For Immediate Release
February 23, 2009

BUFFALO, NY – The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has awarded a five-year, $10.2 million grant to Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) in support of its pioneering studies in photodynamic therapy (PDT).

Roswell Park is known around the world for the development of PDT, which uses red laser light to trigger a photosensitizing drug that collects in tumor cells. When activated by the laser, the drug kills the cancer cells. RPCI has received uninterrupted NCI funding for its PDT program since 1992 - a remarkable achievement.

This program project grant − led by principal investigator Barbara Henderson, PhD, Professor of Oncology and Director of the PDT Center, Department of Cell Stress Biology − explores mechanisms and strategies for making PDT more effective in treating cancer.

The program consists of five projects, supported by four technical, statistical and administrative core units:

• Ravindra Pandey, PhD, Distinguished Member, PDT Center, will continue his work to develop novel agents for optimization of PDT and tumor imaging.
• Heinz Baumann, PhD, Professor of Oncology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology,will explore molecular pathways for optimizing PDT.
• Sandra Gollnick, PhD, Professor of Oncology, PDT Center, will examine how PDT can affect mechanisms of tumor immunology.
• Nathalie Zeitouni, MD, Interim Chair, Department of Dermatology, will investigate mechanisms of PDT in patients being treated for skin cancer.
• Nestor Rigual, MD, Associate Professor of Oncology and Attending Surgeon, Department of Head & Neck Surgery, and Merrill Biel, MD, Clinical Associate Professor,University of Minnesota, will conduct promising clinical trials using PDT for the treatment of early-stage cancer of the head and neck.

“Roswell Park has a long-standing bench-to-bedside approach to PDT that facilitates an understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the process while translating that knowledge into novel treatments,” said Dr. Henderson.

“The very positive review and awarding of funding for this program project is a testament to the outstanding science conducted at Roswell Park,” said Donald L. Trump, MD, FACP, President & CEO, RPCI. “NCI program project grants are highly sought by cancer centers. Receipt of this NCI grant demonstrates the cutting edge science in this pioneering Roswell Park research program. This grant continues support of a broad-based, multidisciplinary team approach to PDT cancer research and discovery at RPCI.”

Roswell Park Cancer Institute, founded in 1898, is the nation’s first cancer research, treatment and education center. The Institute was one of the first cancer centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and remains the only facility with this designation in Upstate New York. RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers; maintains affiliate sites; and is a partner in national and international collaborative programs. For more information, visit RPCI’s website at http://www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or email askrpci@roswellpark.org.

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