2003 Amy Strelzer Manasevit Scholars

Researchers Study Post-Transplant Complications

The Marrow Foundation^® and the National Marrow Donor Program^® (NMDP) are pleased to announce the 2003 grant winners of the Amy Strelzer Manasevit Scholars Program for the Study of Post-Transplant Complications. The research these scholars do today may help more people who receive unrelated donor transplants live longer and healthier lives tomorrow. The work of the scholars is directed at solving problems that many unrelated donor transplant recipients face after transplant, such as infections, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and relapse of their disease.

The two Amy Strelzer Manasevit Scholars for 2003 will receive funding for three years of research:

• Catherine M. Bollard, M.D., will study whether donor cells that have been manipulated in the laboratory to fight infections can be safely given to recipients and whether these cells are safe and effective in fighting three common post-transplant infections.
• Katharine C. Hsu, M.D., Ph.D., will explore whether considering an additional factor when matching stem cell donors and recipients could help reduce post-transplant complications.

The Baxter Oncology Post-Doctoral Fellow of the Amy Strelzer Manasevit Scholars Program receives funding for one year of research:

• Anna R. Keating, M.D., will test strategies to enhance the tumor-fighting effect of T cells without increasing GVHD. These strategies could help reduce the chance for relapse after transplants.

The SuperGen Post-Doctoral Fellow of the Amy Strelzer Manasevit Scholars Program receives funding for one year of research:

• Jian-Ming Li, Ph.D., will conduct laboratory experiments to determine whether manipulating certain types of donor cells in a transplant can improve the recipient's immune recovery and improve the graft-versus-tumor effect after transplant.

The Amy Strelzer Manasevit Scholars Program was established by The Marrow Foundation in collaboration with the NMDP in memory of Amy Strelzer Manasevit. She received a successful unrelated donor stem cell transplant facilitated by the NMDP, but died of pneumonia six weeks after returning home to her family. Today, in collaboration with Amy's family and friends and through the generous contributions of many corporations and foundations, The Marrow Foundation is able to fund research aimed at finding solutions to post-transplant complications.

Dr. Bollard is at the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital and The Methodist Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. Dr. Keating and Dr. Hsu are both at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, N.Y. Dr. Li is at the Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Ga.