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

The PMC is a bike-a-thon that crosses Massachusetts to raise money for cancer research and treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston. In August 2008, Team AVEO joined Team ASPS in our efforts to collect funds for finding a cure for ASPS. All of the funds raised by Team ASPS go directly to ASPS research at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

Team AVEO represents the biotechnology company AVEO Pharmaceuticals in the Pan Massachusetts Challenge (PMC). This year was the first year that Team AVEO restricted their donations for ASPS research, and the fifth year in a row for Team ASPS. Some of our riders rode 90 miles and others rode 150 miles. The total sum collected by Team AVEO and Team ASPS was $27,003 and $32,090, respectively.

The total donation of $59,093 will support work done by two lead researchers at the DFCI: Dr. Andrew Wagner, a principal investigator in the ARQ197 clinical trial, and Dr. Massimo Loda, who aims to identify new targets for therapy through the analysis of ASPS tissue samples.

iCureASPS would like to extend its thanks from the ASPS community to Team AVEO, Team ASPS 2008, our donors, friends, and family members, for helping us in our fight to find a cure for our loved ones.

Photos below are courtesy of David Eisenberg and are copyright protected by Flickr.

______________________________________________________

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

Team iCureASPS dedicated a 50 mile bike ride to the 2008 Team Sarcoma Initiative. The ride was on the route between Wellesley and Wrentham, MA. It was the last training session for our riders who are preparing for the PMC bike ride that will take place during this coming weekend. The international sarcoma awareness week (July 12-20) is a project of the “Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative” which was founded by Bruce Shriver. During that week, over 6,000 people participated in over 70 sports events in 14 countries! The goal of the project is to increase awareness and collect the very needed funds for research and clinical trials for sarcoma. To read more about the Team sarcoma Initiative please click this link.

Dear ASPS patients, family members and friends!

Alveolar soft Part Sarcoma is a very rare cancer that attacks teenagers and young people. Unfortunately it does not respond to conventional therapies, such as radiation and chemotherapy. In 2004, the ASPS community established a team of bike riders as a tool to raise money for research on ASPS. Thanks to “Team ASPS” and to you, our generous donors, we were able to raise funds to promote the initiation of the first clinical trial for ASPS at the Dana-Farber in Boston, which tested the GVAX Cancer Vaccine. Following this trial, the ARQ 197 clinical trial is now recruiting patients. We should continue our efforts until a cure for ASPS is found.

We are now opening our summer fundraiser to collect funds for research on Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma at the Dana-Farber cancer Institute and ask you to be generous and sponsor the 2008 PMC bike ride of Team ASPS.

This year the donations for Team ASPS will sponsor the collaborative research of Dr. David Fisher (Mass General Hospital Harvard Medical School), and Dr. Andrew Wagner and Dr. Massimo Loda (Dana Farber Cancer Institute) on Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma.

There are two convenient ways to donate:

1. On-line donations through the pmc.org website. After you enter the PMC site, click on the “e-gifts” link on the upper left side of the page. You will be directed to a web page, which its title will say: “Click the type of donation you wish to make”. Then choose: “Sponsor one Rider with one donation”, then you can locate my fundraising account by typing my name (Yosef Landesman), or by typing my eGift ID number: YL0002. Fill in the amount of your donation, then your personal and credit card information, and submit your donation.

2. Alternatively you can write a check payable to “PMC-Team ASPS YL0002”. Mail your donations to:

Yosef Landesman
260 Tappan St.
Brookline, MA 02445

The PMC tax ID number is 04-2746912. To read the non-profit 501c3 letter of the PMC please click this link.

Thank you very much for your support!

______________________________________________________

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

iCureASPS is looking for active members of the ASPS community to help maintaining viable collaborations with scientists who perform ASPS research in medical centers. If you wish to be part of an active search for Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma Cure, please contact us!

Such a new collaboration was recently established with Dr. Dina Lev at the Department of Cancer Biology at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. The contact person from iCureASPS for this collaboration is Dr. Nancy Landfish, who serves as the iCureASPS Medical Affairs Director.

Recently, a member in the iCureASPS community donated the first $5,000 to support Dr. Dina Lev’s research, who recently published a scientific paper: “Angiogenesis-promoting gene patterns in Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma”. Dr. Dina Lev conducts research on the highly vascular (angiogenic) nature of ASPS because she believes that this is an important factor driving ASPS metastasis. Her laboratory evaluates gene expression of ASPS frozen samples to identify candidate genes, possibly contributing to ASPS angiogenesis. Next, she would like to study the importance of these genes and gene products in ASPS metastasis, and their possible regulation by the ASPL-TFE3 fusion gene. Lev’s studies may potentially result in better understanding of ASPS progression, and would lead to identification of targets for the development of novel therapeutics.

The specific aims of Dr. Dina Lev are to:

1. Create an annotated paraffin and frozen tissue bank for ASPS.
2. Collaborate with other scientists with an interest in ASPS research, with the aim of expanding the available bioresources.
3. Study the expression and function of potential angiogenic factors in ASPS.
4. Investigate the effect of the ASPL-TFE3 fusion gene on the expression of the studied angiogenic factors.

If you are interested in supporting Dr. Lev’s research, please write to Dr. Nancy Landfish at Nancy.Landfish@HCAhealthcare.com.

______________________________________________________

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

In the first week of August 2007, Team ASPS participated in the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (PMC) bike ride for the fourth time. This bike-a-thon crosses Massachusetts to raise money for cancer research and treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston. Some of our riders rode 90 miles and others rode 150 miles. The money that our team raised is specifically dedicated to finding a cure for ASPS. The total sum collected by our team this year is $34,649! These donations will support ASPS research in three laboratories at the DFCI. To read more about this research at DFCI, click here.

One week prior to the PMC bike ride, iCureASPS hosted a private reception to honor Team ASPS riders and researchers from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

iCureASPS would like to thank the riders of Team ASPS 2007: David Eisenberg (captain of Team ASPS), Adam Eisenberg, Benji Eisenberg, Sara Eisenberg, Eugenie Gore, Ynbal Landesman, Hila Landesman, Yosef Landesman, Tim Schuettge and Katya Tsaioun. We thank our donors, good friends, family members and the ASPS community for supporting iCureASPS efforts to find a cure.

Photos below are courtesy of David Eisenberg and are copyright protected by Flickr.

Click here to see more photos from the event!

______________________________________________________

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

(UPDATED July 29, 2007) A few weeks ago, iCureASPS team started its training for the PMC bike ride that will take place August 4-5 2007. The fundraiser to support the research and clinical trial at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute is open. Please take the initiative TODAY. Please make a donation NOW to support the efforts to find a cure for Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma.

Our team ride July 15 was dedicated to the 2007 Team Sarcoma Initiative (SEE OUR TEAM PHOTO BELOW). Team Sarcoma is an internationally coordinated set of events to raise awareness of sarcoma and funds to support sarcoma research, clinical trials, and patient and family services. Our 50 mile ride was one of over 50 “Team Sarcoma Events”, which took place in 13 countries and 21 states in the USA, July 14-21 2007.

Please click the following link to see a short presentation about Sarcoma: A Forgotten Cancer.

Please click the link below to read about the various Team Sarcoma Initiative: 2007 Team Sarcoma Initiative Events.

  ______________________________________________________  

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

Sunday, January 14th was the coldest day in the metropolitan Phoenix area if the past 17 years. It did not dampen the spirit of the runners assembled for the PF Chang’s Rock N Roll marathon. Temperatures at the start were approximately 27 degrees.

Two runners participated in the half marathon in support of Team ASPS and in loving memory of Matthew Scott Pinson. Danna Quinn, Matt’s mom, and Andreia Griego, a coworker and supporter, each completed the race. Andreia managed to finish in less than 2 hours, an excellent accomplishment. The race was an inspiration for not only the runners, running for many different causes and charities, but for the spectators as well, braving the cold to cheer on their family and friends.

It is a testament to Matt’s life that so many felt moved to contribute. I want to send my thanks to everyone. I am most appreciative of everyone’s support. Your generous donations helped to raise over $5,400. Thanks to those that supported Andreia and myself, to those that raised money in their own work places, from business partners, even at the race track. It is truly amazing what we can accomplish together.

Watch for details for next year’s event. Get out those running shoes and start training!

With hope that we find a cure,
Danna Quinn, mother of Matt

Join us in our fight against Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma (ASPS) by sponsoring runner Danna Quinn in the “P.F. Chang’s Rock’n Roll” Marathon & Half Marathon on January 14th, 2006 in Phoenix, AZ.
Contributions are tax deductible.

Danna Quinn, mother of Matt will be running the half marathon in memory of her beloved son and will be raising money for the current ASPS cancer vaccine clinical trial at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. All money raised will go directly to support ASPS research and trials. Danna is hoping that everyone in the ASPS community can sponsor her for a dollar or two a mile (13 miles is how far she will be running). This is the First Memorial event for Matt, and Danna hopes everyone understands how important is it to continue to fight this terrible disease in Matt’s memory.

About Matt:

Matthew was a senior in high school and a varsity football player in September of 2003 when he noticed a lump on his hip. Doctors’ visits, tests, and biopsies followed and in early October, at the age of 18, he was diagnosed with a very rare cancer called Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma (ASPS). Given his excellent physical condition, we believed that he would fight and win his battle, but ASPS is a formidable opponent. It is a chemo resistant cancer and there is currently no known cure. At the age of 19, only 10 months after his diagnoses and just 2 months after his high school graduation, he was called home. He fought the brave fight, amazing all with his courage and his continued love, care and concern for others in the face of his own struggles. Matt was truly an angel on earth, and we know he continues to watch over us. He touched not only his entire family, but the countless friends, teachers, coaches and even the acquaintances that crossed his path. His spirit lives on in each of us that were fortunate enough to have known and loved him.

How to make a donation:

Please make checks payable to “Team ASPS”. Dollars go directly to Dana Farber Cancer Institute through The Pan Massachusetts Challenge (PMC). PMC is a non profit organization under section 501c3. There are no administrative costs, so all dollars raised go directly to the clinical trials and are designated specifically for ASPS.
For the address to send checks and more information please contact Danna Quinn.

I am very pleased to inform you that “Cure Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma International” has transferred 37,429 dollars to support the research and clinical trial which are currently held at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. “Team ASPS” rode in the August 2006 PMC bike ride and collected those funds. Since 2004, our team raised 111,841 dollars. All of those funds were transferred to the Dana Farber and are used exclusively for ASPS research programs.

I am also proud to inform you that “Cure Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma International” has transferred 5,000 dollars to support pre-clinical studies that are aimed to find out if a new drug under development has benefits for Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma patients. This research is currently held at the Volcani Institute near Tel-Aviv in Israel. More details about this new project will be given at a later time.

I would like to thank “Team ASPS” members, to our donors and to all of you in the ASPS community for your generosity, commitment and dedication. It is through hard work and perseverance that we will find the cure for our loved ones.

__________________________

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