CN Summer 2007

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A Q UA RT E R LY P U B L I C AT I O N O F C I T Y O F H O P E

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VOLUME 18 NUMBER 3 SUMMER 2007

CityNews
Injection Protection
Vaccines take shots at a new array of diseases

New drugs boost hope for breast cancer patients

Transplantation treatment for type 1 diabetes

$5 million Argyros Foundation gift moves CITI forward

Leadership Messages

Fulfilling a profound mission
As a part of City of Hope’s volunteer movement for nearly three decades now, I have witnessed many impressive advances at the institution. During these years, City of Hope has redefined the future of medicine with dramatic new discoveries, improved treatments and expanded facilities. As a result, more and more lives are being saved around the world. The future looks even brighter. Guided by City of Hope’s strategic plan, we are strengthening our leading role in cancer care and research, locally and nationally, by expanding key programs. We also are progressing in shortening the time from exploring initial research ideas to developing new therapies. Recently, our efforts were recognized with our inclusion on U.S.News & World Report’s 2007 list of “America’s Best Hospitals.” (See story on page 14.) From my initial involvement with City of Hope through the Food Industries Circle, including a term as its president, to my service as a member of the City of Hope board of directors, I not only have been inspired by the remarkable breakthroughs, but also by the incredible passion and dedication of many donors and volunteers. Lifelong supporters who wholeheartedly embrace the institution, and instill this special commitment in their children and grandchildren, have created inspiring legacies that will touch lives everywhere for generations to come. My colleagues on the board of directors, another outstanding group of supporters, bring a wealth of business, civic and philanthropic experiences to help City of Hope become a new model cancer center of the 21st century. I am privileged to lead them in this noble endeavor. Terry R. Peets
Chair, City of Hope Board of Directors

Unlocking cancer’s secrets
There is good reason to feel optimistic about the fight against cancer. Every day, researchers move closer to unlocking the disease’s secrets. Along the way, their discoveries translate into new therapies for patients with cancer and other serious diseases. At City of Hope, we understand that people need these therapies now. Some of the treatments now in development rely on boosting the power of the immune system: using the body’s own natural defenses against disease. As you will see in this issue, our investigators are developing vaccines to enhance the immune system. Not only are our scientists creating a vaccine that aims to fight tumors resulting from breast, colon, prostate and pancreatic cancers, but we also have started the initial clinical trials of the very first vaccine developed at City of Hope. This vaccine targets a deadly herpes virus called cytomegalovirus, which can become activated in patients with weakened immune systems, such as those who have undergone bone marrow transplantation. Taking such a vaccine to clinical trial takes persistence; credit goes to scientists, physicians, technicians, trial volunteers and, of course, the donors whose generosity supports such high-impact work. Only an institution with a unique environment like City of Hope, which encourages researchers and physicians to continually collaborate and relies on the investments of dedicated philanthropists, can maintain the long-term commitment necessary to shepherd such projects. To paraphrase one of our researchers, there are few places like this anywhere. With your support, I feel confident that we will reach our goals in the fight to beat cancer. Michael A. Friedman, M.D.
President and Chief Executive Officer

City of Hope, an innovative biomedical research, treatment and educational institution, is dedicated to the prevention and cure of cancer and other lifethreatening diseases, guided by a compassionate patient-centered philosophy, and supported by a national foundation of humanitarian philanthropy.
© City of Hope

City News is published quarterly for donors, volunteers and friends of City of Hope.

BRENDA MACEO Senior Vice President, Communications KEVIN KOGA Associate Vice President, Communications

STEVE KIRK Editor ALICIA Di RADO Story Editor KIM HOSOZAWA Associate Director, Creative Services

ALICIA Di RADO CARMEN R. GONZALEZ PAT KRAMER ELISE LAMAR SHAWN LE KATHLEEN O’NEIL H. CHUNG SO Writers

CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007

CityNews
A Q U A R T E R LY P U B L I C AT I O N O F C I T Y O F H O P E

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VOLUME 18 NUMBER 3 SUMMER 2007

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Injection protection: Applying vaccines in a whole new way
A rite of passage for most children, vaccines are now under exploration worldwide as an innovative new way to prevent and even treat cancer and related diseases.

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A new option for those facing metastatic breast cancer
One of the first medications in a new family of drugs pioneered by City of Hope researchers appears to slow the progression of metastatic breast cancer tumors.

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Resetting the immune system to halt diabetes

Using bone marrow transplantation to replace malfunctioning immune cells may offer a new way to treat an all-too-prevalent disease.

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U.S.News & World Report affirmation

City of Hope is named as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” in two specialties on U.S.News’ annual survey.

City of Hope investigator receives human stem cell grant

Timothy O’Connor, Ph.D., professor in the Division of Biology, receives one of the first grants to fund human embryonic stem cell research under California’s Prop. 71.

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Chapters: Celebrating a successful National Convention

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Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center moves research in immunotherapeutics forward

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$5 million gift from the Argyros Foundation supports CITI

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“Celebration of Life” reunites thousands saved through transplantation

CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007 I 1

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INJECTION
PROTECTION
Vaccines take shots at a new array of diseases

By Elise Lamar

Facing the deadly plans of an evil villain, comic-book characters rarely defend the planet as everyday humans. Instead, they call on special powers that turn them into hardnosed crime-fighters. As it is when the body must defend against disease. Sometimes the immune system simply lacks the brawn to fight illness on its own. That is when physicians draw on the power of vaccines — injections that can give the immune system a
ILLUSTRATIONS: MARTIN JARRIE

much-needed boost.
CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007 I 3

Researchers worldwide are on a quest to harness the power of vaccines, and City of Hope scientists are advancing the movement on two fronts.

The goal of a vaccine — whether it aims to prevent an infectious disease such as polio or means to stop cancer — is to motivate cells of the immune system into getting so mad that they rise up and drive out harmful intruders. Fortunately, cells usually do a pretty good job without prompting by an inoculation. Most of the time, when immune cells such as B-cells or T-cells spot an unwanted invader like a flu virus or a tumor cell, they mount a toxic response and neutralize it. But every now and then — either because invaders are overpowering or because disease or therapy weakens the immune system — people need the backup boost of a vaccine. Researchers worldwide are on a quest to harness the power of vaccines, and City of Hope scientists are advancing the movement on two fronts: vaccines against cancer and against diseases related to cancer treatment. They also are taking lessons learned from such research and applying them to other diseases, extending the reach of their work.

From friend to foe
The word “vaccine” often conjures up childhood memories of jabs in the arm against measles, smallpox and other infectious diseases, and for good reason. Vaccines began as protective measures, stoking the immune system to be ready to mount an offensive if exposed to specific infectious attackers. Today, two approved vaccines related to cancer do just that. Meant for healthy people, a hepatitis B vaccine defends against a virus that can cause liver cancer, and another new vaccine called Gardisil protects against certain viruses that can cause cancer of the cervix, throat and other areas. But a newer, developing area in cancer vaccine research targets people who already have cancer. Called therapeutic vaccines, these injections aim to strengthen the body’s defenses against existing tumors, keep tumors from returning or eliminate cancer cells that remain after other cancer treatments. City of Hope surgical oncologist Joshua Ellenhorn, M.D., has his eye on one such therapeutic vaccine. A surgeon also trained in immunology, Ellenhorn is developing a vaccine to target cells that express high levels of a protein known as p53. Normally, p53 plays a protective role as a tumor suppressor gene and actually blocks the out-of-control growth seen in many cancers. But a mutation or damage to p53, which occurs in numerous cancers, deals cells a double-whammy: Not only do the cells lose cancer protection normally offered by the gene, but the defective p53 protein actually promotes tumor cell growth. “Mutations in p53 that disable its ability to function as a tumor suppressor result in accumulation of this protein within cells,” said Ellenhorn. “About 40 to 50 percent of all malignancies overexpress mutant p53. In breast cancers, it is seen in approximately 40 percent of all malignancies — same with colon, prostate and pancreatic cancers.” Ellenhorn has created a vaccine he hopes will eradicate human tumors that express high levels of mutant forms of p53. Interestingly, it is based on the prototype cowpox or “vaccinia” virus that English physician Edward Jenner famously pioneered 200 years ago as a vaccination against smallpox.

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Together with Don Diamond, Ph.D., director of City of Hope’s Laboratory of Vaccine Research, Ellenhorn has used a similar technique for a potential p53 vaccine — but with a few modern twists. Just like Jenner, the City of Hope researchers are using cowpox virus to fire up the immune system. But in today’s modern version, the scientists tweaked the cowpox virus’ genetic code and plugged a copy of the p53 gene into it. Then they injected that special vaccine — along with other therapies that also rev up immune response — into mice that had cancerous tumors. The result: Most of the tumors grew smaller or disappeared altogether. Because the engineered cowpox virus is foreign, it gets the attention of the immune system, Ellenhorn explained. “This then stimulates T- and B-cells, which are redirected toward disintegrating and attacking tumors that overexpress p53.” These findings show the vaccine

can kill tumors in mice. In a next step, the researchers successfully created and tested a human form of the vaccine in mice, and tests in human cells in the lab have shown promise, too. Ellenhorn is confident that the vaccine will soon reach clinical trials. “Initially, the phase I trial will be in patients with advanced disease,” he said. “If the results are positive, we would take it to a group of patients in an earlier stage of the disease.”

The donor gives twice
Sometimes, the very therapies that help a patient fight cancer are so potent that they themselves are life threatening. Treatment with immunosuppressant drugs after bone marrow or organ transplant, for example, leaves transplant patients vulnerable to ordinary germs that lie dormant in healthy adults. Several City of Hope researchers are devising vaccine therapies to encourage immune cells to fight these germs.

One such danger comes in the form of a herpes virus called cytomegalovirus, or CMV. About 50 to 80 percent of adults in the United States have been exposed to CMV, but it causes few symptoms in healthy individuals. In transplant patients with compromised immune systems, however, activated CMV may cause life-threatening pneumonia. A team of City of Hope scientists led by Diamond has developed a vaccine to address that threat. But interestingly, care providers would administer the vaccine to the organ or bone marrow donor, not the recipient. They aim to transfer lifesaving CMV immunity — in addition to transplanted tissues — to the recipient. According to Diamond, when the bone marrow transplantation program began at City of Hope in the 1970s, CMV infection was the main cause of most patient deaths. And although physicians have provided antiviral drugs with moderate success, the treatment sometimes can be difficult to deal with.

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Vaccine development is clearly not for quitters. Devising strategies encouraging the immune system to take a stand against invaders takes long, hard work.
“The antiviral itself causes such adverse events, it probably is less positive than we first imagined,” said Diamond. “If we could prevent those, we would really be getting to a treatment that is head and shoulders above anything out there for cancer transplant.” The result: saved lives. Much like the p53 vaccine, Diamond’s group designed the CMV vaccine as an altered form of the cowpox virus — but with genetic code from the CMV virus attached. When introduced into the body, the vaccine launches a chain of events that activates the donor’s immune system against CMV. Results from lab research suggest the immunity would stay elevated after transplant, protecting the recipient. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved the first human trial of the CMV vaccine developed by Diamond’s group. That trial began with the inoculation of the first volunteer, a City of Hope employee, in May of 2007. Volunteers’ overall health and responses to the inoculation will be monitored to evaluate vaccine safety. John A. Zaia, M.D., professor and chair of the Division of Virology, is the principal investigator of the CMV phase I clinical trial. “This is the first vaccine developed at City of Hope that has been brought to clinical trial,” he said. “Hopefully, this signifies a new era in vaccine development here.” Stephen J. Forman, M.D., Francis and Kathleen McNamara Distinguished Chair in Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, credits City of Hope for creating a research climate where basic researchers like Diamond and clinicians interact. “We are the institute that understands this virus,” said Forman, clinical director of City of Hope’s Division of Cancer Immunotherapeutics & Tumor Immunology. “The original work identifying the signature viral immune proteins was done here in Don Diamond’s lab. That is the reason this work has been successful.”

Establishing garden-variety immunity
Viruses aren’t the only threats to immunocompromised patients. An innocent walk in a garden may expose them to spores of an ordinary, soil-dwelling fungus called Aspergillus fumigatus and cause a potentially fatal lung disease known as aspergillosis. Like CMV infection, Aspergillosis is no small threat. According to City of Hope investigator James Ito, M.D., director of the Department of Infectious Diseases, the development of better antiviral drugs targeting other types of infection has left Aspergillus with an infamous distinction. “By default, the most devastating infections are now fungal infections,” he said. “They’ve always been around, but have moved up into first place now. In fact, Aspergillus is now the most deadly of all fungal infections.” The gravity of the fungal threat is echoed by Markus Kalkum, Ph.D., Ito’s collaborator in developing an Aspergillus vaccine. “We all inhale several hundred Aspergillus spores a day, usually without any negative impact on our health,” said Kalkum. “However, inhalation of spores can prove fatal to bone marrow or organ transplant patients taking immunosuppressive drugs.” In 2002, Ito and Joseph Lyons, Ph.D., a scientist in the Department of Infectious Diseases, took the first steps to create a vaccine when they inoculated mice with a

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mix of pulverized Aspergillus proteins, treated the mice with immunosuppressants to mimic conditions of transplant patients, and then exposed mice to a lethal dose of fungal spores. The results were dramatic. “A hundred percent of the mice died if we didn’t vaccinate them,” reported Ito, “but a significant number of them survived if we did.” Now, with Kalkum joining the team, the researchers have zeroed in on the specific protein in that fungal vaccine “soup” that stimulates the immune response. When they vaccinated mice with just that protein, it, like the mix, protected mice against the infectious Aspergillus. The investigators’ next goal is to establish antifungal immunity in immunodeficient humans. Currently, they are identifying antibodies that humans make to mold proteins to determine which fungal proteins stimulate that response. Although several years away, once a vaccine is developed, it will likely be administered like the CMV vaccine to the bone marrow donor and not the recipient.

From idea to reality
Moving from an idea to a therapy is a long haul, one that is appreciated by Simon Lacey, Ph.D., associate research scientist in the Division of Virology. Lacey, who also worked on the CMV project, is conducting experiments to determine whether a vaccine might work against another virus reactivated in immunosuppressed patients: BK virus, or BKV for short. More than 80 percent of American adults are infected with BKV, making it even more prevalent than CMV. Like those with CMV, few with BKV show overt signs of disease. However, reactivation of the virus in immuno-

compromised patients following organ transplant may cause an irritation of the lining of the bladder known as cystitis, even to the point of bleeding. After a kidney transplant, potent immunosuppressants required to block rejection of the new kidney may activate the BKV — sometimes with serious consequences. “Approximately 30 percent of transplant patients show signs of elevated virus levels, 5 percent develop signs of kidney disease, and about half of those people then lose the kidney,” explained Lacey. When viral levels rise, a physician’s only choice is to drop patients’ doses of immunosuppressive drugs. “It’s a constant balancing act,” said Lacey. “The only approach is aggressively monitoring the virus in the blood.” Together with transplant surgeon Jennifer Singer, M.D., of the Department of Urology at UCLA, Lacey is now tracking blood and urine samples from kidney transplant patients. If they can better understand how certain patients’ immune systems successfully fight BKV infection, they might be able to create ways to predict which patients are likely to develop the disease. Their studies also could lay the groundwork for vaccine development. So far, Lacey has shown that vaccination with a portion of BKV can get immune cells to react in mice. The first steps in humans are promising, as well. But he cautions that results are preliminary. “The logical next step is to either develop a good drug conveying a type of immunotherapy, or to develop a vaccine to protect people,” said Lacey. “But you can’t do any of those without a better idea of what you are facing.”

Poised for the long haul
Vaccine development is clearly not for quitters. Devising strategies that

encourage the immune system to take a stand against invaders is long, hard work. Gardisil, the much-publicized vaccine against cervical cancer that targets human papillomavirus, took more than 20 years of development before becoming available last year. But City of Hope excels in translational research, a process that moves laboratory science into new modes of prevention, diagnosis and treatment — and then takes lessons learned from patients back into the lab. This gives the institution a nimble advantage in areas such as successful vaccine development, according to Diamond. “City of Hope is unique among American research centers in that its philosophy is to encourage cooperation among basic scientists and physicians that leads to something tangible,” he said. Forman echoes that optimism. “We have all the right people collected at City of Hope — the patients, the lab expertise and the doctors,” he said. “There are few other places like this anywhere.” I I I

CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007 I 7

New family of drugs offers
By Alicia Di Rado

o one wants to hear that they have advanced cancer, but women facing metastatic breast cancer may soon have a new therapy option in their hard-pitched fight against the disease. City of Hope researchers and colleagues have shown that one of the first members of a new family of drugs appears to slow tumors’ progression in these women.

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ILLUSTRATION: GIANPAOLO PAGNI

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The drug is known as Vorinostat. In a phase II clinical trial, it stabilized cancer growth in a small group of women who recently were treated for stage 4 breast cancer. Stage 4 breast cancer is the most advanced stage of the disease and involves cancer spread to other organs. The medication belongs to a family of drugs called histone deacetylase, or HDAC, inhibitors. These agents come from advances in the field of epigenetics, a relatively new line of research that studies how genes are inappropriately “turned on” or “off” without any changes in genetic sequences themselves. Unlike other recent anticancer strategies that target altered genes and their gene products, epigenetic strategies seek to turn on genes that have been silenced — those genes that can help put the brakes on cancer. The field of epigenetics can be traced back to early work carried out by Arthur Riggs, Ph.D., director of City of Hope’s Beckman Research Institute, and colleagues, said George Somlo, M.D., professor and director of breast oncology in the Division of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research and the study’s senior author. In the Vorinostat study, participants took the drug in a pill form twice a day for two weeks, then took a week off. Overall, side effects were mild and the drug was well tolerated, said Somlo, who also co-directs the City of Hope Breast Cancer Program. The drug stabilized tumor growth in four of the 14 women in the study. One woman remained on the drug for more than 13 months after beginning treatment. “She was going on cruises and traveling around the world,” said medical oncologist Thehang Luu, M.D., the study’s principle investigator. “We hope that this and other HDAC inhibitors can provide a novel treatment

option as part of combination therapy — especially for women with triple-negative breast cancers,” Luu said, referring to cancers that do not overexpress estrogen, progesterone or human epidermal growth factor (HER2) receptors. Luu believes HDAC inhibitors and other drugs emerging from epigenetics will likely work best when combined with drugs that battle cancer from several directions. City of Hope investigators plan to join a phase II clinical trial for metastatic breast cancer patients that will test a combination of Vorinostat, bevacizumab (an agent targeting blood vessels that provide nourishment to cancer cells) and Paclitaxel, a chemotherapy drug, Somlo noted. Researchers are investigating several HDAC inhibitors, including Belinostat (also called PXD101), currently offered in a phase II clinical trial for patients with mesothelioma and a phase I trial for patients with advanced solid tumors. And Vorinostat is in phase II clinical trials at City of Hope for two other cancers: nonHodgkin’s lymphoma and bladder cancer. The investigations come through the California Cancer Consortium, a National Cancer Institute-funded cooperative that unites City of Hope, the University of Southern California, UC Davis and the University of Pittsburgh to conduct small studies of up-and-coming drugs. “Science is moving quickly on these therapies,” Luu said. “We’d like to be able to speed them to our patients as fast as we can.” I I I

Thehang Luu and George Somlo

CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007I 9

ALICIA DI RADO

R E S E A R C H

HOPE

for breast cancer patients

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T R E AT M E N T

T R E AT M E N T

R E S E A R C H

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Scientists put

By Kathleen O’Neil

Call it the ultimate act of treason. In type 1 diabetes, the immune system turns against the body it is meant to protect, attacking fragile cells in the pancreas. Wounded, these cells can no longer produce insulin. And if the disease goes untreated, blood sugar levels can spike dangerously high or plunge perilously low.

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ILLUSTRATION: NEIL BRENNAN

type 1

DIABETES

in reverse

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Some researchers are asking a provocative question about type 1 diabetes: What if the immune system could be reset, so that it stopped attacking insulin-producing cells? City of Hope researchers already are on the case. An innovative new way to treat type 1 diabetes under investigation by City of Hope researchers could reverse the disease and enable patients to begin making their own insulin again. The method would use bone marrow transplantation to replace patients’ malfunctioning immune cells. Results from a preclinical trial of the treatment led by Defu Zeng, Ph.D., assistant professor in the divisions of Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism and Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, appeared in the Feb. 13 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Experts today consider bone marrow transplantation, or BMT, too risky for conditions that are not immediately life-threatening, since it requires patients to undergo radiation or chemotherapy to kill their own bone marrow and immune cells before transplantation. Zeng and his colleagues found a gentler way to prepare a patient with diabetes to receive a BMT using donated cells. “This approach is exciting because it has the potential to cure diabetes,” Zeng said. “Since our pretransplantation conditioning method is much less toxic, it could allow bone marrow transplantation to be used to treat a variety of autoimmune diseases for which total-body radiation or

chemotherapy is too damaging to justify the benefits.” Zeng and colleagues conduct the research in the Leslie and Susan Gonda (Goldschmied) Diabetes and Genetic Research Center, a City of Hope building opened in 1997 that significantly expanded basic and clinical diabetes research at the Duarte, Calif., campus. Of the nearly 21 million people living with diabetes in the United States, 5 to 10 percent have type 1. Although it can develop at any age, type 1 diabetes most commonly appears in children and young adults. One in every 400 to 600 children in the country has the disease. Currently incurable, the disease must be controlled with insulin injections. Healthy people produce immune cells, called T-cells, which attack foreign material. But in those with type 1 diabetes, T-cells mistakenly attack insulin-producing beta cells. Through a BMT, though, physicians may introduce healthy, functioning immune cells from a donor, allowing beta cells to slowly grow back and produce insulin again. The team’s ingenious BMT method eliminates the need for damaging chemotherapy or radiation by using an antibody to inactivate the host’s immune T-cells instead. The procedure allows donated T-cells to kill the host’s T-cells — so the donated immune cells can take over the body’s defensive duties. Zeng found that without any pretreatment, the host’s T-cells kill the donated T-cells within 24 hours. Researchers previously used the same antibody, anti-CD3, in

clinical trials to prevent rejection of transplanted organs. Zeng’s method was successful in preclinical trials in rodents: None of the mice receiving BMT and anti-CD3 developed diabetes again, compared to 89 percent of the control group. Examination of their pancreases showed that their insulin-secreting cells were also free from attack by T-cells, while the opposite was found in untreated mice. The researchers will continue preclinical testing to establish groundwork for potential human clinical trials. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) support the work. Support from the Gonda Foundation has been pivotal in diabetes research and in developing City of Hope’s islet cell transplant program, which has been designated by the NIH and JDRF as one of seven islet cell resource centers in the nation. I I I

From left, Ivan Todorov, Chia-Lei Vivian Lin, Chunyan Zhang and Defu Zeng.

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KATHLEEN O’NEIL

Gene machines find the
By Elise Lamar

answers

to

or much of her life as a researcher, Rama Natarajan, Ph.D., has sought to understand the causes behind diabetes’ complications and how resulting cellular changes can damage organs like the heart and kidney.

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Now, through a powerful technique used to search the entire human genome for genes that are either expressed or silenced in different disease states, Natarajan can identify molecular transformations potentially underlying diabetes’ harmful events. That technology, known as “ChIPon-chip,” makes Natarajan, professor in the Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism, optimistic about finding answers to the molecular mysteries behind diabetes. “Five years back, I wouldn’t have dreamt that such approaches would be available for our studies,” she said. In a study published in the March 5 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Natarajan’s group identified such changes in diabetes using the technology. Led by Assistant Research Scientist Feng Miao, Ph.D., the group found that high glucose levels harmful

to pancreatic, blood vessel and immune system cells are associated with what are called epigenetic changes in several genes associated with diabetes. Inherited changes in gene expression may occur in two ways. They either happen through genetic mutations, which damage the sequence of the DNA, or by the way the DNA and its associated proteins — known collectively as chromatin — are “packaged” in a cell’s nucleus. These are referred to as epigenetic changes. One type of epigenetic alteration is the addition of methyl groups to DNA or proteins, in a process called methylation. This often promotes the formation of tightly coiled chromatin associated with gene silencing, when genes are “turned off.” In contrast, different modifications that unwind or relax the DNA strand can “turn on” gene expression.

MARKIE RAMIREZ

Rama Natarajan

When such changes occur, increased inflammation likely promotes

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disease

amid thousands of bits of DNA

many complications of diabetes, including heart and kidney disease, and nerve and vision problems. Natarajan is investigating whether biochemical modifications that alter chromatin’s structure may cause some of these conditions.
Initially, the group analyzed chromatin modification in certain cells of the immune system. They examined two different methylation patterns — one associated with active genes and the other with silenced genes — in cells grown in conditions that mimic diabetes. “Using ChIP-on-chip, in one shot you can look at 12,000 genes and see what kinds of changes occur in the two different methylation patterns,” Natarajan said. The group identified specific genes of interest through the study. “We found a lot of genes related to diabetes were turned on,” said Natarajan. When they analyzed chromatin from

the same type of immune cells drawn from patients with diabetes, they saw similar patterns. Among affected genes were some associated with inflammation, as well as an enzyme linked to insulin signaling. Overall, concluded Natarajan, after exposure to diabetes’ high-glucose conditions, “protective genes are ‘downregulated’ and bad genes are being turned on.” The study was the first to find variations in these particular methylation patterns across the genome in diabetes; other studies already under way at City of Hope and around the world seek similar illuminating patterns in other diseases. Miao, who pioneered the application of ChIP-on-chip in the lab, sees this study as a start to a deeper understanding of diabetes. “We are one step closer to a modern epigenetic study of diabetes,” he said. “I hope this technology will lead to

new tests to diagnose diabetes and its complications.” Natarajan’s group will now analyze entire gene families using cells from diabetic patients. “We are looking at these targets now for patterns and certain pathways that are turned on,” she said, “and are coming up with gene networks that could be related to inflammation as well as metabolic defects.” The group conducts the research in the Leslie and Susan Gonda (Goldschmied) Diabetes and Genetic Research Center. The center significantly expanded basic and clinical diabetes research at City of Hope when it opened in 1997. Grants from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, as well as a General Clinical Research Center grant from the National Center for Research Resources, funded the study. III
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ILLUSTRATION: RON CHAN

R E S E A R C H

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T R E AT M E N T

R E C O G N I T I O N

U.S.NEWS & WORLD REPORT NAMES CITY OF HOPE AS

C I T Y

O F

H O P E

ONE OF “AMERICA’S BEST HOSPITALS” FOR

CANCER AND UROLOGY

By Shawn Le

City of Hope has been named one of “America’s Best Hospitals” in two specialties by U.S.News & World Report. City of Hope ranked 30th on this year’s list of top cancer hospitals and 29th on the list for urology. The institution is one of only five centers in California, and one of only two in the Los Angeles area, to appear on the cancer list and one of only six hospitals in California ranked in urology.
Complete rankings of the top hospitals are available online at www.usnews.com and appeared in the July 23 edition of U.S.News & World Report magazine. “It is gratifying that the dedication
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of our health care professionals, researchers and staff are recognized on a national level by U.S.News & World Report,” said Michael A. Friedman, M.D., president and chief executive officer, City of Hope. “Our ranking among the country’s top hospitals for cancer and urology reaffirms our commitment to rapidly finding new and better treatments for patients battling cancer and other diseases.” City of Hope is one of only 40 institutions in the nation to be designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). To earn this elite designation, a center must undergo a rigorous peer-review process, maintain a significant base of individually funded research projects and be heavily involved in community outreach, as well as meet other academic and public service requirements. “Our designation as a top cancer and urology hospital was not earned solely by the advances in medical science that are discovered and developed at City of Hope, but also by the value we place on compassionate care,” said Alexandra Levine, M.D., chief medical officer of

City of Hope. “We consider the needs of our patients in the full sense, and endeavor to provide excellence in all aspects of their treatment and care.” “America’s Best Hospitals” features 173 medical centers selected from 5,462 hospitals nationwide in 16 specialty areas. U.S. News based its cancer hospital rankings on several criteria that include reputation among board-certified physicians, mortality rate, the number of Medicare patients discharged, the ratio of nurses to patients, NCI and nurse magnet hospital designations, accreditation by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy, the use of specific advanced technology, the availability of certain patient services and other factors. Urology rankings were based on similar criteria including reputation, mortality rate, Medicare patient discharges, nursing ratio, nurse magnet hospital designation, presence of an on-site trauma center, the use of advanced technology and the availability of patient services. I I I

NORTHWEST
CITYNEWS

MIDWEST

Chapters
Christa Thomas, Chapters Managing Editor

SOUTHWEST

Tradition strengthens ties with volunteers
This summer’s National Convention, “Building a Future of Hope,” celebrated fundraising successes and City of Hope’s continued growth and development. I enjoyed meeting and reuniting with many of you during that weekend, and I hope that those of you in attendance benefited from the time together and went away feeling energized and renewed. During the meetings and events I attended at Convention, I was again reminded how City of Hope’s thousands of dedicated volunteers are such an integral part of its rich history. I know the special humanity and compassion that makes City of Hope a unique place is largely due to the efforts of chapter members. Convention is a reminder that generations of chapter supporters have created an important foundation for the institution. This is one of the unique and wonderful aspects of City of Hope — the spirit of legacy that is handed down within so many families. It is tremendously gratifying to see children and grandchildren carrying on their parents’ and grandparents’ volunteer efforts at City of Hope, and it is something in which you should all take great pride. Young people represent the future of philanthropy for the institution, and their continuation of your remarkable accomplishments is the ultimate tribute to the achievements of all of City of Hope’s volunteers throughout its storied history. As you serve as ambassadors for City of Hope in communities across the country, remember that many people, including faculty, administrators, staff and, most importantly, patients and their loved ones, are deeply appreciative of all of your efforts. Sincerely, Kathleen Kane, Executive Vice President of Development and External Affairs P.S. A special section with photos from this year’s Convention, complete with coverage of award winners, begins on page 19 of this issue. I hope you enjoy reliving some Convention highlights.

Kathleen Kane

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Beloved volunteer and former employee Cece Robman remembered
Longtime City of Hope volunteer and employee Cece Robman died in January at age 88 in Los Angeles. The daughter of late City of Hope Board Chair Lou Tabak, Robman befriended hundreds of chapter members during her lifetime. As a board chair’s daughter, Robman grew up watching City of Hope’s growth and expansion firsthand — exposure that influenced her own career path. In December 1979, she joined City of Hope’s staff as a director of nursing practice and remained with the institution until 1994, when she left the organization as a national events executive coordinator. Her husband, Marvin, also a devoted volunteer, served as a City of Hope board member. After her City of Hope employment ended, Robman remained involved as a tireless volunteer, overseeing fundraising events, including Walk for Hope to Cure Breast Cancer, Workout for Hope and Coupons for Hope in Southern California. The committed supporter also worked closely with the Apparel Industry Group, as well as its predecessor, the Merchants Club, for more than 40 years. Even when she no longer volunteered, Robman remained closely aligned with City of Hope, maintaining contact with scores of volunteers and employees. She took special pride in bestowing her father’s namesake award to outstanding volunteers at numerous National Conventions. Guadalupe “Peng” Garbo, senior coordinator of national campaigns, worked with Robman for more than 13 years. “Cece always was pleasant, kind and, most of all, caring. I know many people affiliated with City of Hope will miss her. She was a great inspiration and a role model for many of us,” Garbo said. Roz Phillips, associate vice president of development, also remembers her fondly. “Her effervescent personality, her calm demeanor and her ability to smooth over any difficult situation were Cece’s personality trademarks,” Phillips said. “She was a true example of a lifelong devoted supporter of City of Hope.” Robman is survived by three grown sons: Steve, Mark and David.

Cece Robman and her husband, Marvin

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STEVE ROBMAN

TOM BROWN

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NORTHWEST
CITYNEWS

Chapters
Stories by Carmen R. Gonzalez

SOUTHWEST

East End Chapter/Jeanne Kaye League honors Brooke Shields, Melissa L. Cohn
where more than 500 attendees gathered to see the accomplished women honored with Spirit of Life® Awards. Shields, whose film career has spanned nearly two decades, accepted her award in honor of her late father, Francis A. Shields. With the publication of her book, “Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression,” she became a highprofile advocate for women’s health issues. A Golden Globenominated performer, Shields is best known for her television series “Suddenly Susan” and feature films including “The Blue Lagoon” and “Endless Love.” Fellow honoree Cohn, chief executive officer of The Manhattan Mortgage Company, often is cited as a mortgage industry leader by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal and regularly appears on news channels. Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to found Manhattan Mortgage Company, now a premier residential mortgage firm that originated loans last year worth $5 billion. She also was honored with a Stevie Award for Women Entrepreneurs in 2007. The Israel Cancer Research Fund recently acknowledged her support of causes benefiting women and children with its “Woman of Action” award, and in 2005 she received The Retreat Hope Award, an honor from The Retreat, a group that supports women experiencing domestic abuse. Each year, the East End Chapter/Jeanne Kaye League recognizes women of distinguished achievement and leadership who have made significant contributions to their profession and community. Past honorees include Fran Drescher, Kelly Ripa, Cindy Crawford, Paula Zahn, Mary Tyler Moore and Katie Couric.

Brooke Shields and Melissa L. Cohn

Actress and author Brooke Shields and mortgage industry pioneer Melissa L. Cohn were feted at the East End Chapter/Jeanne Kaye League’s annual “Woman of the Year” luncheon, held May 8 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. More than $300,000 was raised for City of Hope through the event,

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TERI BLOOM

Rhoda Ehrlich and Norman S. Edelcup

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ANDREW GOLDSTEIN PHOTOGRAPHY

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Phyllis Dropkin Chapter gala feting Sunny Isles Beach, Fla., mayor raises $250,000
More than 300 guests gathered to honor Sunny Isles Beach, Fla., Mayor Norman S. Edelcup when he was recognized with The Spirit of Life®Award at the Trump Sonesta Beach Resort on Feb. 8. Hosted by the long-standing Phyllis Dropkin Chapter, the festive dinner raised more than $250,000 for City of Hope, making the event one of the group’s most notable achievements. Dedicated City of Hope supporter Rhoda Ehrlich, president of City of Hope’s Southeast Regional Council, played a key role in the event’s success. “Rhoda’s long and storied support of City of Hope is to be commended,” said Joan Wizner, senior director of development in the Florida office. “She has been a dedicated leader in Florida for many years now and truly deserves our heartfelt thanks for all of her efforts.”

NORTHEAST MIDWEST

SOUTHEAST

Teens further an inspirational legacy
When children learn about the importance of philanthropy from their parents, the lessons stay with them for the rest of their lives. In the City of Hope family, such legacies are not uncommon, and may carry on for generations. New York’s Teens for Hope Chapter — which Jamie Fuld, Joey Kuhn, Jocelyn Levy, Erin Schwartz and Jon Steele established in 2001 — serves as an inspiring example of such intergenerational support. The new chapter’s roots lie in the East End Chapter/Jeanne Kaye League, a long-term chapter also located in New York. Jamie Fuld and her brother Ryan are the third generation of their family to provide support for City of Hope. The siblings’ grandmother, Jeanne Kaye, is the chapter’s namesake. And their mother, Lisa Kaye Fuld, now serves as one of its co-presidents. The creativity and vitality of the Teens for Hope Chapter members show in their unique fundraising ideas. During one project, they sold flip-flop sandals to raise funds for the institution and to educate other teens about the cause.
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Teens for Hope members include (top row, from left) JT Della Femina, Ian Franklin, Ryan Fuld, Scott Levy, (bottom row, from left) Alex Witkoff, Zachary Witkoff, Jaclyn Chesner, Taylor Bloom and Aaron Scheinfeld.

From its core membership, the Teens for Hope Chapter has grown to include students from several New York-area high schools. With Ryan Fuld now serving as president, the group boasts 39 active members. “In a society that seems self obsessed at times, it is refreshing to see young adults so dedicated to helping others,” said Harry Giordano, senior director of development. “Ryan, Jamie and their fellow chapter members advocate tirelessly with other youth around Manhattan to raise funds and awareness for City of Hope. It truly is an honor to work with them.”

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Supporters raise the stakes
More than 300 supporters gathered for the Inner Circle’s first Racing for Hope event March 17 at Santa Anita Park, where more than $130,000 was raised for City of Hope. Among the celebrities who attended the event at the Arcadia, Calif., racetrack were actor Fred Savage and Los Angeles KNBC-TV weatherman and comedian Fritz Coleman, who served as emcee. Legendary Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye and horse trainer Doug O’Neil attended the event, as well. The Inner Circle is a group of distinguished Southern California executives, community leaders and entrepreneurs with a long history of supporting City of Hope. Savage, best known for his role on “The Wonder Years,” also has starred in the television series

“Working” and in such feature films as “Vice Versa” and “The Wizard.” Delahoussaye is a two-time Kentucky Derby winner, seven-time Breeders Cup winning rider and winner of the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.

Inner Circle President Stephan Tow (far right) honors Renee and Marc Paul for their philanthropy.

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THOMAS BROWN

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NORTHEAST
CITYNEWS

Chapters

MIDWEST SOUTHEAST

Regional Roundup Chapter News From Around the Country
SOUTHEAST: Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — City of Hope President and Chief Executive Officer Michael A.
Friedman, M.D., joined more than 450 chapter members and volunteers on Feb. 16 at the Southeast Region Annual Children of Hope Luncheon, where more than $13,000 was raised for City of Hope. Chapter members also collected thousands of toys and books for pediatric patients at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, Fla. As part of the festivities, members and volunteers also celebrated the 100th birthday of Gerry Bogatin, the Palm Beach Chapter’s beloved founder and president.

Aventura, Fla. — Keynote speaker City of Hope

President and Chief Executive Officer Michael A. Friedman, M.D., addressed a special cocktail reception for major south Florida donors and Northern Trust Bank clients on Feb. 15. Florida’s Young Leadership Chair Kim Biller spoke at the gathering.

SOUTHWEST: Duarte, Calif. — More than 500 Lions Club members gathered on campus
on March 25 for Lions’ Day to celebrate the service organization’s 50th anniversary supporting City of Hope. Guest speakers included Fouad R. Kandeel, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology & Metabolism. To date, Lions Club International has raised $4.5 million for City of Hope, as well as spearheading the creation of the Japanese Garden.
From left, Howard Lieberman, Jack Lieberman and Wendy Lieberman.
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Lions Club members tour campus.

Mission Viejo, Calif. — With his son and granddaughter by his side, longtime
Shelia Sporn Chapter member Jack Lieberman toured City of Hope after completing a recent significant gift. Over the years, Leiberman has donated nearly $75,000 to City of Hope. During the 1960s, both Lieberman and his wife, Bea, were active members of the now-honorary Orange County, Calif., chapter.

Porterville, Calif. — The Porterville Chapter held its annual City of Hope
Spectacular Gala honoring its late, past-president Frank “Buck” Shaffer for 45 years of chapter service. More than 1,200 supporters gathered at the Feb. 24 event to raise funds for City of Hope, and more than 200 entertainers performed at the tribute. Nine-year-old Marshall Cotta, a former City of Hope pediatric patient from San Diego, also spoke about Shaffer’s recommendation that he seek treatment for his brain tumor at City of Hope — a referral that ultimately saved his life.

Buck Shaffer

Bob Rovner

NORTHEAST: Philadelphia — Bob Rovner, former Pennsylvania senator and assistant district attorney,
recently was acknowledged as the Rissie Markowitz Chapter’s 2007 Spirit of Life® honoree. Honored because of his many achievements in politics, private philanthropy and broadcast communication, Rovner was recognized at a gala on June 6, which raised $80,000.

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Collingswood, N.J. — The South Jersey Hope Chapter hosted
its Annual Hope Dinner Dance and Auction on March 10 at the Collingswood Ballroom with more than 400 supporters in attendance, raising more than $50,000 for City of Hope.
From right, South Jersey Hope Chapter supporters Roxeen Froio, Kathy Middleton, Jill Walters, Marybeth Nolan and Vicky Thorp
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18 I CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007

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From left, Michael Friedman, Toni Nathan, Kim Biller, Ricky Paskow and Michael Yavner, wealth strategic vice president, Northern Trust Bank.

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Michael Friedman congratulates Gerry Bogatin.

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NATIONAL CONVENTION CELEBRATES CONTRIBUTIONS OF

VOLUNTEERS NATIONWIDE
Nearly 800 volunteers from across the country shared their fundraising successes and learned about the latest advances in medical research at City of Hope’s 2007 National Convention in Beverly Hills, Calif., in June.
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THE BEN HOROWITZ AWARDS recognize the highest level of planned giving achieved by a chapter.
From left, Bob Marx accepted the Gold award on behalf of the Board of Governors Chapter, Susan Rosman accepted the Bronze award on behalf of the Medical Center Aides Chapter, and Sandy Hoffman accepted the Silver award on behalf of the 500 Club Chapter.

CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007 I 19

2007 NATIONAL
CONVENTION
Held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, the three-day convention — themed “Building a Future of Hope” — recognized the significant and ongoing contributions of auxiliary members from scores of chapters nationwide. The highly anticipated gathering also enabled them to celebrate their fundraising achievements and hear inspirational messages from City of Hope leaders and patients. The convention began on June 23, when City of Hope President and Chief Executive Officer Michael A. Friedman, M.D., and outgoing Board Chair Philip L. Engel welcomed delegates at the opening banquet. The next day, at one of the more popular convention activities, nearly 300 conventioneers traveled to the Duarte, Calif., campus to hear faculty members talk about research and treatments. City of Hope patients also shared their own stories of hope and healing at the event, called the “Day of Discovery.”
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THE BRAVO! AWARDS recognize outstanding fundraising on behalf of Walk for Hope to Cure Breast Cancer between conventions.

Adrienne Stern, left, was recognized for raising the most individual donations, while Janice Cohen received the award on behalf of the Children’s Leukemia Chapter for most chapter funds raised.

THE LOUIS TABAK AWARDS recognize chapter members for their outstanding individual fundraising efforts and chapter leadership qualities.

Front row, from left, Bea Wolfe, Monterey Park Chapter; Patti Newby, Donnez Nous Chapter; Lorraine Santoro, Phyllis Dropkin Chapter; Joan Stein, Bernice Chernove Chapter (back row, from left) Eileen Stern, Desert Women’s Council Chapter; Bill Miller, Gift of Life Chapter; Bob Marx, Board of Governors Chapter; Ira Sax, Children’s Leukemia Chapter; and Francine Cohen, Seattle Chapter.

The Circle of Hope Chapter, which is not represented in the photo, also won a Tabak Award.

20I CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007

Saturday’s opening events were co-hosted by Bonnie Fein and her brother, Michael Kaplan.

Norm Crosby and Florence Henderson Alexandra Levine delivers her address.

From left, Steve, David and Mark Robman, sons of decades-long supporter, Cece Robman, and grandsons of Lou Tabak.

Izzy Freeman and Sharon Berrick co-hosted Roll Call.

From left, Beverly Horowitz and her children Zach and Jody

The All-American Boys Chorus performed an upbeat medley of tunes on Sunday evening.

CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007I 21

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2007 NATIONAL
CONVENTION
On the convention’s final day, participants attended Hope Forum, a series of educational sessions that focused on fundraising tools and strategies, as well as the traditional Roll Call, where chapter members report on fundraising results since the last convention. At an evening dinner gala, Peets addressed the conventioneers. “One of the best aspects this year was the addition of so many new faces — chapter members who had never been to a convention before,” said Roz Phillips, associate vice president of Development. “They really brought a new energy to all of the events. I know they and many other attendees have helped to revitalize their Patient speaker Beverly Austin own chapters with the renewed sense of purpose and dedication they took back home with them.” Among the hosts at the three-day event were longtime legacy supporters Bonnie Fein and her brother, Michael Kaplan; Ambassador Leadership
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THE “IZZY” AWARD recognizes one individual’s extraordinary dedication to City of Hope.

Izzy Freeman, right, presented his namesake award to longtime City of Hope champion Andy Spiegl.

On Monday night, sisters Kathy Kaye, left, and Lisa Fuld, whose mother founded the East End Chapter/Jeanne Kaye League of New York, hosted the gala event.

Mike Hersch and his grandson, Oliver Berger

Ernie So and his guest, Elissa Bong

22 I CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007

Three chapters won Golter awards but were not represented at Roll Call: The Diamonds of the Desert Chapter, the Faith Guild TSSL Chapter and the Fred and Gertrude Rosen Tucson Chapter.

Joan Perry, left, and Janice Brumer accepted the award on behalf of the Donnez Nous Chapter.

Ambassador Leadership Council members Pat Perrott and Don Hoffman hosted Sunday evening’s gathering.

Barry Tyson accepted for the Angels of Hope Chapter.

Morrie Darnov accepted on behalf of the Gift of Life Chapter.

Patient speaker Susanna Sawydan

THE NORMAN CROSBY GOODWILL AMBASSADOR AWARD acknowledges an outstanding volunteer who provides tireless support and kindness, and exhibits a benevolent spirit.
Norman Beals accepted on behalf of the Dershewitz/Aid to Life Chapter. Sandy Hoffman accepted the award on behalf of the 500 Club Chapter.

INCOMING AND OUTGOING CHAIRS
Philip L. Engel, center, is congratulated by Michael A. Friedman, left, and Chair Terry Peets after he accepted an award on Monday night in recognition of his tenure.

Norman Crosby, right, presented his namesake award to Maurice “Morrie” Darnov, who thanked his daughter, Sharon, for her own support of City of Hope.

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THE SAMUEL H. GOLTER AWARDS highlight extraordinary gains in chapter fundraising between conventions.

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2007 NATIONAL
CONVENTION
Israel “Izzy” Freeman Robbin L. Itkin

Council members Don Hoffman and Pat Perrott; and New York-area supporters and sisters Lisa Fuld and Kathy Kaye. Other hosts and presenters included Norm Crosby, City of Hope’s National Ambassador of Goodwill, Florence Henderson, the institution’s Star of Hope; Board of Regents member Bobbie Stern and former City of Hope patient Dale Shartsis. Monday’s traditional Roll Call was led by board member Israel “Izzy” Freeman and Ambassador Leadership Council member Sharon Berrick, and accompanied by legendary game show host Monty Hall and Crosby. “This convention would not have been possible without the enthusiasm and dedication of convention planning committee members from here in Southern California, as well as around the country,” said Alan Levey, senior vice president of development. “You deeply inspired me and everyone else who attended this year’s convention.”
Rhoda Makadon
24 I CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007

Stephen B. Kass

Claire L. Rothman

Joseph P. Sanford

Jack R. Suzar

SIX OUTGOING DIRECTORS were honored for their leadership, support and ongoing, dedicated service on City of Hope’s board of directors.

Timothy Wilson, M.D., director, Department of Urology/Urologic Oncology and the City of Hope Prostate Cancer Program, accepted the Gallery of Achievement Award for Medicine for outstanding contributions in the field of urologic oncology.

Shiuan Chen, Ph.D., professor/director of the Department of Surgical Research, accepted the Gallery of Achievement Award for Science for outstanding contributions in the field of breast cancer research.

THE PERROTT “VOICES OF HOPE” AWARD recognizes remarkable dedication to informing and inspiring others about City of Hope’s mission.
Bobbie Stern and Dale Shartsis co-presented awards on Sunday evening. Pat Perrott presents her family’s namesake award to Loring Leeds, a stalwart City of Hope supporter.

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GALLERY OF MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

HOPE FORUM

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DAY OF DISCOVERY

2007 NATIONAL
CONVENTION

Richard Ziman, left, Kathleen Kane and Sid Kline

Lois and Don Bailey

Lee and Shelly Greenberg

Michael A. Friedman, left, Rhonda Fleming and her husband, Darol Carlson

Joanne McKenzie, left, and Nancy Jo Flint

From left, Salma Erlich, Richard Erlich and Elaine Bloom

Patient family speaker Bill Cloer shared his story of hope and healing.

Monty Hall and Steve Gorelick

CONVENTION PHOTOGRAPHERS: TOM BROWN, AMY CANTRELL AND MARKIE RAMIREZ

26 I CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007

RIGHT ON THE NOSE
By Pat Kramer and Alicia Di Rado

Some 5,000 years ago, ancient Egyptians were the first to operate through the nasal passages. Their surgical device: a special hook that, when inserted through a nostril, allowed morticians to remove brain matter for the mummification process.
Thankfully, surgery has greatly advanced over the millennia. Today, neurosurgeons such as Behnam Badie, M.D., director of the Brain Tumor Program at City of Hope, have perfected highly sophisticated techniques to operate on the brain through the nose to remove pituitary tumors as gently as possible. Badie has unique expertise in the strategy, dubbed the endonasal transsphenoidal approach. As Badie explains, tumors and cysts may arise in the pituitary gland or in the tissue surrounding it, called the sellar region. The area lies behind the nose and sinus. Although only 10 to 15 percent of all brain tumors are pituitary tumors, and most of these are benign, they can cause troublesome hormonal and neurological symptoms that can be relieved through surgery. Few surgeons have the mastery and equipment to operate using the latest, most precise endonasal methods, which offer advantages over earlier approaches. “For years, surgeons were using what we call the sublabial-transseptal approach, where incisions are made through the upper lip and the septum of the nose — the cartilage — to access the brain,” said Badie, who has performed more than 200 pituitary procedures. “This offered less facial scarring than earlier techniques, but patients still experienced post-surgical trauma. And patients could be left with septal perforation and permanent damage to the sinuses.” The newer endonasal approach, developed within the last decade, unites the visual precision of a slim, tiny camera, called an endoscope, with the power of a navigation system, magnetic resonance imaging and highly specialized microscopes. The equipment in City of Hope’s operating room magnifies the tight surgical field while the StealthStation AXIEM electromagnetic navigation system guides surgeons to their targets, much like a global positioning system, or GPS, in a car. The system provides stereotaxy — the ability to pinpoint important structures three-dimensionally in the brain — without requiring a patient’s head to be held in place within a rigid frame. Research indicates that the endonasal approach is as effective as the sublabialtransseptal technique in removing pituitary tumors, and patients experience less pain through the endonasal approach. “The combination of the endoscope, operating microscope and frameless stereotaxy has improved the endonasal transsphenoidal procedure by freeing the surgeon’s hands, while also providing stereoscopic visualization,” Badie said. “Using these devices reduces operating time and provides easier control of bleeding. As a result, my patients have not experienced any cosmetic complications or nasal perforations, and most patients are discharged home within 48 hours.” Besides his successful procedures at City of Hope, Badie also has contributed to the surgery’s effectiveness worldwide. He invented two surgical instruments used in the transsphenoidal procedure: the Badie Suction Bipolar Forceps, which a surgeon may use to both grasp tissue and clean the surgical area, and the Badie Sellacon Plate, a reabsorbable plate that is used to reconstruct the sella after surgery. He also has published numerous articles on the endonasal transsphenoidal approach, including a chapter in the “Neurosurgical Operative Atlas — Neuro-Oncology,” an American Association of Neurological Surgeons textbook he recently edited. More information about the pituitary surgery technique is available on the program’s Web site, www.cityofhope.org/braintumor. I I I

Behman Badie operates on pituitary tumors endoscopically through the nose, resulting in less post-operative pain for patients.
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© 2007 PHILIP CHANNING

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Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center ushers in new era in

IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS RESEARCH
By Alicia Di Rado

Their shovels crunched through the earth, metal against soil, lifting and sifting pebbles and sand. Soon, beams and columns will rise from that earth, forming the skeleton of a structure that will house researchers striving to bring an end to cancer.
On May 10, the drive to build the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for Cancer Immunotherapeutics and Tumor Immunology began in earnest. Representatives from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation and City of Hope broke ground on the new center, which will support research into the cancer-fighting potential of the immune system. More than 150 faculty members, elected officials, board members and other dignitaries attended the campus event. The five-story, 108,000-square-foot facility will serve as headquarters for investigators in the Division of Cancer Immunotherapeutics & Tumor Immunology, or CITI. These scientists study how cancerous tumors avoid the immune system and, in turn, how to harness the immune system against cancer. The center also will house City of Hope’s Graduate School of Biological Sciences. “None of this would be possible without the generous and visionary gift from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation,” said Michael A. Friedman, M.D., president and chief executive officer of the institution, who noted the construction symbolizes an “era of growth and expansion for City of Hope.” The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation donated $20 million in 2006 as the lead gift in a campaign to establish the center. In 1983, the foundation invested $10 million to establish and endow Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope — the first of five such institutes nationwide — and the foundation’s annual gifts have supported the continued growth of the institute. “I think the whole foundation is excited to be a part of this,” said Patricia Beckman, daughter of Arnold and Mabel Beckman. “I know I am.” Ambassador George L. Argyros, chair of the board of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, also spoke at the groundbreaking, praising City of Hope’s ongoing research efforts. “I know that my dear friends Arnold and Mabel Beckman would feel that their money was well spent,” Argyros said. During the ceremony, City of Hope chair emeritis Philip L. Engel announced that Argyros and his wife, Julia, also pledged $5 million for the facility through The Argyros Foundation. (See the story on page 29.) City of Hope research leaders are enthusiastic about the science the gifts will support. Arthur Riggs, Ph.D., director of Beckman Research Institute and professor of biology, noted that some of the research projects under way by CITI faculty may seem like science fiction — such as engineering T-cells to attack cancer — but they are already in clinical studies. “The center will promote absolutely outstanding research, both basic research and clinical trials,” Riggs said. Theodore Krontiris, Ph.D., director of City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center and executive vice president of medical and scientific affairs, said the center and CITI represent fulfillment of the institution’s three most important missions: discovering biological disease mechanisms, speeding treatments to clinical trials and patient care, and fostering future scientists. I I I
From left, Arthur Riggs, Patricia Beckman, Michael A. Friedman, George L. Argyros, Phil Engel, Harry Gray and Andrew Raubitscheck were among those to break ground for City of Hope’s new immunotherapeutics facility.
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PAULA MYERS

28 I CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007

ARGYROS FOUNDATION
supports Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center with $5 million gift

By Elise Lamar

The Argyros Foundation has donated $5 million toward construction of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for Cancer Immunotherapeutics and Tumor Immunology.
City of Hope leaders announced the generous gift during the building’s May 10 groundbreaking, where Ambassador George L. Argyros was an honored guest. Argyros serves as chair of the board of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, which provided $20 million in 2006 as the lead gift in a campaign to build the center. “We are privileged to contribute to the ongoing efforts of City of Hope’s prominent researchers who are pioneering innovative technologies and basic science discoveries towards new forms of treatment,” said Argyros, who oversees the Argyros Foundation with his wife, Julia. “This center will speed the outstanding work of City of Hope scientists directly to the hands of physicians to benefit patients more quickly than ever before.” Michael A. Friedman, M.D., president and chief executive officer of City of Hope, noted that the gift will spur more than construction of a building. “This generous gift will have an enormous impact on the lives of patients battling serious diseases,” Friedman said. “The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for Cancer Immunotherapeutics and Tumor Immunology will provide a venue for specialists to share ideas and accelerate the pace of scientific discovery.”

The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for Cancer Immunotherapeutics and Tumor Immunology

The 108,000-square-foot facility, designed by architect Ralph E. Johnson, will house researchers in the Division of Cancer Immunotherapeutics & Tumor Immunology, or CITI. These scientists study how cancerous tumors avoid the immune system and, in turn, how to harness the immune system against cancer. CITI investigators conduct what is known as translational research, an approach that encourages communication between basic scientists and clinicians to speed new treatments from the lab to the clinic. The new facility, which also will house the Graduate School of Biological Sciences, is scheduled for completion in 2009. Argyros, an accomplished Orange County businessman and former United States Ambassador to Spain from 2001 to 2004, has served on many boards and

received numerous awards, including the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, an honor he shares with other successful figures who rose from humble beginnings, including Ronald Reagan and Oprah Winfrey. Born in Detroit, Argyros grew up in Pasadena, Calif. He earned a degree in business and economics in 1959 from Chapman College, where he later served as the longest-serving chairman of the board of trustees from 1976 to 2001. He is chairman and chief executive officer of Arnel & Affiliates, a prominent West Coast diversified investment company, and serves as general partner in Westar Capital. He was formerly co-owner of AirCal, from 1981 to 1987, and the owner of the Seattle Mariners Baseball Club from 1981 to 1989. I I I

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RIGHT ON TARGET
Researchers find new ways to improve chemotherapy
By Kathleen O’Neil

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As just about anyone who has undergone chemotherapy can attest, traditional cancer-killing drugs can damage healthy tissue, too. Gastrointestinal problems, hair loss, fatigue and other effects can accompany chemotherapy’s cancer-battling work.
But now City of Hope researchers and their colleagues may have found a way to focus chemotherapy more specifically on cancerous tissue. That may mean not only less toxic treatments, but also more effective ones. Investigators at City of Hope and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are using modified neural stem cells to activate and concentrate chemotherapeutic drugs predominately at tumor sites, so that normal tissues surrounding the tumors and throughout the body remain relatively unharmed. The investigative technique could help increase the chemotherapy doses that patients can safely tolerate, potentially increasing their cancer-cell-killing power. That may potentially bring good news for patients with advanced cancers that have spread. “This approach could significantly improve future treatment options for patients with metastatic cancer,” said Karen Aboody, M.D., assistant professor in the divisions of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation and Neurosciences at City of Hope. “It not only has the potential to destroy residual tumor cells, but it should also improve patients’ quality of life by minimizing toxic side effects such as nausea, diarrhea or bone marrow suppression.”
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Aboody was the lead author of the study done in collaboration with senior author Mary Danks, Ph.D., associate member in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. The study was published in PLoS ONE, and a second, related paper appeared in Cancer Research. Most chemotherapy drugs damage fast-growing cells in the body — whether cells are normal or cancerous — which is why the drugs are toxic to tissues such as the intestinal lining and hair follicles. Aboody and her colleagues have developed a two-part system that may reduce that toxicity. It first infiltrates tumors and then activates a chemotherapeutic drug, providing a killing effect at the tumor site — or sites, if the tumor has spread. The technique takes advantage of the tendency for invasive tumors to attract neural stem cells. In their study, the researchers injected modified neural stem/progenitor cells into immunosuppressed mice with neuroblastoma tumors. After waiting a few days to allow the stem cells to migrate to the tumors, researchers administered a compound that interacts with an enzyme produced by the neural stem/progenitor cells. That compound converts into an active drug that kills surrounding tumor cells. The precursor drugs were administered for two weeks. Then, after a two-week break, researchers administered a second round of stem/progenitor cells and drugs. All of the neuroblastoma mice appeared healthy and tumor-free at six months. All of

the untreated neuroblastoma mice died within two-and-a-half months. The results hold promise for treating solid tumors that metastasize, including neuroblastoma, which represents 6 to 10 percent of all childhood cancers worldwide, with higher incidence in children under age two. “The results are especially important in the case of high-risk neuroblastoma, because treatment-resistant cancer returns in as many as 80 percent of children, and the majority die of their disease,” Danks said. Aboody and her colleagues had previously demonstrated the technique’s efficacy in primary and metastatic tumors in the brain. This research is the first to demonstrate that the technique also is effective in a metastatic cancer model, targeting many solid tumor sites spread throughout the body. They believe that the technique could also be applied to other malignant solid tumors, including colon, brain, prostate and breast cancers, and are planning preclinical trials using those tumors. The research was funded by grants from the National Cancer Institute, the STOP CANCER Foundation, the Phi Beta Psi Sorority, The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation, the Neidorf Family Foundation, the Marcus Foundation and ALSAC (American Lebanese Syrian Associated Karen Aboody Charities). I I I

MARKIE RAMIREZ

> W.M. Keck Foundation supports lymphoma study
The W.M. Keck Foundation has awarded a one-year, $450,000 grant to support the study of molecular mechanisms underlying cancer and to develop therapies that destroy lymphoma cells without harming normal cells. Stephen J. Forman, M.D., Francis and Kathleen McNamara Distinguished Chair in Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, leads the pilot study, which will include a team of investigators from City of Hope and the California Institute of Technology.

> Ralph M. Parsons Foundation funds teaching laboratory The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation has awarded a $750,000 grant to establish the Ralph M. Parsons Teaching Laboratory at the City of Hope Graduate School of Biological Sciences. The teaching laboratory, which will enhance educational offerings for students in the graduate school and the Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy at City of Hope, will be located on the first floor of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for Cancer Immunotherapeutics and Tumor Immunology.

> UniHealth Foundation award supports nurse education and training program UniHealth Foundation has awarded a three-year, $511,130 grant to develop evidence-based practice skills in staff nurses, which will promote patient safety and quality nursing care. The program will foster clinical excellence and quality of care, as well as the professional development of future nurse leaders. The mission of the UniHealth Foundation is to support and facilitate activities that significantly improve the health and well being of individuals and communities within its service area.

> The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation continues stem cell research support
The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation awarded $150,000 for a one-year grant to support the stem cell Targeting Project led by Karen S. Aboody, M.D., assistant professor in the divisions of Neurosciences and Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, and Chu-Chih Shih, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Division of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation. The project investigates the ability of stem cells to migrate toward human glioma cells and other tumors. The foundation has now supported the program for three years. I I I
CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007 I 31

> Henry L. Guenther Foundation aids acquisition of 3T MRI machine The Henry L. Guenther Foundation awarded a two-year, $500,000 grant to help City of Hope acquire a 3-tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine. The 3T MRI will provide highly precise imaging capabilities to physicians and researchers, enabling more accurate diagnosis and better treatment of solid tumors. The equipment will be housed in City of Hope Helford Clinical Research Hospital.

G R A N T S

A T

City of Hope is a nationally recognized leader in biomedical research. The institution ranked in the top 5 percent among independent research institutes in total grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, in 2006. Following is a roundup of some notable grants awarded recently.

A

G L A N C E

P L A N N I N G

A COMMITMENT TO

Hands-on philanthropy
A results-oriented entrepreneur, Larry Flax typifies today’s highprofile philanthropist. As a cofounder of California Pizza Kitchen, Flax knows a thing or two about getting involved firsthand in assembling the right ingredients and team. He believes the same is true for supporting worthwhile causes. “People can watch their good do good by becoming personally invested,” said Flax. When Flax and his wife, Joni, recently considered their Joni and Larry Flax charitable giving options, they chose City of Hope because of the leadership shown by Michael C. Jensen, M.D., co-director of the Cancer Immunotherapeutics & Tumor Immunology program (CITI), and the institution’s advances against brain cancer. Jensen’s engineered T-cell therapies, which boost the immune system to attack cancer, are pushing research boundaries, moving ever closer to achieving cures. Eager to spur the discovery of new treatments for brain cancer in children, the Flax family has provided significant funding in recent years to aid Jensen’s efforts, enhancing the pool of funds they have dedicated to pediatric research at City of Hope since 1992. Flax notes that today’s health-care philanthropists want to know that their money truly advances and delivers improved treatments. In this vein, Flax has joined a new consortium of modern donors to pool their enthusiasm and knowledge in order to best manage philanthropic giving. “I want to help supercharge philanthropy to maximize its impact,” Flax said. Instead of making charitable gifts through bequests, “I would urge people to consider life estate planning that works for them during their lifetime,” said Flax. “There certainly are worthwhile tax benefits. Plus, you can manage your own gift and see how it is making a difference.” Flax’s personal connection to research at City of Hope motivates his desire to change the face of philanthropy, and he would not have it any other way. “At City of Hope, you can be in touch with your gift and see what they’re doing.” This satisfaction gives new meaning to the term “hands-on control.” Larry and Joni Flax live in Beverly Hills, Calif. Joni’s son, Peter Gillette, and his wife, Michelle, have two children, Alex and Avery. I I I
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HELPING OTHERS
By Carmen R. Gonzalez

G I F T

Generous philanthropists who support City of Hope hail from different backgrounds. A variety of creative giving options, including life estate planning, IRA beneficiary designation and gift annuities, make it easy for them to find a custom-fit financial strategy for fighting life-threatening diseases.

32 I CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007

A philanthropic visionary
Tennessee resident Cano Ozgener may be described as a man of tenacity and determination. These admirable qualities served him well during his career as a mechanical engineer, and during his first battle with lymphoma in 2000. Not long before Ozgener was diagnosed with lymphoma, his good friend and Nashville Symphony conductor Kenneth Esen and Cano Ozgener Schermerhorn already was battling cancer. At a charity event, Ozgener met philanthropist Michael Milken, and they discussed Schermerhorn’s condition, prompting Milken to recommend City of Hope to Ozgener’s longtime friend. Later, when Ozgener’s own lymphoma recurred, he recalled Milken’s advice. “It was karma. God was showing me the way,” said Ozgener. Once Ozgener arrived on campus, he met with Stephen J. Forman, M.D., Francis and Kathleen McNamara Distinguished Chair in Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, a physician he feels embodies the institution’s renowned patientcentered philosophy. Inspired by the treatment he received, Ozgener praised all of those who cared for him. “Dr. Forman gives confidence to patients and staff,” he said. “All the personnel are professional, caring, kind, compassionate — all of them.” After his experience, Ozgener and his wife, Esen, were motivated to find a way to support City of Hope. “We wanted to do even more to find a cure and reduce the suffering of all those affected by cancer,” explained Ozgener. The Ozgeners’ vision of helping to further better therapies included making a significant gift to the institution. “I’m convinced that with proper funding and research, one day we will win the fight against cancer,” said Ozgener. The Ozgeners, who reside in Nashville, still travel to City of Hope, where Cano Ozgener continues his treatment. His compassion also reaches beyond City of Hope, as he raises funds on behalf of the Michael Milken Foundation to support medical research for prostate cancer. “Making a gift through an IRA was easy,” noted Ozgener. “The expertise of the gift planning officers at City of Hope enabled me to choose the gift vehicle that best met my needs.” I I I
JOHN CHIASSON

A show of brotherly love
John Click knew that he would keep a promise he made to his late brother, David. In the mid 1990s, David was stricken with esophageal cancer. Frustrated by the bureaucratic and impersonal medical care provided for his younger brother elsewhere, Click directed him to City of Hope John Click for treatment. After a prolonged struggle with the disease, David died. Throughout David’s stay at City of Hope, he told Click that he did not feel like he was in a hospital, but instead felt at home and comforted. Click recalled fond memories about the thoughtfulness of the nurses and physicians who cared for his brother, including I. Benjamin Paz, M.D., director of the Department of General Oncologic Surgery. “We lived in Desert Hot Springs back then, so our commute was long. Dr. Paz would take that into account when scheduling treatments, making sure we’d avoid traffic,” Click said. He also remembered his brother’s instructions to someday contribute to City of Hope to support the institution. Click made good on his promise. He began by making City of Hope the beneficiary of his IRA in 1997. Then, after selling his home in 2006, Click donated $200,000 to City of Hope through a gift annuity, which produced annual income. Not only did he honor his brother’s wishes, but he made a smart financial move as well. “It was a good deal for me. I earn 8 percent a year for life, and it has tax advantages, too,” he said. The donation to City of Hope will benefit crucial research into serious diseases, which pleases Click. “Maintaining research is important,” he said. “That’s what might produce the next cure.” And because his gift annuity is unrestricted, the institution may apply the funds to where they can do the most good. The 80-year-old John Click resides in Calimesa, Calif. He grew up in Lone Pine, Calif., and enjoys many interests related to mountain life. His hobbies include racing cars. His favorites are the 1932 and 1936 model Fords. I I I
JOHN CLICK

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CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007 I 33

H O P E

COMPANIES ALIGN WITH CITY OF HOPE TO SAVE LIVES
Through cause-related marketing programs, City of Hope’s dedicated corporate supporters have helped raise more than $25 million since 1999. These programs generate considerable national awareness and enhance community support for our mission to eradicate life-threatening diseases. We thank all of the companies that support our lifesaving research, treatment and education efforts through cause-related marketing campaigns.

C A U S E

F O R

Office product industry leaders continue their steadfast support of City of Hope. The Paper Mate, Parker and Rolodex brands in the Sanford, a Newell Rubbermaid Company, family collectively pledged to raise $270,000 for the institution through the end of 2008. 3M has raised more than $800,000 since 2004

via its Post-it Super Sticky Notes “Stick Up for the Cause” campaign, including a $100,000 sponsorship of City of Hope’s Walk for Hope to Cure Breast Cancer, and its “Clean up for the Cause with O-Cel-O” scrub sponges program. Another industry luminary, Staples, has raised more than $1 million through cause-related marketing during the last two years with in-store, scratch-card coupons. Through its “Rock the Cure”

retailers nationwide, additional products are slated to be added to the campaign in 2008.

campaign, high-end fashion label Rock & Republic will donate a minimum of 75 percent of profits from special-edition jeans and T-shirts from June 2007 to June 2008 to benefit City of Hope’s genetic research, treatment and education efforts. Sold in major upscale

“American Idol” contestant Sherman Pore, 64, won fans when he recently auditioned for the popular television show and shared the touching story of losing his partner to ovarian cancer. Following his appearance, Pore recorded the CD “For My Lady Love,” now available at stores nationwide, such as WalMart and WalMart.com. Pore’s label, Z-Entertainment, will donate $1 from each CD to City of Hope for cancer research, treatment and education. “For My Lady Love” includes classic love songs such as “You Belong to Me” and “Unforgettable” and was recorded in Capitol Records Studio B, where both Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin once crooned many standards. For more information, visit shermanporeidol.com.

Get the latest news about City of Hope with just a click of your mouse.
Subscribe to eHope, our monthly online newsletter, by visiting www.cityofhope.org/newsletters. Once you submit your e-mail address, we’ll place you on our list.

A number of beauty products companies are launching campaigns to benefit City of Hope. Conair will make a one-time charitable contribution of $45,000 in support of the institution’s breast cancer research, treatment and education efforts through its Jilbère de Paris brand’s “Pink Collection” hair products. Zotos International is donating $35,000 and promoting City of Hope through its Zotos and Joico beauty and hair product brands. And Ergo will donate $15,000 through its “ProSleeker1” flat iron. I I I

34 I CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007

CAROL RAMNARINE

First, but not last
I did not realize the importance of my treatment at first. Clad in little more than a hospital gown, I approached the TomoTherapy HI-ART System with as much calm as an apprehensive person being fed into a radioactive machine could muster in a situation like that.
Eventually, though, the magnitude of the event dawned on me. I was the first multiple myeloma patient in the world to go through total marrow irradiation. Two years of planned research by the City of Hope TomoTherapy team was about to come together for the first time on a patient: me. I silently prayed, dedicating my participation to my father, William L. Grover, M.D., in addition to asking God’s steadfast hand to bless this team. The TomoTherapy system is a specialized machine that focuses radiation treatment on a tumor site with little spillover into the healthy tissue that surrounds it. Less but more precise radiation offers the potential benefit of lessened debilitating side effects. Total marrow irradiation meant they had to administer radiation to the bone marrow throughout my body. The physicians made adjustments. Shifts were made in the fabric and laser beams aligned to tattooed marks on my body; shoulder straps and a face mask were put into place. Attention to details was evident; accuracy was paramount. The art of precision prevailed over the chatter of excitement. Once they aligned the machine, my treatment began. First, a red light appeared, and then I heard a sound similar to a washing machine, or a marching band, drumming in a rhythm that drowned out the music piped into the treatment room. I held still. I did not want to move and cause them to start all over. I escaped into my imagination as I lay there. The drumming sound of the machine melted into the snow-laden street I raced down on my red wooden bobsled with my siblings and friends on Crofton Road in Garfield Heights, Ohio.

Carol Ramnarine with her beloved pets

The last 27 minutes of the procedure were the most difficult for me. I no longer was able to entertain my mind. I began to feel the fatigue of remaining still and lying on a platform. I felt like the kid who kept asking her parents, “Are we there yet?” The minutes and seconds ticked away slowly, but the terrific staff kept me motivated and resolved until the end of each treatment. Each evening, before I was taken back to my room, my team of doctors would see how I was handling the treatment. I experienced minimal side effects; nothing was as severe as the effects I saw in other patients who received traditional radiation treatment. Nearly two years have passed since then, and I am doing great. This noninvasive radiation therapy, with fewer side effects, is amazing. I now volunteer my time at City of Hope mentoring other patients through their own cancer experiences, and also with the nonprofit Firefighter Cancer Support Network. I am grateful to the people who have acted on their dreams and dedicated their time, as well as the investors in research who have enabled so many great advances in cancer treatment. I am truly blessed with a professional medical team and a fellowship of friends and family all supporting me. I I I

CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007 I 35

F I R ST P E R S O N : PAT I E N T P RO F I L E
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T R E AT M E N T

City of Hope investigator receives one of California’s

FIRST HUMAN STEM CELL GRANTS
By Elise Lamar

R E S E A R C H

A N D

A shaving nick. A burn from a hot oven. A bruise from an unintended meeting of shin against coffee table. A parade of damaged tissue — tissue that is injured, heals and turns whole again.
On a minute scale, stem cells do the same for their chromosomal DNA, fixing splits and breaches in it. But how well do they do it? A noted City of Hope investigator wants to find out. Timothy O’Connor, Ph.D., professor in the Division of Biology, was recently awarded one of the first grants to fund human embryonic stem cell research resulting from passage of California’s Proposition 71, also known as the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative. The grant funds his work in DNA repair. O’Connor shared the honor with Prop.71 investigators statewide, according to the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). These SEED (for Scientific Excellence through Exploration and Development) grants are awarded to experts working outside the embryonic stem cell field in the hope that they bring novel insight to stem cell biology. For 20 years, first at the Institut Gustave Roussy in Villejuif, France, and in the last 10 at City of Hope, O’Connor has identified proteins that repair nicks and breaks in chromosomal DNA. “We are interested in how cells protect themselves from DNA damage, and how those strategies can be exploited for possible
36 I CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007

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therapy,” he said. Breaks in double-helical DNA strands occur following exposure to mutagens or radiation and much less frequently during normal cell division. Healthy cells express legions of proteins whose job is to repair battered DNA. Without them, cells can die or become cancer cells. Although the amount is not yet finalized, the CIRM governing board will award O’Connor about $350,000 over two years to determine how efficiently DNA repair proteins operate in human embryonic stem, or ES, cells. Funds will support specialists who know how to make finicky stem cells thrive in a Petri dish. “ES cells take a lot of care and feeding,” explained O’Connor. Steven Bates, a senior research associate at City of Hope since 1992, will handle the cells’ care. Bates devised a unique method to prepare “feeder” or support cells used to maintain ES cells in culture. Some studies suggest that over long periods, ES cells accumulate mutations, or errors in their DNA sequence, more readily than other cells. “Our goal is to try to understand if repair processes differ at these very early stages of development from repair processes operating in cells that have developed into more mature cell types,” O’Connor said.

One technique O’Connor will use to accomplish that is to mutate a gene encoding a protein called luciferase, which emits light. The scientist then forces that nonfunctional luciferase gene into an ES cell and waits to see if it will glow. “After different time points, say eight to 48 hours, we can start to see a signal — that’s an indication that repair has occurred,” O’Connor said. Researchers then will compare the repair rate to that in non-ES cells. O’Connor says that scientists must determine how vulnerable human ES cells are to DNA damage before they are infused into people as replacement therapies. “It is not yet clear what will happen when you put a living stem cell into a person, so it is very important to understand what that cell is doing. It’s not like a drug that you can stop giving to someone,” O’Connor said. The hope is that tissues derived from stem cells will last a lifetime. O’Connor’s work is aimed at making sure that ES cell replacement therapy is a good thing. I I I

Timothy O’Connor

MARKIE RAMIREZ

REUNIONS
celebrate thousands of lives saved through transplantation
By Kathleen O’Neil and Alicia Di Rado

An overwhelmed Cindy Campos, age 10, cried when Doug Baxter, a Canadian airline pilot, knelt to give her a hug. Architect John Ruble’s voice cracked as he strained to hold back tears when he saw Greg Shaver, a young man from Indiana.
Campos and Ruble had reason for their deep emotions: For the first time, they got to meet the generous bone marrow donors who helped save their lives when they were desperately ill with leukemia. The donors and recipients met at the 31st annual “Celebration of Life” hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) reunion on April 27 on the Duarte, Calif., campus. They were joined by nearly 6,000 HCT recipients, their loved ones and caregivers, who gather each year for the event, a City of Hope tradition. While the success stories change every year, attendees at the highly anticipated HCT reunions appreciate every one, knowing how hard those can be to come by. “We do this year after year, and it never gets old — there are always new stories of courage and hope in our patients,” said Stephen J. Forman, M.D., Francis and Kathleen McNamara Distinguished Chair in Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation and clinical director of the Division of Cancer Immunotherapeutics & Tumor Immunology, before introducing Campos and Ruble to their donors at a morning press conference. The experience is even more powerful for the patients themselves. “It’s like a family reunion,” said former patient Jeff Maurer, a Southern California firefighter who is a two-time cancer survivor. “Every year, I see a lot of people with the same stories as me who are living healthy and full lives following their transplant.” The event also raised awareness about the need for hematopoietic cell donation. Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-Pasadena) spoke at a press conference during the event about a bill he backs that would create a statewide pilot cord blood collection program. The program would improve the chance of a match for people who need transplantation. “Umbilical cord blood, which 90 percent of the time gets thrown in the trash, cures 70 diseases,” Portantino said. Arizona patients reunite, celebrate More than 200 former patients and loved ones gathered with physicians, nurses and other caregivers at the City of HopeBanner Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) Program’s 10th anniversary reunion, held May 18 at the Phoenix Art Museum. The City of Hope-Banner BMT Program, formerly known as the City of HopeSamaritan BMT Program, performed more than 660 transplants in its first decade. (The program’s name was recently changed to better reflect the two parent organizations.) The program also has accommodated almost 29,000 outpatient visits, making a profound difference in the lives of people in the Phoenix area and beyond. Patients in the program have come from 10 states and seven countries. “Our program has grown significantly from our opening 10 years ago, and many improvements in the care we are able to provide are on the horizon,” said Jeffrey Schriber, M.D., medical director of the City of Hope-Banner BMT Program. “We have built a program where patients from the Phoenix area can be transplanted near their homes, and we have also worked diligently to advance cancer treatment.” I I I

Survivors shared laughter, hope and stories from their lives at the 2007 “Celebration of Life” reunion on April 27 in Duarte, Calif.

Former patient Nathanael Buus, right, hugs his marrow donor, Justin Chaney, at the City of Hope-Banner Bone Marrow Transplant Program’s 10th anniversary reunion, held on May 18 in Phoenix.

CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007 I 37

BEN ARNOLD

AMYCANTRELL.COM

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E V E N T S

Celebrating

FUNDRAISING EVENTS

H O P E

Supporters teamed up for the Southwest Food Industry’s Spirit of Hope Golf Tournament, held at the Camelback Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., on April 27. From left, Dan Valenzuela, president, Safeway Phoenix Division; Nikki Daly, director, Public Affairs and Government Relations, Safeway Phoenix Division; Frank Cannistra, vice president, Retail Operations, Safeway Phoenix Division; and Frank Conley, vice president, Finance, Safeway Phoenix Division. Presented by Miller Brewing Company, the annual event attracted more than 700 supporters, who helped raise more than $490,000 through the tournament, as well as a dinner and silent auction on April 28. I I I
38 I CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007

Michael C. Jensen, M.D., co-director of the Cancer Immunotherapeutics & Tumor Immunology program and director of pediatric neuro-oncology (left), congratulates honoree Frank L. Rollo, principal of Treadwell & Rollo, at the Northern California Real Estate and Construction (REC) Business Alliance’s annual Spirit of Life® Award Dinner. Held on May 10 in San Francisco, the festive gala attracted more than 600 supporters, who also celebrated the REC’s annual fundraising total of $390,000 — an amount that exceeded the group’s 2007 goal by more than 10 percent. Rollo has served as senior geotechnical consultant for the development of Mission Bay, Embarcadero Center and many other high-rise buildings throughout the Bay Area and California. I I I

Ben “Clevelander” Cleveland from Equis lays a punch on Max Chopovsky of Grubb & Ellis at the fifth annual Broker Boxing Federation (BBF) event, held May 10 at the Hotel InterContinental in Chicago. This year’s 10-bout fight card, which drew a capacity crowd of more than 1,200 supporters, included representatives from companies such as Equis, NAI Hiffman, Grubb & Ellis and Junipar. The mission of the BBF, founded in 2003 by Eric Nixon of the Maron Network and David Goldberg of Newmark, is to bring the Chicago real estate community together once a year to raise money for local charities. This year’s pugilistic event raised more than $275,000 for City of Hope. I I I

CLAIRE BOCK

Real estate industry member Matt Hoffer (above) lent his talent for the 13th annual Real Estate Action Committee for City of Hope’s (REACH) Social at House of Blues in Chicago on April 26. Hoffer competed for a spot as the lead singer of a supergroup on the 2006 CBS reality series “Rock Star: Supernova.” More than 1,200 supporters gathered at the REACH event, which raised more than $300,000 to benefit City of Hope’s pediatric cancer research, treatment and educational programs and featured musicians from the local construction and real estate industries, along with guest musician Rick Nielsen from ‘80s band Cheap Trick. Since its founding in 1996, REACH has raised more than $1 million for City of Hope programs. The committee has grown to include professionals from many ancillary industries including construction, brokerage, architecture, finance and building maintenance. I I I

DIGITAL MOTO PHOTO

MAIN PHOTO AND PHOTO AT LEFT BELEN AQUINO/ GERBER & SCARPELLI PHOTOGRAPHY

Each year, hundreds of fundraising events held across the country raise millions of dollars to support vital research, treatment and education programs at City of Hope. In this column, we highlight a few of the major fundraising activities that have taken place during the past few months.

C I T Y

O F

A recent study by Jeffrey Weitzel, M.D., director of the Department of Clinical Cancer Genetics, and his colleagues, which found that women who don’t have many older female relatives on one side of their family may carry a BRCA gene mutation without realizing it, was featured in numerous national publications. (BRCA mutations are linked to various cancers, including breast cancer.) Publications and news outlets covering the story included The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, U.S.News & World Report.com, TIME.com, Forbes.com, BusinessWeek.com, Associated Press, Reuters, United Press International, Scientific American, Miami Herald, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Chicago Tribune, among others. The study was also featured nationally by CBS affiliates, including KCBS and KCAL-TV in Los Angeles. The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. A June 11 Los Angeles Times story quoted Sunita Patel, M.D., assistant professor, Division of Population Sciences, and Yun Yen, M.D., Ph.D., associate director of translational research, on findings from the 2007 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference, including therapies for treating liver cancer and a drug to reduce the cognitive side effects of chemotherapy. A June 22 segment on “Good Morning America” highlighted “Hannah Montana” actress Miley Cyrus and her upcoming

concert tour, with a dollar from each ticket sold benefiting City of Hope. The Los Angeles Times featured a lymphoma Q&A on April 23 with Mark Kirschbaum, M.D., director of new drug development and assistant professor in the Division of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation. The May issue of Los Angeles magazine included an article about private support’s increasing role in funding innovative biomedical studies. The story cited City of Hope as one of Southern California’s world-class research facilities.

Sheryl Crow

OK! Magazine highlighted entertainer Sheryl Crow on April 30 for her various charitable contributions, including public service announcements she recorded for City of Hope to raise cancer awareness.
On April 28, City of Hope’s 31st Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Reunion was featured on the front page of the Pasadena Star-News and also was covered by the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Whittier Daily News,

Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, San Bernardino Sun and KABC-TV. Newspapers covering event participants also included the Calgary Sun on April 13, the Winnipeg Free-Press on April 27, the North County Times on April 28 and Today’s Local News (San Diego) on April 29.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported on April 24 that Gail K. Naughton, Ph.D., was appointed to City of Hope’s national board of directors. On March 19, The Associated Press ran a story about the planned retirement of Ronald Shaw, president and chief executive

officer of Pen Pilot. In the article, Shaw said that after retirement, he will continue supporting City of Hope.

The Summit, a business magazine supplement in the Pasadena Star-News, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Whittier Daily News and Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, quoted Robert Figlin, M.D., the Arthur and Rosalie Kaplan Professor of Medical Oncology, and chair of the Division of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, in a March 30 story about City of Hope’s global and local impact. City of Hope also was listed in the magazine as one of the largest organizations in the San Gabriel Valley. I I I
CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007 I 39

I N
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T H E

MAKING NEWS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

N E W S

These are just a few of the City of Hope developments that have been

NUMBERS
T O K N O W

An ounce of prevention
By H. Chung So

CITY OF HOPE MEDICAL CENTER
800-423-7119

PATIENT REFERRAL LINE
(for patient referral inquiries) 800-826-4673

GIFT PLANNING
800-232-3314

CITY OF HOPE REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICES:
LOS ANGELES DEVELOPMENT HEADQUARTERS 800-544-3541 MIDWEST REGION
Chicago Regional Headquarters

Many factors influence well-being, but daily habits can play a role in safeguarding health and even lowering the risk of cancer and other diseases. This column includes tips from City of Hope experts on making good lifestyle choices.
> Should you consider genetic testing?
In a study published in a June issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, City of Hope researchers found that women with early breast cancer (those diagnosed younger than 50 years of age) who have few female relatives on either side of their family tree should consider genetic testing for mutations in the BRCA genes. The study found that these women are three times as likely to have such a mutation, compared to women with sufficient family history to show a familial pattern of breast cancer. BRCA gene mutations are linked to an increased risk of recurrent breast cancers, as well as ovarian and fallopian tube cancers. By detecting these mutations through genetic testing, women can consider various preventative and screening options to minimize those risks.

> Does depression in the elderly contribute to diabetes? A recently
published analysis of more than 4,500 men and women 65 or older across the nation revealed that chronic depression and depression that worsens over time is tied to a higher chance of developing diabetes — even after accounting for contributing lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise. Because diabetes is tied to conditions such as stroke, heart disease, kidney failure and blindness, the study’s researchers suggest that older Americans should be screened for both depression and diabetes. cardiovascular disease. However, researchers tied to both studies noted that women can still use HRT to alleviate menopause symptoms, but recommended using the lowest possible dose for the shortest period of time.

800-779-5893 NORTHEAST REGION
Philadelphia Regional Headquarters

800-344-8169 NORTHWEST REGION
San Francisco Regional Headquarters

800-732-7140
Seattle Office

800-934-9196 SOUTHEAST REGION
Florida Office (Fort Lauderdale)

800-584-6709 SOUTHWEST REGION
Los Angeles Development Headquarters

800-544-3541
Desert Communities Office (Cathedral City, Calif.)

800-732-7121
Phoenix Office

800-732-7309
San Diego Office

888-805-8911

> Is hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
S TAY I N G I N T O U C H
You may have received this fundraising communication because you previously received services at City of Hope National Medical Center. If you do not wish to receive such communications in the future, send a written request to the following address: City of Hope 1055 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90017 Attn.: Publications Manager, Communications

okay? An April study in the New England Journal of Medicine and a July study in the British Medical Journal suggested that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may be tied to increased risks of breast cancer and

> Do fruits and veggies really keep you healthy? September is Fruit and Vegetable Month, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages Americans to eat more fruit and vegetables to manage weight and reduce risk of diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. For more information about the health benefits of these foods and tips on incorporating them into meals and snacks every day, visit the CDC’s “Fruits & Veggies Matter” Web site at www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov. >Before making significant lifestyle changes, consult with your physician.

CA L E N DA R

To find out about events taking place across the country that support City of Hope, visit our Web site at www.cityofhope.org/calendar. For details about activities happening in your area, please contact your nearest City of Hope Regional Development Office.

40 I CITY NEWS SUMMER 2007

Cards for Hope
New ns ig Des
Cards for Hope showcase City of Hope’s beautiful grounds and provide the recipient with the stories behind many of the institution’s historical landmarks. Each unique card informs the recipient that a donation has been made to City of Hope in his or her name. Select a card that conveys your special message. Your generous contribution will help City of Hope win the fight against cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Celebrate

Get Well

In Loving Memory

In Cherished Memory

Thinking of You

Thank You

Blank
For more information, call 877-302-4673, ext. 62635, or visit us online at www.cityofhope.org/cardsforhope. A contributor envelope is included in this publication for your convenience so that you can send your special message right away.

Did you know that...
up to 65 cents of every dollar in your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) may go to taxes?
Individual IRA distributions can be subject to income tax as high as 35%. Additionally, if an heir inherits the IRA it may be subject to estate tax. By making an IRA Charitable Rollover directly from your IRA to City of Hope, BOTH OF THESE TAXES CAN BE AVOIDED. The new Pension Protection Act allows you to contribute part of your IRA to charity without paying federal income taxes on the withdrawal through December 31, 2007.*

Specifics and Benefits:
• Must be age 70 1/2 or older. • You can donate up to $100,000 per year in 2007. • Your donation may be counted toward the required minimal distribution for tax-deferred retirement accounts in the year the gift is made. • The IRA Charitable Rollover applies to outright gifts only. • A gift from your IRA will not generate federal taxable income or a tax deduction. • It’s easy — Simply instruct your IRA custodian to transfer funds directly to City of Hope. For further information, please contact the Gift Planning Department at 800-232-3314.
*Confer with your advisor regarding your options as differing state tax laws may affect your plans.

www.cityofhope.org/giftplanning

1055 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles CA 90017 800-260-HOPE (4673) [email protected]

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If your address is incorrect, or you are receiving duplicate copies of this publication, please update the label and mail to City News, 1055 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90017. You can also call 800-544-3541, ext. 26120, or e-mail [email protected]. By giving the code number that appears above your name, your request can be processed quickly. Thank you for helping us to be more efficient in communicating how your support is touching millions of lives.

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