Promising Breakthrough by Teri Brentnall, MD Could Lead to Diagnostic Tool
and Provide New Avenues of Research into Fourth Deadliest Cancer
NEW YORK and BETHPAGE, N.Y., Dec. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Teri Brentnall,
MD, of the University of Washington, today announced the breakthrough
discovery of a gene, which, when mutated, causes pancreatic cancer in
families. This discovery may allow for earlier detection of the disease as
well as for intervention in patients who are at a high-risk because two or
more members of their family have the disease. It also has promising
implications for better understanding the sporadic instances of pancreatic
cancer that occur in the general population. The announcement was made at a
press conference this morning, which was broadcast live on the Web. The Web
cast will be available for one year at
http://www.videonewswire.com/event.asp?id=36890.
Critical funding during the early stages of Dr. Brentnall's work was
provided by The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, the
world's largest private foundation dedicated exclusively to supporting
pancreatic cancer research.
Said Dr. Brentnall, "The Lustgarten Foundation believed in our research
ideas when many others did not, and they put their money where their
beliefs were. With their support, my team and I found a key that may help
unlock the mystery of pancreatic cancer. We are excited and eager to use
this discovery to further our understanding of this devastating disease. I
want to thank Charles Dolan, Dr. Vizza, Kerri Kaplan and the entire
Lustgarten Foundation team for their support of our research efforts."
Said Dr. Robert Vizza, President of The Lustgarten Foundation, "One of
the most devastating aspects of pancreatic cancer is that far too often it
is detected after it has spread. Dr. Brentnall's discovery of this gene
opens up promising new avenues of research regarding two of the most
important objectives in the fight against pancreatic cancer - early
detection and treatment."
Said Dr. Robert Mayer, Director, Center for Gastrointestinal Oncology
at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, professor at Harvard, and Chairman of the
Scientific Advisory Board of The Lustgarten Foundation, "One key reason
pancreatic cancer is so deadly is that we don't have any means of screening
or early detection. Finding an abnormal gene that appears in families with
pancreatic cancer, and perhaps in others, offers us hope that we can
improve the outcome for patients suffering from this terrible disease."
Said Kerri Kaplan, Executive Director of The Lustgarten Foundation,
"The Lustgarten Foundation is thrilled that our support for Dr. Brentnall's
research has resulted in this breakthrough identification of a gene that
causes pancreatic cancer."
About Dr. Brentnall's Research
For the past 10 years, Dr. Brentnall and her team at the University of
Washington's Research Laboratories have been working on one of the major
"mysteries" of pancreatic cancer - why the disease occurs in two or more
family members in at least 10% of all pancreatic cancer cases, and why the
risk increases with each member of the family who is affected.
Brentnall's team suspected that a certain gene was responsible but they
did not know which one. In order to unlock the mystery, Dr. Brentnall and
the team first identified a family ("Family X") with extremely high
occurrences of pancreatic cancer and, therefore, a seemingly genetic
disposition towards the disease. They then developed new methods for
detecting the disease at its earliest stages. This not only allowed them to
detect pre-cancer before it became cancer and spread - something previously
impossible through old screening methods - it also allowed them to
determine which family members carried the lethal gene. By comparing the
DNA profiles of the individuals in the family who had pre-cancer to those
who were disease-free, Dr. Brentnall discovered that a certain gene, called
Palladin, when mutated, is responsible for causing pancreatic cancer.
About Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the
United States and the third leading cause of cancer deaths in individuals
ages 40 to 60. Currently, pancreatic cancer is difficult to detect,
resistant to treatment, and is usually discovered after it has spread.
Ninety five percent of those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer will die from
it, the majority within 12 months of diagnosis.
About The Lustgarten Foundation
The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research was founded in
1998 through the efforts of Marc Lustgarten, former vice chairman of
Cablevision who died of pancreatic cancer in 1999, and Charles F. Dolan,
chairman of Cablevision. Since its founding, The Lustgarten Foundation has
awarded grants totaling more than $15 million in support of pancreatic
cancer research. For more information regarding the Foundation, its work
and the application process for grants, contact Ms. Kerri Kaplan, Executive
Director, The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, 1111
Stewart Avenue, Bethpage, N.Y. 11714; phone: 516-803-2304, fax:
516-803-2303, Web site: http://www.lustgartenfoundation.org.
Contact:
Kerri Kaplan - 516-803-2305
The Lustgarten Foundation
Stuart Fischer - 646-805-2011
and Amy Gross - 646-805-2037
Robinson Lerer & Montgomery
SOURCE Lustgarten Foundation
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Related links:
http://www.lustgartenfoundation.org
CONTACT:
Kerri Kaplan of The Lustgarten Foundation,
+1-516-803-2305; or Stuart Fischer, +1-646-805-2011, or Amy
Gross, +1-646-805-2037, both of Robinson Lerer & Montgomery
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