Clinical Trials Database Explained
You may not have noticed, but the clinical trials section of the website has changed dramatically in the last month. This section of the website is now database-driven and has a lot more information.
New Immunotherapy Approach Advances
The new treatment uses T cells, a type of immune cell that are taken from the patient’s body, genetically modified and then reinfused into the patient. These modified T cells are called chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. In previous trials with these modified T cells, tumor responses have been modest and they did not persist for long enough after being re-introduced into the patient. Using this second generation CAR T cell, Dr. Carl June and his colleagues at Penn obtained long-lasting persistence once the cells were re-introduced.
Countdown to Election Day
Here is a handy snapshot of how the proposed affordable care act impacts GIST patients.
LRG research team efforts compare well to a bigger and costlier project
How does a $2 million-a-year cancer research effort with a team of nine scientists keep pace with a $100 million-a-year project with a team of 200? Pretty well, it turns out. With the Cancer Genome Atlas project in the news lately—the New York Times recently reported on progress in its colon cancer work—we decided to compare some of its data with that of the Life Raft Group’s Research Team and its D-Day Project. Our research focuses on GIST.
Ten Tips For Cancer Caregivers
Caring for someone suffering from an illness is hard, there’s no other way to put it. Most of the time it gets easier but in the beginning right after a surgery, it can be very emotionally draining and frightening. Caring for someone you love is even more so as there is an emotional connection, a deep desire to alleviate the pain and suffering we see in the eyes of the person whose bedside we are hovering over.
Masitinib, other trials presented at ASCO
Two posters were presented by principal investigators in the Phase 2 and 3 trials of masitinib for the treatment of newly diagnosed GIST patients.
Member’s BBQ raises funds and awareness in Virginia
Life Raft Group member Jason DeLorenzo held his annual “DeLoBQ” fundraiser last month in Alexandria, Virginia. The BBQ has raised almost $2,000 thus far, and donations are still coming! Jason explains the growing success of [...]
Times series underscores LRG research team’s approach
The first in a series of New York Times articles by science writer Gina Kolata on new approaches to cancer treatment underscored the type of cutting-edge approaches taken by the Life Raft Group’s own team of researchers. [...]
Agreement in Guatemala to benefit GIST patients
An agreement to secure the entry of Gleevec for Guatemalan GIST and chronic myeloid leukemia patients was reached with the Central American country’s government July 10, following advocacy efforts by Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Alianza GIST and [...]
Alianza GIST joins forces with Brazilian partner
Alianza GIST and Oncoguia have formalized a new partnership to work together to benefit GIST patients in Brazil. The first goal of this partnership is to identify GIST patients in the different regions of [...]