The UNMC Eppley Cancer Center has been named one of the 14 core transplant centers of the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMTCTN), a research consortium set up by the National Cancer Institute and National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Forty-five centers competed for the designation.
The purpose of the BMTCTN is to develop and conduct clinical trials of high scientific merit in a timely and efficient manner that will lead to improvements in patient outcomes. The membership includes a five-year grant with $2.1 million in support for related research.
According to Kenneth H. Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center, it is the first time the NCI has set up such a network for collaboration in blood and marrow transplantation clinical trials.
“We are very proud to be included in this new research consortium,” Dr. Cowan said. “This award recognizes our world-renowned strength and leadership in the field of blood and marrow transplantation.”
In 1984, UNMC pioneered the stem cell transplant process, which is now standard therapy around the world. Over the years, with more than 2,700 transplants, the UNMC bone marrow transplant program has been ranked as one of the busiest bone marrow transplantation programs in the world.
In 1999, the Lied Transplant Center opened on the UNMC campus. One of the first of its kind in the nation, the center is complete with multi-disciplinary healthcare professionals, patient education and on-site research. The center has served as a national model in the care of bone marrow transplant patients using the “cooperative care” method of treatment.
Julie Vose, M.D., treasurer of the American Society of Blood & Marrow Transplantation (ASBMT) and chair of the American Bone Marrow Transplant Registry Executive Committee, is principal investigator on the UNMC grant. Dr. Vose is a leading lymphoma and bone marrow transplantation researcher. Most recently, her clinical investigations have included innovative custom cancer vaccines and the use of novel monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of patients with lymphoma.
The 14 centers selected for membership are: Case Western Reserve University, City of Hope, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Johns Hopkins University, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, UNMC, Pediatric Blood & Marrow Transplant Consortium, University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, University of Florida and University of California, San Diego.
“Collaborating with other centers of excellence in transplantation will enable us to investigate and make rapid progress in the fight against cancer,” Dr. Cowan said.