CENTER NEWS - THURS., AUGUST 17, 2000

SCIENCE SPOTLIGHT

Proteins that prognosticate Fourth Thomas fellow seeks genes to work with p27 By Barbara Berg Dr. Harry Wang, the fourth E. Donnall Thomas fellow, is devising methods to identify a set of genes that instruct cells to make proteins that work in conjuntion with the protein p27. -- Photo by Michelle Hruby A research fellow studying genes affecting tumor development has received the fourth annual Dr. E. Donnall Thomas fellowship.      Dr. Harry Hwang was awarded the $25,000 Thomas Fellowship, made possible by a grant from the José Carreras Foundation.      Hwang, a pathologist working in Dr. Bruce Clurman's laboratory, is devising methods to identify a set of genes that instruct cells to make proteins that work in conjunction with p27, a protein whose amount is consistently decreased in many tumor types.      Levels of p27 protein are present in decreased levels compared to normal cells in breast, colon and other tumors, leading scientists to believe that a reduction of p27 causes cells to relax the brakes on cell division. Unrestrained cell division is a hallmark of cancerous cells.      "The genes we identify may be useful as further prognostic markers for tumors," Hwang says.      The protein p27 already is used to predict whether breast and other tumors will respond to treatment. Tumors with reduced p27 levels typically correlate with a poor prognosis. Researchers expect that p27 collaborates with other proteins that contribute to tumor development. 'Our goal is to take what we learn in the laboratory and make the transition to directly study human cancers.' -- Dr. Harry Hwang      Hwang, who joined the Clurman lab in 1998, also works with Dr. Peggy Porter, whose expertise in pathology will help the team further characterize genes they discover. Initial studies will use mice to find the genes; later work will focus on using human tumor tissue samples.      "Our goal is to take what we learn in the laboratory and make the transition to directly study human cancers," Hwang says.      Since last year, Hwang's studies have been supported by a dual mentor fellowship, a Hutch program that fosters interdisciplinary research. Clurman and Porter, of the Clinical Research and Public Health Sciences divisions, respectively, have acted as mentors for Hwang's fellowship training.     Hwang received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania, where he also did research on therapies for lung tumors. He completed his residency in pathology last year.      Named for the Center's Nobel laureate, the Thomas fellowship is awarded each year to an outstanding senior medical fellow. Thomas and Drs. Fred Appelbaum and Effie Petersdorf participate in the selection.