Alaoui Lab News & Events

NIH Awards $2.2m Collaborative Grant to Two UCSF Scientists

The NIH has awarded two UCF scientists, Hassan Lemjabbar-Alaoui, Ph.D and Joanna J. Phillips, M.D., Ph.D., a five-year $2.2m grant to study the clinical utility of extracellular heparan sulfate endosulfatases, or SULFs, as biomarkers for early detection of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and malignant astrocytoma. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. and world-wide. Astrocytomas are primary brain neoplasms (tumors). Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common and malignant primary brain tumor, was responsible for the death of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy. The U01 mechanism that funded this grant, also known as a collaborative R01, is reserved for highly innovative cross-disciplinary projects that hold great promise for scientific advancements. Here Dr. Alaoui, an Assistant Adjunct Professor of Surgery, and a member of the UCSF Thoracic Oncology Program and Thoracic Oncology Lab, has teamed with Dr. Phillips, an Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery and Pathology and Co-Director of the Brain Tumor Research Center Tissue Bank, to investigate plasma levels of SULFs, which are overexpressed in each of these lethal cancers. 

"Inside Surgery", The Department of Surgery Newsletter, Summer 2012

This issue of Inside Surgery describes several exciting developments that are advancing our ability to provide outstanding care for a range of patients including the new Hepatobiliary Service, under the direction of  Carlos Corvera, M.D., which provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary care for patients with liver and bile duct disease. Other topics include updates on  Endocrine Surgery, San Fancisco General Hospital's Wraparound Project, and notable rankings of our surgeons within U.S. News & World Report annual update.

Mulitgene Assay Better Predictor of Survival than Conventional Staging

In the two largest clinical studies ever conducted on the molecular genetics of lung cancer, an international team, led by UCSF thoracic surgeons David M. Jablons, M.D. and Michael Mann, M.D., demonstrated that a 14-gene prognostic molecular assay better predicted the likelihood of death in early-stage lung cancer  patients versus conventional staging guidelines. Johannes Kratz, M.D., a former surgical resident in the  Thoracic Oncology Laboratory, helped spearhead the  development of the assay and was lead author of a paper published in The Lancet discussing the results. John Minna, M.D.", Max L. Thomas Distinguished Chair in Molecular Pulmonary Oncology at UT Southwestern lauded the results, stating that the assay was  "head and shoulders" above the rest and ready for "prime time" clinical use.

UCSF-Pfizer Collaboration Project to Fast-Track Treatments for Lung Cancer

A team consisting of Hassan Lemjabbar-Alaoui, Ph.D.,  Assistant Adjunct Professor of Surgery and principal Investigator in the Thoracic Oncology Laboratory and Alaoui Lab, and Steven Rosen, PhD, Professor and Vice-chair of the Department of Anatomy, are developing a novel treatment for lung cancer in a unique collaboration between UCSF and Pfizer, the world's largest drug company. The Rosen-Alaoui team has identified an enzyme found at high levels in lung and other cancers and is developing antibodies to target the enzyme and disable the cancer, even in cells rendered cancerous by cigarette smoke.The partnership enables the teams to combine their unique areas of expertise to push the pace of development, Rosen said. "That's the whole idea: merge our strengths and speed the process along, compared to what either party could do alone." 

Thoracic Oncology Lab Acquires State-of-the-Art DNA Sequencer

The UCSF Thoracic Oncology Laboratory recently acquired the 5500 Series SOLiDTM , a next-generation DNA sequencer manufactured by Life Technologies Inc. This state-of-the-art sequencer offers a level of precision  previously unattainable, and empowers lab scientists to more deeply probe the underlying molecular biology of myriad cancers: from primary thoracic tumors such as lung cancer, esophageal cancer, and mesothelioma, to metastatic sarcoma, melanoma, colorectal cancer, and breast cancer that has spread to the lung.Insights gained from  this research could lead to more effective treatments, and possibly a cure for these diseases.

The UCSF Thoracic Oncology Program, led by David M. Jablons, M.D., has been at the forefront of groundbreaking laboratory and clinical research, and offers expert and compassionate care through its multidisciplinary team of thoracic specialists. The Thoracic Oncology Program at UCSF would like to acknowledge Gordon and Emily Bankhead and the Kazan, McClain, Abrams, Fernandez, Lyons, Greenwood, Harley & Oberman Foundation for their generous support.

Thoracic Oncology Program - The Year in Review

Every July, the Thoracic Oncology Program provides a summary update of its accomplishments during the prior twelve (12) months. The program  continues to grow and innovate.  General Thoracic Surgery continues to innovate and expand the number of minimally invasive procedures it performs. The program's status as the busiest on the West Coast and the best place to refer complex and challenging cases continues. With  a strong multidisciplinary team including UCSF Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology and Pulmonology, the program continues to offer state-of-the-art care for the region and beyond.

Landmark Study Unequivocal that CT Screening Reduces Lung Cancer Deaths

Researchers reported in the New England Journal of Medicine that screening smokers and former smokers with spiral CT scans reduced  lung cancer deaths by 20%, reaffirming earlier findings in the NLST screening trial. David M. Jablons, M.D., Professor and Chief of Thoracic Surgery and Program Leader of the Thoracic Oncology Program noted the study's significance:

"This is a landmark study and a landmark day for millions of people at risk for lung cancer. This study vindicates numerous pioneering investigators worldwide who have advocated for the utility and benefit of low-dose spiral CT scans for the early detection of lung cancer. The results announced today lay settle the question of using the low-dose spiral CT scan for the at-risk population. CT scans can save lives. It is our hope that third-party payers and insurers will embrace these results which will lead to more screening, a new standard of care and most importantly, saving lives."

Thoracic Oncology Program Launches Lab Collaboration in China

The UCSF Thoracic Oncology Laboratory, led by David Jablons, M.D., Professor and Chief of Thoracic Surgery and Program Leader of Thoracic Oncology, recently launched its first Lung Cancer Joint Laboratory in China, an alliance with Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Disease (China National Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease) and the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College. A signing ceremony was held in Guangzhou, China.

Thoracic Oncology Lab Presents Lung Cancer Data at First Ever Stem Cell Conference in Spain

On October 9th-10th, 2008, Spain held its first ever conference on Stem Cells and Cancer. The meeting was organized by Professor Luis M. Antón Aparicio. PhD, MD,
Hospital Universitario Juan Canalejo. La Coruña. Spain (University Hospital Juan Canalejo, in La La Coruña. Spain). Adam Beltrán, MD, a surgical research fellow in the Thoracic Oncology Program, presented research about the potential therapeutic opportunities heralded by stems cells for the management of lung cancer. The conference was covered by a number of Spanish media outlets resulting in several stories.

Putting Drug Development In Patients' Hands

"To find answers, Mrs. Addario and her husband, along with David M. Jablons, her surgeon from the University of California, San Francisco, put together a two-day conference last fall of lung cancer researchers from major institutions around the world. She says the group identified a number of problems that hinder progress toward a cure. Among them: Researchers didn't know what others were doing, tissue and blood specimens needed for experiments weren't centrally located or shared, and the findings of experiments weren't integrated to help assess what the key priorities should be. Mrs. Addario started a new organization, the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute, and hired CollabRx to address some of these issues. The company is helping the institute build a virtual specimen bank where researchers participating in the project can share patient specimens and establish joint standards for collecting future specimens."