Spring 2007

UPDATE FROM BURNHAM - FLORIDA

Volume 4 | Number 2 | 2007

Burnham Report

cirm grants boost BURNHAM’s Stem Cell Research PARTNERS in DISCOVERY: The “Rocket” Fund

USING stem cellS TO FIGHT disease Drs. Jean-Pyo lee And Evan Snyder

BURNHAM REPORT

IN THIS ISSUE

Volume 4 * number 2

President’s Message........................................................... 1 RESEARCH MATTERS John C. Reed, M.D., Ph.D. President and CEO Karin Eastham Executive Vice President and COO Blair Blum Senior Vice President, External Relations Edgar Gillenwaters Vice President, External Relations Chris Lee Director, External Relations

Using Stem Cells to Fight Degenerative Disease .................... 2 CIRM Grants Boost Burnham’s Stem Cell Research . ............ 4 News & Notes ..................................................................... 6 Update from Burnham - Florida............................................ 7 PHILANTHROPY MATTERS

Nancy J. Beddingfield Director, Public Affairs Editor, Burnham Report

A Message from Blair Blum . ............................................... 8

MALINDA DANZIGER Production Manager, Burnham Report

Profile of a Donor: Ray L. Gordon ........................................ 9 Partners in Discovery: The “Rocket” Fund .......................... 10

Contributing Writers: Nancy Beddingfield, Malinda Danziger, Patty Fuller, Karen Overklift and Jocelyn Wyndham

Life Insurance: A Versatile Tool .......................................... 11 for Charitable Giving

Contributing Photographers:

Wish List .......................................................................... 11

Martin Mann and Jocelyn Wyndham

Burnham in the Community . .............................................. 12 The Burnham Report is published quarterly by the Burnham Institute for Medical Research. We welcome your input. Please send comments or requests to info@burnham.org.

To subscribe to future issues of the Burnham Report, click here.

The Legacy Society............................................................. 13 Calendar of Events............................................................. 13 Rock n’ Roll with Team Burnham ....................................... 14

ON THE COVER

10901 North Torrey Pines Road La Jolla, CA 92037 www.burnham.org

Drs. Jean-Pyo Lee, Staff Scientist, and Evan Snyder, Professor and Director of Stem Cell Research at Burnham, have recently published the first evidence that stem cells can be used to fight a degenerative disease.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE It is generally agreed that human embryonic stem cells offer tremendous potential for diseases that defy existing medical knowhow, but how long will it take before we know how to exploit this for therapeutic benefit? Our cover story offers what we believe is proof that stem cells can be used to fight disease. The story reports on a collaboration directed by Dr. Evan Snyder, showing – in a mouse model of a human disease – that stem cells can be used successfully to treat degenerative brain diseases.

The journey that leads to breakthroughs in medical research can many times be likened to running a marathon.

Our scientists pursue four to eight years of post-graduate studies, followed typically by at least three to six years of postdoctoral training to prepare for a slot in the starting gate as independent researchers, sometimes making their most important discoveries after decades of painstaking research. Several stories in this issue of the Burnham Report pay tribute to exciting discoveries where endurance, perseverance, and pacing for the long run paid off to bring us closer to the finish line in the race to find cures.

Public funding for stem cell research recently became a reality through grants awarded by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). On page 4 you will learn how Burnham scientists, aided with the support of CIRM funding, are exploring new areas of stem cell research.

When Dr. Robert Liddington first became interested in anthrax more than 20 years ago, it was not because of bioterrorism. Rather, he was intrigued with the syringe-like, spring-loaded box that contains anthrax lethal factor. He mused that it would be a superb cancer killer if one could confine its delivery to tumors. The Liddington group recently found a way to engineer anthrax toxin to bind preferentially to tumor receptors, which has allowed them to selectively target cancerous tumors.

“News and Notes” includes a mention of this discovery on page 6.

Dr. Minoru Fukuda has dedicated more than 25 years of his career to cancer research. He helped pioneer a “sweet” field of medical research: “glycobiology”, the study of how sugars affect cell behavior.

His laboratory recently made a fundamental discovery about the mechanisms by which white blood cells exit blood vessels and migrate into tissues where they cause damage, thus suggesting a new strategy for combating inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. You can read about of Dr. Fukuda’s discovery under “News and Notes” on page 7.

No one understands endurance better than the family of a child who battles chronic disease. The family of John Taylor Williams, IV (aka “Rocket”, see page 10) is supporting basic research on CDG or Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation, a rare genetic disease that is the subject of intensive study by Dr. Hudson Freeze.

We are grateful to Rocket’s family for their commitment to making a better world for their grandson and other children challenged with CDG.

Thank you for reading, John C. Reed, M.D., Ph.D. President and CEO

RESEARCH MATTERS

Using Stem Cells to Fight

Degenerative Disease same disease model, Snyder and his colleagues compared

D

r. Evan Snyder, in collaboration with colleagues at

embryonic stem cells with “adult” stem cells, isolated

Burnham and University of Oxford, has shown for

directly from the developing nervous system in humans

the first time – in mice – that embryonic stem cells can

and in mice. When the stem cells were injected into brains

be used safely, and without apparent side effects, to treat

of newborn Sandhoff mice, the onset of symptoms was

a neurodegenerative disease. To determine whether stem

delayed, well-being and motor function were preserved,

cell biology might play a role in benefiting degenerative

and lifespan was extended by approximately 70 percent.

diseases, Snyder, together with Dr. Jean-Pyo Lee at

The results were similar regardless of the origin of neural

Burnham, chose to approach, as proof-of-concept, a

stem cells: embryonic or adult, mouse or human.

mouse model representative of a neurodegenerative disease, Sandhoff Disease, a lethal genetic disease related to Tay-Sachs Disease.

These findings contribute fundamental

basic knowledge about stem cell biology

that will help inform medical scientists

in their quest for understanding diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, ALS,

Engrafted neural stem cells travel to different regions of the Light staining brain. Green stainingshows showsstem stemcells cellsin incortex cortex(left) (left)and and olfactory bulb (right).

Photography Courtesy of Snyder Lab at Burnham

and a host of other neurological diseases.

www.burnham.org

The implanted neural stem cells did much more than

Sandhoff results from a genetic mutation that reduces

replace brain tissue destroyed by Sandhoff–they migrated

the body’s supply of an enzyme, called hexosaminidase

extensively throughout the brain. Some of the transplanted

(Hex), used by brain cells to metabolize excess fatty

cells replaced damaged tissue and transmitted nerve

material called lipids. Disease onset is typically at six

impulses, offering the first evidence on record that stem

months in human infants. The accumulation of lipids

cell-derived nerve cells may integrate electrically and

in brain tissue damages the brain cells instrumental in

functionally into a diseased brain. The transplanted cells

controlling and coordinating body movement and results

also boosted the brain’s supply of the enzyme Hex, which

in progressive deterioration of the brain and spinal cord.

reduced the lipid accumulations in the treated mice.

Children suffering with Sandhoff rarely see their sixth

The experimental treatment also dampened the

birthday. Sandhoff mice are similarly affected.

inflammation that typically occurs in the brains of

In what is believed to be the first head-to-head

Sandhoff-afflicted mice and likely contributes to disease

comparison of embryonic and “adult” stem cells in the

progression. Inflammation, the culprit behind tissue

rejection, has been thought to be a major barrier for

Private Philanthropy Plays a Significant Role in Supporting this Research

developing cell replacement therapies.

“These findings raise the possibility that neural stem cells may inherently exert an anti-inflammatory influence in this degenerative disease, as it has been postulated they do in other more classic ‘neuroinflammatory’ conditions,” said Snyder. “They also indicate that the stem cells’ own anti-inflammatory action may do away with the need for immunosuppression drugs to enable successful transplantation in a broader range of diseases.”

“Our study offers the first evidence that stem cells, including human stem cells, employ multiple mechanisms, not just cell replacement, to benefit disease,” said Snyder.

Sandhoff is found in all ethnic groups. While Tay-Sachs is predominant to Ashkenazi Jewish populations, it has been discovered with increasing frequency in Irish Catholic and French Canadian populations. Both diseases are marked with deficient Hex enzyme functioning and are among a known group of about 50 diseases rooted in the inability to metabolize lipids. While Sandhoff and Tay-Sachs are relatively rare, one person in 5,000 is affected by these or related diseases, among a group of 50 so-called lysosomal storage diseases. Currently, there

“Dr. Snyder’s team has extended the promise of stem cell therapies to children with special-needs, including those with Sandhoff Disease. The CNS Foundation is proud to have contributed major funding for this project on behalf of the 14 million special-needs children in this country alone.”

Fia Richmond, CNS Founder and mother of a brain-injured child Children’s Neurobiological Solutions www.cnsfoundation.org Click here to learn about Children’s Neurobiological Solutions.

“Our funding commitment to Dr. Snyder’s work comes as a part of our pursuit of a cure for A-T. His efforts suggest that stem cells can treat a degenerative brain disease of childhood, and I think that gives hope to families of children with A-T.” Brad Margus, Co-Founder and Volunteer President The A-T (Ataxia-Telangiectasia) Childrens’s Project www.atcp.org Click here to learn about Ataxia-telangiectasia.

is no treatment for Tay-Sachs or Sandhoff. Because these diseases originate with a similar genetic flaw, the

of Sandhoff mice provide a model for designing clinical

Published recently in Nature Medicine, this work was

trials for Tay-Sachs.

the culmination of several years of collaboration, supported

And, because Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff are part

generously by NIH, as well as private sources including

of a much more common group of diseases called

the Children’s Neurobiological Solutions Foundation, A-T

“neurogenetic diseases,” the findings generated by this

Children’s Project, National Tay-Sachs and Allied Disease

study contribute fundamental knowledge about stem cell

Association, Late-Onset Tay Sachs Foundation, Barbara

biology that will help inform medical scientists in their

Anderson Foundation for Brain Repair, Project ALS,

quest for understanding more common diseases such

March of Dimes and Hunter’s Hope. n

as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, ALS, and a host of other

www.burnham.org

researchers believe their findings generated in the study

neurological diseases.

Click here to learn more.

RESEARCH MATTERS STEM CELL RESEARCH AT BURNHAM CIRM GRANTS BOOST BURNHAM’S STEM CELL RESEARCH

I

n 2004, the California Institute for Regenerative

Medicine (CIRM) was established with the passage

Burnham’s Program on Stem Cells and Regeneration was established in 1997 to develop a focus on the medical potential of the emerging field of human embryonic stem cell research.

of Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative. CIRM will provide $3 billion in funding for stem cell research to be distributed to California’s stem cell researchers over the next decade.

This spring, Burnham scientists received several research grants from CIRM as part of the first public round of funding for stem cell research projects.

Since 2005, Burnham has earned recognition by the National Institutes of Health as an “Exploratory Center for Stem Cell Research,” one of six centers nationwide, and California’s only such center.

Burnham is a collaborative partner of the San Diego Consortium for Regenerative Medicine

Comprehensive Grants Will Support Long-Range

(SDCRM), founded in March 2006 together

Stem Cell Studies Aimed At Developing New

with UC San Diego, The Scripps Research

Treatments for Heart Disease And Brain Repair

Institute and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, as a non-profit entity to expand San

Burnham received two comprehensive grants with each

Diego’s collaborative work in stem cell research.

project receiving $3,035,000 over four years as part of

Click here to learn more about the San Diego Consortium for Regenerative Medicine.

the first round of public funding.

MARK MERCOLA, Professor and Associate Director

of Burnham’s Del E. Webb Center for Neuroscience and Aging Research MARCIA DAWSON, Professor

www.burnham.org

Chemical genetic approach to production of hESC-derived cardiomyocytes

STUART LIPTON, Professor and Director of Burnham’s

Del E. Webb Center for Neuroscience and Aging Research ALEXEY TERSKIKH, Assistant Professor

MEF2C- directed neurogenesis from hESC

Mercola’s project will develop drugs that stimulate

“These funds will allow us to use non-NIH-approved

generation of heart muscle cells from human embryonic

hESC to develop a supply of nerve cells for brain repair,”

stem cells (hESCs). “Drug-like molecules will be used

said Lipton. “We will use these new human nerve cells

to produce hESC-derived cardiomyocytes, ultimately for

to treat stroke and Parkinson’s disease in animal models

clinical application, and potentially as leads to develop

with an eye to future human therapy.”

pharmaceuticals to repair the heart through stimulation of

Click here to learn more about CIRM.

its own stem cells,” said Mercola.

Click here to learn more about Burnham’s Comprehensive Grants.

SEED Grants Will Launch Innovative Stem Cell Research CIRM’s Scientific Excellence through Exploration and Development or SEED Grant Program, is intended to bring new ideas and new investigators into the field of

HUDSON FREEZE

Professor and Program Director Role of glycans in human embryonic stem cell conversion to neural precursor cells

human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research and offer an opportunity for investigators to carry out studies that may yield preliminary data or proof-of-principle results that could then be extended to full-scale investigations.

At Burnham, the SEED funding ($5,925,878) will help launch innovative projects that will explore a different aspect of stem cell biology in areas of medical relevance ranging from heart disease,

ROBERT OSHIMA

Professor and Program Director Trophoblast differentiation of human ES cells

ZHUOHUA ZHANG

Assistant Professor Modeling Parkinson’s disease using human embryonic stem cells

Parkinson’s, cancer, and neural development, to the development of methods for deriving and culturing human embryonic stem cell lines.

Click here to learn more about Burnham’s SEED.

DAVID SMOTRICH

Clincal Associate

ZIWEI HUANG

Professor New chemokine-derived therapeutics targeting stem cell migration

VINCENT CHEN

Assistant Professor Development of neuro-coupled human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiac pacemaker cells

EVAN SNYDER

Professor and Director, Stem Cell Research

ALEXEY TERSKIKH

Assistant Professor Analysis of candidate neural crest cells derived from human embryonic stem cells

Adjunct Associate Professor

GREGG DUESTER

Professor Retinoic acid-FGF antagonism during motor neuron differentiation of human ES cells

Generation of hESC lines, under defined conditions, modeling normal and diseased states from material

www.burnham.org

JEANNE LORING

RESEARCH MATTERS for cancerous tumors. Liddington’s laboratory

News

& Notes

recently developed a way to engineer anthrax that discriminates between the two receptors. Using this information, they designed a form of anthrax toxin that binds preferentially to the tumor receptor.

These results indicate that it might be possible to target certain types of tumors using anthrax. This

NIH awards $7.39 million to Burnham neuroscientists

collaboration with the National Institute for Health was published recently in the Journal of Biological

Chemistry.

A team of neurobiologists at Burnham Institute

for Medical Research has been awarded $7.39 million from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development for a five-year study of “Neuron-glia communication in development.”

“The study of Neuron-glia interactions is a rapidly emerging field in neurobiology, which has strong relevance to demylelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis,” said project director Yu Yamaguchi, M.D., Ph.D. “With this funding, we expect to provide novel insights into diseases involving other forms of glial cell dysfunction.”Collaborating with Yamaguchi on this project are Burnham faculty members Barbara Ranscht, Ph.D., Professor and Project Deputy Director, Elena Pasquale, Ph.D., Professor, and

THE AMERICAN HEALTH ASSISTANCE FOUNDATION VISITS BURNHAM The American Health Assistance Foundation (AHAF) recently visited Dr. Huaxi Xu at Burnham to learn first hand about his work on Alzheimer’s Disease. AHAF has supported Xu’s research for several years. The Foundation is dedicated to eradicating age-related and degenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s.

Click here to learn more about AHAF.

William Stallcup, Ph.D., Professor.

Click here to learn more.

Anthrax latches on to cancer receptor Burnham’s Dr. Robert Liddington became interested in anthrax over 20 years ago when he hypothesized that it would be a superb cancer killer if its www.burnham.org

delivery could be confined to tumors. Liddington’s

collaborators found that anthrax binds to two receptors, one of them found on the surface of endothelial cells lining blood vessels of tumors, at the site of angiogenesis, the source of nourishment

American Health Assistance Foundation at Burnham.

Left to Right: Michael Barnett, Peter Feliciano, Kathleen Honaker, Executive Director, Dr. Huaxi Xu, Burnham, The Honorable Gordon Strauss, Jonathan Rice, Nicholas Raymond, Dr. Brian Regan, President of Board, American Health Assistance Foundation.

UPDATE FROM BURNHAM - FLORIDA

New exit strategy for inflammation

Burnham signs first three

Traveling at the speed of blood flow, immune cells

This summer, Burnham will move into 14,000 square feet

called leukocytes are summoned to the site of an

of donated laboratory space in Florida’s Blood Centers,

injury. They exit the bloodstream by latching on to

while construction is underway on permanent facilities at

a sugar that appears on the walls of blood vessels

Lake Nona. Burnham is pleased to announce the first three

at the site of an injury. The journal Nature Medicine

recruits to Orlando.

recruits to Orlando

recently published studies by Dr. Minoru Fukuda reporting the discovery of a second gateway, or exit, from the bloodstream, governed by a different sugar.

This information has implications for the treatment of many inflammatory and autoimmune diseases including ulcerative colitis, thyroiditis and gastritis, which are among the diseases that Fukuda’s team has shown are affected by this second sugar molecule.

Greg Roth, Ph.D.

BURNHAM’S 29TH ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM Superman had x-ray vision that allowed him to see through walls. Thanks to innovations in imaging technology, scientists are also able to see through things, too, namely the skin and muscle to view organs inside the body. Each year, Burnham scientists organize a special symposium for the

Björn Tyrberg, Ph.D.

Mike Dollar, CPA

Greg Roth, Ph.D., will join Burnham as the Director of Medicinal Chemistry. He brings over 19 years of postgraduate experience in chemistry. He has authored over 40 publications and holds 14 patents. Most recently, Roth was the Associate Director of Medicinal Chemistry at Abbott Bioresearch Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, working in the area of immunology and inflammatory disease. Roth is an adjunct professor at Boston University’s Department of Chemistry and Center for Methodology and Library Development.

scientific community, featuring guest lecturers from around the world and covering emerging fields in biomedical research. This year’s symposium, “In Vivo Molecular Imaging Frontiers”, focused (no pun intended) on technology developments that are allowing scientists to not only ascertain the size and shape of structures, but also to localize

Björn Pär Tyrberg, Ph.D., has been recruited as Assistant Professor and will open Burnham’s diabetes studies in Orlando. Dr. Tyrberg trained with Dr. Fred Levine for several years at Burnham in La Jolla. He contributed to the collaboration directed by Levine, which discovered adult stem cells in the pancreas and turned them into insulin-producing cells.

relevant processes in the body. The symposium was sponsored by Invitrogen Corporation, CRi, and Olympus, and organized by Drs. Jeff Price and Giovanni Paternostro of Burnham.

Mike Dollar, CPA, has been promoted to the position of Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Burnham’s operations in Orlando. He joined Burnham in July 2004 as Controller. Prior to joining Burnham, he was the Director of Finance at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center in La Jolla.

Dollar worked for several years with Deloitte and Touche prior to focusing his career in the non-profit sector.

www.burnham.org

and measure biochemical activity of disease-

PHILANTHROPY MATTERS

A Message from

Blair Blum

serves on the steering committee of the La Jolla Playhouse. In 2000, she received a “Tribute to Women in Industry Award,” and a year later, received the San Diego Metropolitian’s “40 Under 40” award, recognizing 40 of the best young professionals in San Diego, who are under 40 years of age, for their career triumphs and civic contributions.

Dear Burnham Supporters:

Please mark your calendar today for the annual

www.burnham.org

Burnham Gala on Saturday, November 17, 2007.

I am pleased to announce

Step into an elegant vineyard and experience

that planning for the 2007

California’s finest selection of wines perfectly paired

Gala is well underway. Our

with gourmet cuisine in the ballroom of the new

Gala co-chairs, Ms. Jeanne

Grand Del Mar Resort. Our guests will be among

Jones and Ms. Cathryn

the first to experience the grandeur of this five-star

Ramirez, are planning

resort nestled in the idyllic countryside of Del Mar.

a spectacular evening

The evening’s entertainment will be provided by the

for you, our dedicated

San Diego Opera, one of the top 10 operas in the

donors and friends of

country, as ranked by OPERA AMERICA, followed

the Burnham Institute for

by a live auction. The evening will conclude with

Medical Research.

our Fund-a-Need auction to support the Institute’s

Cancer Center.

Jeanne Jones, a

celebrated cookbook author, syndicated columnist, menu

We need your support to make this night a success.

and kitchen design consultant, and popular lecturer, has

We would like to express a very special thank you to

been a proud supporter of Burnham for many years, along

our sponsors: Tiffany & Co., Betsy and Papa Doug

with her husband, Don Breitenberg. Jeanne’s column, “Cook

Manchester, and Invitrogen.

It Light,” reaches approximately 30 million readers each

For sponsorship information, please contact

week. She is often called the “Dear Abby” of the food

Jocelyn Wyndham at jwyndham@burnham.org or

section because she’s as concerned about improving her

(858) 795-5216. Seating is extremely limited – don’t

reader’s recipes and eating habits, as Abby is about fixing

miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as we toast

broken hearts. She has authored over 30 books, lectured at

to a promising future of improved health thanks to

hundreds of conferences all over the world, and appeared as

the research of the Burnham Institute for Medical

a regular guest on numerous radio and television shows.

Research. Remember, “From Research, the Power

Cathryn Ramirez, Regional Vice President for Tiffany

to Cure!”

& Co., will join Jeanne as co-chair. A graduate gemologist, Cathryn joined Tiffany & Co. in 1988 after gaining experience in her family’s 100-year-old jewelry store in Huntsville, Texas. She is very active in the local philanthropic community, a member of San Diego Junior League, and

Sincerely, Blair Blum Sr. Vice President, External Relations bblum@burnham.org

Portrait of a Donor:

Ray L. Gordon, Jr. “I consider the efforts of the scientists at the Burnham

Institute for Medical Research – to unlock the secrets of biological life – just as exciting as the explorations of great captains like Magellan and Cabrillo. The goals today are every bit as hidden and obscure; but the value

R

ay Gordon, born September 12, 1921 in

time, he has followed science with interest. Today, Ray

Monticello, Arkansas moved to San Diego in

subscribes to Scientific American and Science News.

1997 after his wife of 46 years died of cancer. The

His search for the unknown is as exciting for him today

move to California marked the beginning of a new era

as it was a half century ago.

for Ray – a chance to live near his grown son, Ray L.

“During my four score and five years of life, I’ve

Gordon III, and the opportunity to reflect on his lifelong

become aware of my own mortality,” says Ray. “Over

fascination with the world of science and technology.

half of my college graduation class has died. Causes

As a young boy, Ray suffered through four serious

have been many, including cancer, heart attacks, strokes,

illnesses. He was near death several times and endured

and Alzheimer’s. I lost my wife to lung cancer and two

long recovery periods. During that time, Ray escaped

of my friends have Parkinson’s. Every day, I appreciate

through books. He became fascinated with stories of

the need for medical discovery to combat so many areas

science of the day – books that emphasized the drive of

of attack on the human race.”

human beings to solve the problems of life.

He adds, “I am proud to join others supporting

As a young man, he observed and was impressed by

the exploration of life at the Burnham Institute for

a couple of men in his community. One neighbor built a

Medical Research. I feel that I am watching the future

hand radio and communicated with people in far away

of medicine arrive. To date, they have made many

places. The other constructed an observatory in his

discoveries. Later I will be able to say, ‘I was there!’ ”

back yard and studied the stars with his telescope.

If you would like to make a donation to

Ray was intrigued to find that science could answer

Burnham, please contact Karen Overklift at

many of mankind’s questions, and then discover that

koverklift@burnham.org or (858) 795-5288. n

the very answers created further questions. Since that

Click here to make a donation.

www.burnham.org

to the civilized world is as great or even more valuable.”

PHILANTHROPY MATTERS

Partners in

Discovery: The “Rocket” Fund F

ailure to thrive: it was the first indication that four-month-old John Taylor Williams

IV had a problem. His body was unable to absorb protein, gain weight, and grow as expected. John’s parents took him to a leading research hospital where a simple blood test revealed the devastating news: John had inherited one of the 25 known types of a rare, but expanding group of diseases called Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation or CDG. Patients with these diseases have highly variable

Bill Ruch, John’s grandfather, with Drs. Hudson Freeze (left) and Nicholas Cosford (right), on a recent visit to the CDG laboratory at Burnham. Cosford, Project Manager, San Diego Center for Chemical Genomics at Burnham, collaborates with Freeze who directs Burnham’s Glycobiology Program.

mental and motor retardation, seizures, failure to grow, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), blood clotting and digestion abnormalities, to name just a few of the many challenges.

John’s CDG was identified with a blood test developed from discoveries by Hudson Freeze, Ph.D., a biochemist and Director of Burnham’s Glycobiology Program. Freeze and other scientists at Burnham are blending basic and translational

research with new ideas, working toward new types of therapy and diagnosis for diseases, like CDG. More than 500 cases of these inherited metabolic diseases have been identified worldwide, but the number could be far greater because CDG remains largely under-diagnosed. Freeze is currently exploring a technology to streamline the diagnostic process.

Along with helping to develop therapies for John (a.k.a.

“Rocket”) and other children affected by CDG, Freeze’s ultimate goal is to find new ways to understand the molecular basis of the CDG diseases in hopes of laying the groundwork for designing a treatment.

Recently, Rocket’s grandparents Bill and Dinah Ruch, together with other family members, have

www.burnham.org

donated $375,000 to support research on CDG

10

at Burnham.

If you would like to make a donation to CDG research or another program at Burnham, please John Taylor Williams IV was recently diagnosed with one of the Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation (CDG), a group of 25 rare diseases under intensive investigation by Dr. Hudson Freeze.

contact Karen Overklift at koverklift@burnham.org or (858) 795-5288. n Click here to learn more about CDG.

L ife Insurance A Versatile Tool for Charitable Giving

W

hen you first purchased a life insurance policy, you were most likely securing a future for your

family in the event of your premature death. If you still own a policy, but don’t need all that coverage today, please consider making a charitable gift to the Burnham Institute

for Medical Research, which will have a tremendous impact on the progress of medical research.

Your gift would support ongoing needs that are not funded through scientific grants, such as recruitment of top scientists, new research initiatives and technological advances.

There is a simple way to arrange this gift with additional tax advantages: name Burnham as the beneficiary on your policy, or the contingent beneficiary to secure your family’s needs first. When the gift is made to Burnham, you will receive an estate tax deduction in the amount of the proceeds.

Wish List The Chemical Library Screening Shared Resource at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research is a part of the San Diego Center for Chemical Genomics (SDCCG). This facility allows researchers to screen many thousands of different chemical compounds for activity in changing important biological processes, the first step in making new medicines. Information is made available to medical researchers worldwide through public databases accessed via the Internet. Burnham is just one of nine centers in the nation that receives special support from NIH to perform advanced robotic drug screening for our country’s non-profit researchers.

For more information about supporting equipment needs, please contact Chris Lee at chrislee@burnham.org or (858) 795-5232.

The second option offers a tax advantage if you own the policy (i.e. it’s not part of your company benefits package).

Giant smartboard touch-screen monitor

In that case, you can name Burnham as the owner and

To enhance scheduling, presentations, and public education about drug discovery and chemical genomics.

deduction for the fair market value (or cost basis) of the policy on the date of the gift. If the policy is not paid off, you make the annual gift to Burnham in the amount of the premium payments, accompanied by a letter indicating the

Four channel optical filter set for high content screening

Allows the measuring of several drug targets in a single screen, speeding discovery, while reducing costs.

donation is to be used to pay the premium. This provides you

High content screening remote work station

with an annual charitable tax deduction, which rises as the

Computer analysis of complex image-based screening data without tying up expensive imaging instruments.

dividends increase.

You can also use life insurance to replace the value of a

Micro-wash reservoir for 384 well tip washing

different gift. If you have highly appreciated stocks or real

Allows for multiple uses of expensive plastic tips used for screening assays.

estate, you can donate any portion of the asset to Burnham, avoid capital gains tax and get a charitable income tax deduction. You could then purchase a life insurance policy to benefit your heirs in the amount they would have received from the other asset, but without the estate tax liability.

We invite you to discuss these options with your insurance agent. Please contact Patty Fuller at the Burnham Institute

for Medical Research at pfuller@burnham.org or (858) 795-5231 for more information.

Click here to learn more about gifts of life insurance.

$3,200

Ultra-cold (-80°) freezer

$3,800

$2,500

$8,200

For storing the chemicals and small RNAs used for high throughput screening Robot positive positioning station $750 each (need two) Allows current instruments to perform ultraminiaturized assays (1536 well plates) Stacked CO2 water-jacketed incubator For culturing human and mouse cells used in cell-based screens.

$9,000

www.burnham.org

beneficiary of the policy. You will receive an income tax

$10,000

11

PHILANTHROPY MATTERS

B urnham in the Community burnham hosts reception in santa barbara honoring dr. erkki ruoslahti The Burnham Institute for Medical Research honored Distinguished Professor and former President and CEO, Dr. Erkki Ruoslahti, at an intimate evening reception on Saturday, March 3, on the Ocean Terrace of one of Santa Barbara’s premier hotels, Bacara Resort & Spa. Burnham recently announced a partnership with the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). At Burnham-UCSB, Ruoslahti has opened the Vascular Mapping Center which is developing applications, using the body’s own “zip code system” to target cancer cells and develop methods to deliver therapeutic agents using nanotechnology.

Guests enjoyed spectacular ocean views and sampled local cuisine and

wines. Malin Burnham, the Institute’s namesake, addressed the group, as well as Dr. John Reed, Burnham President and CEO, and Ruoslahti.

Among the distinguished guests were Dr. Eva Engvall, Adjunct

Professor and one of the inventors of the ELISA test; Milt and Marilyn Honea, owners of Honea Vineyards; Meg and Dan Burnham, former CEO of Raytheon and founder of the Burnham Engineering and Applied Science Scholarship Program at UCSB; Burnham Trustee Bill Grant and his wife, Mary; Dr. Martin Moskovits, Dean of UCSB’s Division of Mathematical, Front row (left to right): Burnham Trustee Malin and Roberta Burnham, Dr. Eva Engvall, Muffy Walker and Meg Burnham.

Back row (left to right): Dr. John Reed, President and CEO, Burnham Institute for Medical Research, with Dr. Erkki Ruoslahti and Dan Burnham.

Life and Physical Sciences; and Dr. Dennis Clegg, Chair of UCSB’s Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology.

Click here to learn more about the Vascular Mapping Center.

Harvey and Carol Massey welcome Burnham to Florida Harvey and Carol Massey graciously hosted a lovely cocktail

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reception in their Winterpark, Florida home to welcome and introduce Dr. John Reed and members of Burnham’s executive team to over 50 community leaders in Orlando. Dr. Reed briefly addressed the group regarding future plans for Burnham at Lake Nona, Orlando and thanked the local champions who worked tirelessly to make Burnham’s expansion to Florida a

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reality, setting the stage for exciting new research initiatives.

From left to right: Harvey Massey; The Honorable Buddy Dyer, Mayor of Orlando; Dr. John Reed, President and CEO, Burnham Institute for Medical Research; Dr. John Hitt, President of the University of Central Florida; and Toni Jennings, former Lt. Governor of Florida.

The Legacy

Society P

today will place financial resources in the pipeline for

rivate support for the Burnham Institute for

the discoveries of tomorrow. No membership fees or

Medical Research has never been more critical

minimum gifts are required. You may choose to designate

than in coming years. Burnham scientists need your

your gift to help find a cure for a specific disease that has

help to forge new frontiers in the war against disease.

touched your life, or that of a loved one.

Our scientists depend on the generosity of individuals

There are many creative ways to leave a legacy to

passionate about eradicating diseases – not just in our

society. Whether you choose to donate after your income

lifetime, but for future generations.

is no longer needed, or would like to find out more about

The Legacy Society is made up of a group of

tax-saving gifts that return income today, please contact

benefactors that have made provisions in their wills to

Patty Fuller at (858) 795-5231 or pfuller@burnham.org.

support research at Burnham. Your planned gift

Click here to learn more about the Legacy Society.

Calendar of Events June 5, 2007 CONNECT Lecture with Dr. Stuart Lipton, Director, Del E. Webb Center for Neurosciences and Aging Research at Burnham 12:00 p.m.

CONNECT Frontiers in Science and Technology Lecture Series: New Drug Treatments and the Future of Stem Cells for the Aging Brain and Alzheimer’s Disease For more information, please visit www.connect.org.

July 19, 2007 Burnham Night at the Ballpark PETCO Park, San Diego, California – 7:05 p.m.

Join the Burnham Institute for Medical Research for a night at the ballpark as the San Diego Padres take on the Philadelphia Phillies. Burnham’s own Dr. Hudson Freeze, Glycobiology Program Director, will be throwing out the first pitch!

July 29, 2007 President’s Council Annual Event: “Exploring the Late Phases of Creativity” San Diego Museum of Art, Balboa Park – 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. (lecture), 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (reception) Based on the book, “Late Thoughts” by Karin Painter, this panel will include Dr. Stuart Lipton, Director of the Del E. Webb Center for Neurosciences and Aging Research at Burnham; Derrick Cartwright, SDMA Executive Director; John Henry Waddell, 86-year-old sculptor, painter and teacher from Arizona; and Cecil Lytle, professional pianist and Professor of Music at UCSD. The program will include a panel discussion on the different phases of creativity and will conclude with a private tour of Impressionist Giverney, followed by a cocktail reception and performance by Lytle.

November 17, 2007 Burnham Institute for Medical Research’s Annual Gala Save the Date The Grand Del Mar, Del Mar, California Co-chairs: Jeanne Jones and Cathryn Ramirez * By invitation only.

For more information and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Jocelyn Wyndham at jwyndham@burnham.org or (858) 795-5216.

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October 3, 2007 Groundbreaking at Lake Nona, Orlando, Florida

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Rock n’ Roll with Team Burnham for Medical Research Team Burnham is looking for new members to race in P.F. Chang’s Arizona Rock n’ Roll Marathon and Half Marathon on Sunday, January 13, 2008.

ARE YOU READY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE FUTURE OF MEDICAL RESEARCH IN SAN DIEGO? Everyone is welcome! If you’ve never run a step, or you’re a seasoned marathoner who wants to improve your personal best, this program will help you succeed. Team Burnham for Medical

Research is for ordinary people willing to make an extraordinary commitment. And, best of all, it’s a great way to get fit and have fun while making a tremendous difference in the fight against disease.

Team Burnham provides weekly training runs/walks, race support, and travel assistance. Team members are asked to raise $3,000 for world-class, innovative medical research underway at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research. Team Burnham funds are used to support scientists in a variety of research areas including all forms of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, stem cell research and others.

For more information about the team or sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.burnham.org/teamburnham or call Chris Lee at (858) 795-5232.

You can make a difference!

Click here to sign-up today!

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