C AW LE Y CEN T ER F OR T R ANSL AT I O N AL C AN CER RE SE ARC H
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There are two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as though everything is a miracle.” ALBERT EINSTEIN
Disease demands us to question. Research drives answers. Answers bring hope.
We are on a mission to save lives —
for the miracles that inspire our research
and the families who are counting on them.
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T R A NSL AT IONA L ST UDIES E X T END T HE BOUNDA RIES OF WHAT WE K NOW A BOU T C A NC ER .
Established in 2009, the Cawley Center for
the U.S. — and the Graham Cancer Center’s high
Translational Cancer Research is a collaborative
clinical trials accrual rate allows researchers
program of the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center
to collect and preserve high-quality specimens
With forward-thinking collaboration, the Cawley Center for Translational Cancer Research at
& Research Institute, the University of Delaware,
from a widely diverse patient population,
Christiana Care Health System’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute links
Nemours/A.I. duPont Hospital for Children,
providing a boon to bench-to-bedside research.
physicians and scientific researchers under the same roof. Working side by side, together they
and the Delaware Biotechnology Institute. It’s
Our tissue banking resource is a lifeline to
identify needs of individual patients at the bedside, explore solutions in the lab and translate
a powerful link dramatically impacting the way
scientists seeking viable research specimens to
those results directly into treatment plans as unique as the individuals who will benefit from them.
cancer is treated all over the country — and it’s
test new therapies.
all happening right here at Christiana Care.
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The Graham Cancer Center’s partnership with
In our 7,000 square-foot laboratory space,
The Wistar Institute of Philadelphia is the only
translational researchers use the most
one of its kind between an NCI-designated
sophisticated equipment to investigate the
research center and an independent academic
biochemical and molecular causes of cancer.
community cancer center. The National Cancer
Its position within Christiana Care — one of the
Institute describes this unique collaboration as
largest community-based health systems in
“extraordinary and innovative.”
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Translational cancer research speeds the discoveries made in scientific labs to clinical trials that benefit patients. It is a journey into the unknown that begins with an idea, usually born in discussions between the scientist and a clinician. Once the idea is incubated, it needs an infusion of dollars to move toward further research in the lab, and then to clinical trials for patients. Your gift will provide vital early-stage funding
New and better ways to prevent, detect and stop the growth of many cancers are the direct result of translational research.
to accelerate lab research and subsequent progress to clinical trials and strengthen the case for grant funding down the line. At Christiana Care, we are extending the boundaries; accelerating the cure. We invite you to be part of it!
D I SC OVE RI N G how cancer stem cells drive tumor growth. ST U DYI N G how genetic exchanges transform abnormal cells. E VA LUAT I N G new biomarkers to detect early stage breast and ovarian cancer. I D E N T I F YI N G individuals with an increased genetic risk for cancer.
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JANICE E. NEVIN, M.D., MPH
NICHOLAS J. PETRELLI, M.D., FACS
President and Chief Executive Officer Christiana Care Health System
Bank of America Endowed Medical Director Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute
TA RG E T I N G new therapies for aggressive cancers.
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T HE G E NE E DI T ING INS T I T U T E A worldwide leader in gene editing and biomedical research In one of the most exciting, innovative and quickly evolving areas of biomedical research, scientists at Christiana Care’s Gene Editing Institute are unlocking the genetic mechanisms that drive cancer and pioneering novel therapies and anticancer drugs to revolutionize cancer treatment. The Gene Editing Institute is a worldwide leader
the focus of their research. It’s an unprecedented
in gene editing and biomedical research in
level of bench-to-bedside collaboration that
cancer and other inherited diseases and the
inspires new depths of patient-centered research
only one embedded in a clinical center where
and is capturing the attention of the worldwide
daily interactions among oncologists, genetic
research community.
counselors and patients take place. This unique collaboration brings translational cancer research — from innovative basic science directly to patient treatment — to an entirely new level.
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Christiana Care’s Gene Editing Institute is about real people, and their needs and experience of care — not just about technology. Working within a community cancer center, side-by-side with genetic
No other gene editing research group in the country
counselors and physicians, the research team
has the advantage of editing DNA sequences
gains unique insight into how their work intersects
within the walls of a community cancer center,
with the realities of health care and the lives of
side-by-side with the clinicians and patients as
cancer patients.
JUST AS E AC H PERSON IS DIFFEREN T, SO TOO IS E AC H PERSON ’S CANC ER . I T ’S WRI T T EN IN OUR DNA .
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THE GENE EDITING INSTITUTE While everyone hopes for a cure, researchers at the Gene Editing Institute also understand that better treatments with less-toxic side effects are urgently needed now. They understand that access to care is a crucial consideration, and that breakthrough treatments are most impactful when they are available at a cost that society can afford. Led by internationally recognized molecular biologist and gene editing pioneer Eric Kmiec, Ph.D., the Gene Editing Institute is on a mission to conduct world-class and rigorous science, partner with respected science and business organizations
Gene editing is not abstract.
It’s not on the horizon; it’s overhead.
A promising solution Gene editing has opened the doors to revolutionary ways to treat cancer and many diseases. The tools
And it’s here in Delaware.” ERIC KMIEC, Ph.D. Director, Gene Editing Institute Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute
have been refined and improved over the last few years and we now mark a watershed moment with one of the first clinical trials in the U.S. using gene editing about to embark at the Graham Cancer Center. Gene editing could literally wipe out certain diseases and make cancer treatments quicker and easier, with fewer side effects.
and work quickly to take what is learned and use it to improve lives today. Dr. Kmiec and his team are making international headlines paving the way for the next generation of scientists to use — and advance — TALENs and EXACT CRISPR/Cas9 technologies for genome customization.
E X T E N D I N G T H E B O U N DA RI ES
> The Graham Cancer Center is finalizing a human clinical trial to treat lung cancer using CRISPR-directed gene editing to reduce tumor size and lessen the toxicity and adverse effects often borne by cancer patients due to chemotherapy.
> The Gene Editing Institute is collaborating with the melanoma team at The Wistar Institute Cancer Center on a clinical study to reignite the powerful potential of human T cells in the treatment of melanoma. If the approach is validated, the strategy will process rapidly toward clinical application to address one of the most common cancers in Delaware. Initial studies have been successfully completed and plans are underway for a clinical trial for patients diagnosed with melanoma.
> The Graham Cancer Center is partnering with Nemours Center for Childhood Cancer Research, with funding from the U.S. Illustration of CRISPR-CAS9 gene editing complex
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National Institutes of Health, to develop a gene editing strategy for the treatment of leukemia. 9
S T E M
C E L L
WH E N C ONVE N T IONA L ISN ’ T C ONVE N T ION
K NOWL E DG E IS K E Y
Stem cell research targets cancer at its roots
Genetic counseling and statewide high-risk family cancer registry
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G E N E T I C
R E S E A R C H
Bruce Boman’s transformative work in stem cell research forces us to relook at conventional approaches for more aggressive strategies to prevent and treat cancer. His team has helped
Inherited traits carried in our genes can influence overall health and susceptibility to disease.
identify normal stem cells as mutated, or changed cells, that develop as a tumor grows.
Christiana Care’s Cancer Genetic Counseling Program offers comprehensive risk assessment
These stem cells are few in number, but because they remain in the cells and repeat the
and genetic testing to help patients identify cancer risks based on family history and
process of dividing into more cells, they change again into cancer stem cells.
genetics, as well as personal and environmental factors.
This breakthrough in colon cancer research is driving
directs focus to the roots of cancer’s origins at the
a promising therapeutic strategy for targeting highly
molecular and cellular levels, and could improve
resistant cancer stem cells.
survival and quality of life for patients with drug-
This crucial information not only helps individual patients make informed treatment decisions based on their own familial risks, it helps translational researchers identify, track and address risk factors
resistant, advanced colorectal cancer.
that run in Delaware families.
Colon cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and traditional therapies
Patterns highlighted by this information are so
designed to kill the bulk of cancer tumor cells
important to helping us understand and learn more
continue to fall short of a cure for advanced, drug-
about cancer that Christiana Care broadened its own
resistant colon cancers. This breakthrough research
database into a statewide high-risk family cancer registry — the first and still only program in the
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nation to look at heredity factors from a community
perspective. With information on more than 260,000
The discovery of cancer stem cells
has been nothing less than a paradigm shift. The optimal way to treat cancer — especially advanced cancer —
ZOHRA ALI-KHAN CATTS, MS, LCGC Director, Cancer Genetic Counseling Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute
individuals and 7,000 families, it is a critical resource helping to drive down Delaware’s mortality rate from cancer twice as fast as the rest of the nation.
is to eliminate cancer stem cells.” BRUCE BOMAN, M.D., Ph.D., MSPH, FACP Senior Research Scientist Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute
E X T EN D I N G T H E B O U N DA R I ES
> Christiana Care partners with the University of Delaware and Thomas Jefferson University to train the next generation of genetic counselors. Christiana Care’s Genetic Counseling Program is now approved by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling as an advanced degree training program.
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B R E A S T
New ways to fight breast cancer
C A N C E R
R E S E A R C H
WHAT A DROP OF BLOOD CAN T ELL US
The mere thought of breast cancer strikes fear in every woman. Even with ever-more promising treatment options, we can’t help but share the worry. “Will it be me? Will her cancer come back? Can we ever truly stop worrying about breast cancer?” In a major breakthrough in breast cancer
is visible with standard imaging, and enable much
research, Christiana Care Senior Scientist Jennifer
earlier, life-saving treatment.
Sims-Mourtada, Ph.D., director of the Translational Breast Cancer Research Program, has partnered with Genome Profiling LLC, lending industry expertise in molecular information, to provisionally patent a revolutionary blood screening test with the potential to determine whether cancer is present and likely
This test is critical and will have a major impact in Delaware, a state with the highest incidence of triple negative breast cancer in the U.S. Based on early success, a patent application has been submitted and this project is expected to result in a royalty-bearing license for commercialization.
to spread.
The early stage research was generously funded
Until this Christiana Care discovery, no truly effective
through proceeds from the Friends of the Helen F.
method existed to monitor patients’ response to
Graham Cancer Center Celebration of Hope in 2017.
E X T E N D I NG T H E BO U N DA RI ES
breast cancer treatment for possible recurrence.
Philanthropic support will keep the project moving
> The Translational Breast Cancer Research team is working
Clinicians will soon use this new assay in conjunction
forward through scaled-up patient testing in a larger
with screening mammography to follow changes in
number of patients — the necessary next step prior to
the immune response to detect an increase in tumor
submission to the FDA for approval.
cells over time. Novel biomarkers allow scientists to detect recurrence or metastatic disease before it
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> Dr. Sims-Mourtada and her team are also generating data on
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to identify new, targeted therapies for Triple Negative Breast Cancer, an aggressive form of the disease that accounts for approximately 15 percent of all breast cancers and for which there is currently no effective therapy available. There is a critical need for targeted agents to improve survival outcomes and decrease toxicity associated with multiple rounds of chemotherapy.
We want to accurately predict and mitigate the risk for our patients.” JENNIFER SIMS-MOURTADA, Ph.D.
a potential treatment that will improve how patients with high CD8+ T cells respond to chemotherapy.
Senior Scientist and Director Translational Breast Cancer Research Program
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L U N G
C A N C E R
R E S E A R C H
BIOMARK ERS AND BLOOD T EST S
Helping to create the world’s first commercial blood test for lung cancer As one of the original National Cancer Institute-selected Community Cancer Centers, and now part of NCI’s Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP), the Graham Cancer Center has a leading role in the multifaceted, multidisciplinary approach to improving lung cancer survival and emphasizing prevention strategies for those at high risk. Through a revolutionary partnership with The Wistar
addressing the high false-positive rate from low-
Institute, Christiana Care clinicians have helped
dose CT scans. Another Christiana Care/Wistar
identify a panel of biomarkers circulating in the
partnership is working on a diagnostic test that looks
blood that could detect lung cancer in high-risk
for genetic markers of non-small cell lung cancer.
patients. The biotechnology company OncoCyte is
This early-stage discovery science could have
commercially developing the test scientists believe
dramatic implications in the not-too-distant future
capable of confirming a patient’s diagnosis and
for patients facing lung cancer.
E X T E N D I N G T H E B O U N DA RI ES
> The Gene Editing Institute plans to have a clinical trial for patients before the FDA for approval in 2019 — the first in the United States. This is critical as lung cancer is responsible for 30 percent of cancer deaths in Delaware.
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With Wistar and the Graham Cancer Center as partners, anything is possible. Our basic science research discovery is moving rapidly through development to reach its clinical potential and to treat patients.”
GREGORY MASTERS, M.D. Lung Cancer Specialist and Principal Investigator of NCORP Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute
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G Y N E C O L O G I C A L
C A N C E R
R E S E A R C H
Targeting disease that holds great promise for women The complexity of gynecological cancers requires care that is tailored not only to the disease itself, but to each woman who faces cancers of the ovary, endometrium, uterus, cervix, vagina or vulva. The body’s own immune system holds great promise
gynecologic oncologists Mark Borowsky, M.D.,
for fighting many cancers. Yet one of the greatest
Mark Cadungog, M.D., and Stephanie Jean, M.D.,
obstacles is that available therapies also attack
Christiana Care’s Translational Cancer Research
a woman’s normal, healthy cells, which leads to
Program in ovarian cancer is focused on advancing
difficult treatment side effects.
research in ways to stimulate the body’s own immune
More than 22,000 women will be newly diagnosed
system to fight the disease.
with ovarian cancer this year. Notoriously difficult to
Previous philanthropic support from the Delaware
detect, ovarian cancer is usually diagnosed after it
Ovarian Cancer Foundation has allowed us to jump-
has advanced. Under the expert guidance of
start the program by creating a biorepository of diverse tissue samples for basic bench research.
THE BODY AS I T S OWN BEST DEFENSE
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Through tumor molecular profiling and DNA E X T E N D I N G T H E B O U N DA RI ES
sequencing, the researchers are able to identify
> Christiana Care and Wistar researchers have
and understand different mutations, leading to new
unlocked a receptor protein that is expressed only on the surface of different types of ovarian tumor cells. Using groundbreaking T-cell technology, translational teams are now researching ways to destroy cancerous tumors with no reported side effects. This promising advance complements the latest clinical trials available through our association with the NCI’s Gynecologic Oncology Group.
treatment options. Continued support will allow researchers to translate bench research into therapies and biomarkers that offer the most promising personalized medicine for every woman who needs us.
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If the immune system can be used to recognize and destroy residual ovarian cancer cells, this could lead to a drastic reduction in ovarian cancer recurrence.” MARK CADUNGOG, M.D. Gynecologic Oncologist and Co-Director, Robotic Surgery Christiana Care Health System
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H E A D
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N E C K
C A N C E R
R E S E A R C H
Expanding translational research into new realms for head and neck cancers An alarming rise in HPV-driven mouth and throat cancers among young, non-smoking men drives the urgency for research into new clinical protocols and treatments.
R ADIATION AS THE FIRE STARTER R ATHER T HAN THE FIRE
Christiana Care investigators are using novel therapies combining immunotherapy and precision radiation with the newest generation Elektra Versa HD linear accelerator to improve cure rates and set new standards of care for early and advanced-stage head and neck cancers.
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We are at a unique confluence of world-class expertise, a collaborative culture,
state-of-the-art facilities and expert oncologists that enable us to push promising curative therapies and the latest technologies from the lab to the clinic more quickly than most.” ADAM RABEN, M.D. Chair, Radiation Oncology Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute
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E X T E N D I N G T H E B O U N DA RI ES
> The Graham Cancer Center’s nationally recognized Head and Neck Multidisciplinary Center is expanding its already robust pharmaceutical trials program into unprecedented world-class realms, including genomic testing and targeted therapeutics that provide the most effective, least toxic therapies to improve quality and length of life.
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T H E
A NE XUS OF CARE, T RE AT MEN T, RESE ARC H AND C URE Christiana Care’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute is on the cutting edge of translational research.
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G R A H A M
C A N C E R
C E N T E R
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R E S E A R C H
I N S T I T U T E
All of us dedicated to cancer care will gain much insight from the Graham Cancer Center’s blueprint.” FREDERICK L. GREENE , M.D., FACS Chairman, Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons
Christiana Care’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute is among the most advanced cancer centers in the country, part of a few hybrid academic-community health systems conducting translational cancer research and the only center of its kind committed to high-level advancements in research through its Gene Editing Institute. • Aggressive, coordinated cancer prevention and early detection strategies; a multidisciplinary approach to cancer care; an unparalleled commitment to clinical trials and a team of translational scientists on the leading edge of cancer research all come together under one roof in an exceptional model of cancer care. • This visionary convergence of proven and potential science — and a fervent commitment to care customized to each individual who walks through its doors — is driving a dramatic decline in Delaware’s cancer mortality rate and offering new hope every day to families facing cancer. • Graham Cancer Center is one of the first cancer centers in the nation selected for the National Cancer Institute Community Centers Program (NCORP) to help shape the way cancer care is delivered across the country.
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T H E
MIL ESTONES IN CANC ER CARE
H E L E N
F .
G R A H A M
C A N C E R
C E N T E R
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R E S E A R C H
I N S T I T U T E
SE T T ING T HE STA NDA RD T RE AT I N G more than 70 percent of all cancer patients in Delaware and one of the busiest programs on the East Coast. S E L EC T E D by the NCI Community Cancer Centers Program (NCORP) to help shape the delivery of cancer care. C O N T RI B U TO R to the National Institutes of Health Cancer Genome Atlas project and a leading tissue procurement site advancing translational cancer research. A DVA N C E D cancer-fighting technology: Cyberknife, da Vinci robotic surgery and Delaware’s only breast MRI. O U T RE AC H to bilingual and bicultural communities.
2002 Helen F. Graham Cancer Center opens.
2014
2009 2003
2007
The Friends of the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center begin visionary advocacy and unparalleled financial support to enhance the patient care experience, support cancer research and provide public education on cancer prevention, early detection and treatment.
Graham Cancer Center named an NCI-selected Community Cancer Center.
Graham Cancer Center expands to include new home for the Cawley Center for Translational Cancer Research; West Pavilion opens.
2007 Graham Cancer Center collaborates with Christiana Care’s Department of Pathology to establish the Tissue Procurement Center.
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2011 Christiana Care and The Wistar Institute launch historic partnership.
2009 Bruce Boman, M.D., Ph.D. announces/publishes research discovery into the role of cancer stem cells in the development and spread of colorectal cancer.
2018
Five-year, $8.2 million NCI Community Oncology Research Program grant supports leading edge screenings, prevention, cancer control, treatment and imaging research.
2012 Cawley Center for Translational Cancer Research contributes to Cancer Genome Atlas Project as an NCI-selected training site for major university programs.
2016 Christiana Care’s EXACT CRISPR/Cas9 “spell checks” human genes.
2015 Founding of The Gene Editing Institute — the only research institute of its kind in the nation based within a community health care system.
Gene Editing Institute uses CRISPR to edit DNA outside of the cell for the first time.
2017 Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling approves advanced degree training program in genetic counseling and NSF grant establishes undergraduate gene editing curriculum.
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C A W L E Y
C E N T E R
F O R
T R A N S L A T I O N A L
C A N C E R
R E S E A R C H
A P OWERHOUSE OF SC IEN T IF IC ST RENGT H Unique collaboration between Christiana Care’s Cawley Center for Translational Cancer Research and worldwide academic, clinical, industry and scientific partners create a cancer-research powerhouse right here in Delaware with the potential to dramatically advance the science of fighting cancer.
Analytical Biological Services Bio-Rad Inc. Delaware Biotechnology Institute Delaware State University Delaware Technical Community College Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology Genome Profiling LLC IBC Network Foundation IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence Mayo Clinic National Cancer Institute National Human Genome Research Institute 24
Nemours Center for Childhood Cancer Research North Dakota State University NovellusDx Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation OncoCyte Stanford University School of Medicine Strata Oncology The Wistar Institute University of Delaware University of Hawaii University of Nebraska Medical Center University of North Dakota University of Rhode Island University of Vermont 25
C E N T E R
AC CEL ER AT I NG T HE PAC E OF D I SCOVERY TO GE T HER
F O R
T R A N S L A T I O N A L
C A N C E R
R E S E A R C H
It begins with an idea … Cancer research is a journey into the unknown. An idea born in discussion between clinician and scientist in the laboratory requires an infusion of funding to advance to clinical trial where it can make a difference for our patients. Your support of the Cawley Center for Translational Cancer Research Endowment will ensure early stage funding to accelerate ideas generated right here in Delaware from bench to bedside, and strengthen our case for competitive National Cancer Institute and National Institutes of Health grant funding down the line. Getting to the next level of patient care requires a formidable program of translational cancer research. And that requires your ongoing visionary philanthropic leadership. What will your role be? The answers we so desperately seek already exist deep within the minds of many of the nation’s best and brightest translational researchers. We invite you to partner with us to extend the boundaries and accelerate the cure — in time for someone you love. Your gift will help us: MAK E groundbreaking lifesaving discoveries. RE TAIN AND GROW programs that transform cancers into manageable chronic conditions. The Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute carries on the legacy of its namesake (pictured
AT T R ACT AND RE TAIN the nation’s most talented medical and scientific researchers. ACQUIRE, MAIN TAIN AND UP GR ADE cutting-edge technology to keep us on the forefront of scientific discovery.
in portrait), a remarkable neighbor, advocate and
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friend remembered for her energy, strength, intelligence,
Philanthropists have a unique and growing role in changing health care and improving lives.” CARROLL M. CARPENTER Visionary Founder of the Friends of the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute
enthusiasm and conviction, particularly as MBNA’s leading advocate for those with
To share your vision and support, contact Gordon Brownlee, Vice President of Development, at 302-327-3319 or gordon.brownlee@christianacare.org.
cognitive disabilities. 27
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We’re reminded every day of how important our work can be in the lives of real people. We’re connected to the clinicians who will use the tools we create. We learn from them, and we collaborate. We have learned to take a more humanistic approach to science, understanding that in the end, our work goes far beyond our laboratories. It’s all centered on patients.” ERIC KMIEC, Ph.D. Director, Gene Editing Institute Helen F. Graham Cancer & Research Institute
The Cawley Center for Translational Cancer Research is named in honor of Charles M. and Julie P. Cawley for their vision and leadership in establishing the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute.
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HELEN F. GRAHAM CANCER CENTER & RESEARCH INSTITUTE
CHRISTIANA CARE DEVELOPMENT OFFICE
4701 Ogletown-Stanton Road
13 Reads Way, Suite 203
Newark, DE 19713
New Castle, DE 19720
302-623-4500
302-327-3305
christianacare.org/cancer
christianacare.org/giving
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