Vistica, Luke Stockwin, Sandra Burkett, Melinda Hollingshead, Suzanne Borgel, David Schrump, Robert Shoemaker. NCI-Frederick, Frederick, MD, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD

______________________________________________________

Yosef Landesman, Ph.D.
President & Cancer Research Director
Cure Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma International (iCureASPS)
e-mail: landesmany@yahoo.com