IMF honors Dr. David Agus
The International Myeloma Foundation -- conducting research and providing education, advocacy, and support for myeloma patients, families, researchers, and physicians -- announced Oct 20, it is singling out for honors David B. Agus, M.D., a nationally prominent researcher at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, for his cutting edge research to help determine which patients respond best to treatments for cancer.
By using some of the world's most powerful superconducting magnets to separate the proteins in a drop of blood, Dr. Agus is engaged in a breakthrough study to help determine which myeloma patients are best able to benefit from bone marrow transplants, a mainstay of myeloma treatment. The data Dr. Agus is able to retrieve from a single droplet of blood is so vast that a bank of super computers is employed to help analyze the results.
"Others look at cancer and ask why, but I look at my patients and ask who -- who will benefit, whom can we help," said Dr. Agus. "To me it is exciting to take this very advanced technology that combines magnets and super computers, and then using 'machine-learning' we are able to solve these very human problems."
For his work in myeloma, Dr. Agus has teamed with The International Myeloma Foundation Chairman, Brian G. M. Durie, M.D., a member of the medical staff at Cedars-Sinai, who is principal investigator of this study for the Southwestern Oncology Group (SWOG).
"We do know that myeloma patients can have dramatic benefits from their treatments, but the relapse rate is 13 percent per year, and that's too high," said Dr. Durie. "We are pleased that Dr. Agus has agreed to use his highly technical skills and very advanced resources at Cedars-Sinai to help us target treatments to individual patients so they will benefit from what we do." Adds Dr. Agus, "The International Myeloma Foundation persuaded me on behalf of their patients that this is a crucial area for research, and I am pleased to partner with them on this new frontier of personalized medicine."
Also being honored this year is the Affymetrix Corporation that helped develop "gene chips," vast amounts of biological data on a small glass slide to study the role of genes and their components.
The theme of The International Myeloma Foundation's gala will be "Lights, Camera, Cure!" Robert Klein -- actor, comedian, director, composer and author -- will provide the Gala's featured entertainment. Master of Ceremonies will be television host Robin Leach. All proceeds from the gala benefit programs instituted and sponsored by The International Myeloma Foundation, including scholarship and research grants, and advocacy and seminars for patients, family members and medical professionals. More information about the Gala can be found at http://www.myeloma.org/.
By using some of the world's most powerful superconducting magnets to separate the proteins in a drop of blood, Dr. Agus is engaged in a breakthrough study to help determine which myeloma patients are best able to benefit from bone marrow transplants, a mainstay of myeloma treatment. The data Dr. Agus is able to retrieve from a single droplet of blood is so vast that a bank of super computers is employed to help analyze the results.
"Others look at cancer and ask why, but I look at my patients and ask who -- who will benefit, whom can we help," said Dr. Agus. "To me it is exciting to take this very advanced technology that combines magnets and super computers, and then using 'machine-learning' we are able to solve these very human problems."
For his work in myeloma, Dr. Agus has teamed with The International Myeloma Foundation Chairman, Brian G. M. Durie, M.D., a member of the medical staff at Cedars-Sinai, who is principal investigator of this study for the Southwestern Oncology Group (SWOG).
"We do know that myeloma patients can have dramatic benefits from their treatments, but the relapse rate is 13 percent per year, and that's too high," said Dr. Durie. "We are pleased that Dr. Agus has agreed to use his highly technical skills and very advanced resources at Cedars-Sinai to help us target treatments to individual patients so they will benefit from what we do." Adds Dr. Agus, "The International Myeloma Foundation persuaded me on behalf of their patients that this is a crucial area for research, and I am pleased to partner with them on this new frontier of personalized medicine."
Also being honored this year is the Affymetrix Corporation that helped develop "gene chips," vast amounts of biological data on a small glass slide to study the role of genes and their components.
The theme of The International Myeloma Foundation's gala will be "Lights, Camera, Cure!" Robert Klein -- actor, comedian, director, composer and author -- will provide the Gala's featured entertainment. Master of Ceremonies will be television host Robin Leach. All proceeds from the gala benefit programs instituted and sponsored by The International Myeloma Foundation, including scholarship and research grants, and advocacy and seminars for patients, family members and medical professionals. More information about the Gala can be found at http://www.myeloma.org/.
posted by gwg at 2:25 PM
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