The David "Punch" Worthington Laboratory is located at the David
Geffen School of Medicine at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.
The Laboratory was made possible by a generous initial donation and continuing
support from
Roger G. Worthington. The
Punch Worthington Lab is the home of exciting new research on novel strategies for the treatment
of mesothelioma, lung cancer, leukemia, and other occupational cancers.
Roger Worthington is proud to help launch this vital research effort in
honor of his father, Punch Worthington, Ph.D., who has asbestosis and
lung cancer. Punch obtained a Ph.D. in Genetics but left a promising career
in academia to pursue his true love: labor union organizing and advocacy.
Research at the Punch Worthington Lab is conducted by the Pacific Heart,
Lung & Blood Institute ("PHLBI"), a non-profit medical research
organization dedicated to finding cures for industrial-related diseases
such as mesothelioma and lung cancer caused by asbestos and leukemia and
myeloma caused by benzene.
Roger G. Worthington is a founding donor and director of PHLBI.
Roger Worthington, Dr. Gerald Levey, the Dean of
the
UCLA Medical School, David "Punch" Worthington and Dr. Robert
Cameron, Chief of Thoracic Surgery
PHLBI Research Plan
Under the direction of its Scientific Advisory Board, PHLBI has established
an ambitious plan for conducting novel research in the
diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer
and benzene-related hematologic cancers. PHLBI's research plan also
includes investigation into much-needed administrative improvements in
medical care that will provide patients with additional knowledge, security,
and control regarding their treatment.
Mesothelioma and Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer
PHLBI is committed to being a worldwide leader in researching mesothelioma,
a rare asbestos-related cancer that is uniformly fatal and in dire need
of novel diagnostic, screening,
staging, and treatment approaches. PHLBI's Robert Cameron, M.D. is Chief of Thoracic
Surgery at The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and has been at the forefront
of developing innovative therapies for extending the lives of mesothelioma
patients. PHLBI's research plan includes programs involving
Immunotherapy, and Screening/Early Detection/Prevention.
Immunotherapy
There is significant data and experience which indicates that mesothelioma
may be successfully treated with manipulation of the immune system. Reports
in the medical literature reveal success using immunotoxins and interferon.
PHLBI plans to aggressively pursue the use of immune stimulating factors
in the treatment of mesothelioma.
Immunotoxin Immunotherapy Projects
Recent preliminary data indicates that a specific immunotoxin (interleukin-4
or "IL-4") has potent anti-cancer activity specifically in mesothelioma.
PHLBIplans to explore combinations of the toxin with other treatments
including
chemotherapy, hyperthermia, and interferon therapy. This will be carried out in the
laboratory using cells grown in culture. The ultimate goal is to apply
this promising therapy in human patients in a clinical trial. This would
require making enough of the toxin in a strict FDA-approved manner which
would cost approximately $500,000 alone. Yet, if the findings in animal
work are borne out by human administration, this toxin could be a key
to significant progress toward a cure for this dreaded disease.
- Project #1: Immunotoxin combinations in vitro (budget need: $100K). This
project will explore treatment combinations such as IL-4 immunotoxin with
chemotherapy, hyperthermia, and interferon therapy conducted in the "Punch"
Worthington Research Laboratory with mesothelioma cells grown in culture.
The results of this project will guide further research to be conducted
in animals (see Project #2 below).
- Project #2: Immunotoxin combinations in vivo (budget need: $250,000). This
project will explore treatment combinations such as IL-4 immunotoxin with
chemotherapy, hyperthermia, and interferon therapy conducted in the "Punch"
Worthington Research Laboratory with mesothelioma cells injected into
animals (mice). The results of this project will be used to guide further
research to be conducted in humans (see Project #3 below).
-
Project #3: Immunotoxin combinations in human
clinical trials (budget need: $1,000,000). This project will explore treatment combinations
such as IL-4 immunotoxin with chemotherapy, hyperthermia, and interferon
therapy conducted at UCLA and other mesothelioma
treatment centers across the country.
Interferon Immunotherapy Projects
Interferon alpha has shown promising results in preliminary studies at
UCLA and other clinical trials. The reasons are not clear but may involve
a direct inhibitory effect on tumor cells, stimulation of the immune system
and inhibition of blood vessel formation (angiogenesis). Interferons are
normal messenger proteins that humans produce in response to viral infections
and other specific infections such as tuberculosis. It is believed that
they are also vital to the body's ability to fight abnormal cells
like cancer cells. PHLBI plans to explore the use of interferons in the
treatment of mesothelioma in both basic science experimentation and human
clinical trials.
- Project #1: Interferon combinations in vitro (budget need: $100,000). This
project will explore the use of interferon with hyperthermia and other
immune stimulating cytokines in the treatment of mesothelioma cells in
culture. These experiments will be conducted in the "Punch"
Worthington Research Laboratory and the results will be used to guide
further research to be conducted in animals (see Project #2 below).
- Project #2: Interferon combinations in vivo (budget need: $250,000). This
project will explore the use of interferon with hyperthermia and other
immune stimulating cytokines in the treatment of mesothelioma cells in
animals (mice). These studies will be conducted in the "Punch"
Worthington Research Laboratory and the results will be used to guide
human clinical (see Project #3 below).
- Project #3: Interferon in combination with interleukin-2 (budget need:
$1,000,000) and/or other cytokines as defined by Projects #1 and #2 above
used to plan human clinical trials with interferon possibly with interleukin-2
priming prior to surgical removal of the tumor. This will be conducted
at UCLA and other mesothelioma treatment centers across the country.
- Project #4: COX-2 inhibitors (Celebrex, etc.) in combination with interferon
maintenance therapy (budget need: $1,000,000) and/or other cytokines as
defined by Projects #1 and #2 above used to plan human clinical trials
with COX-2 inhibitors with or without interferon as maintenance therapy
following standard therapy. This will be conducted at UCLA and other mesothelioma
treatment centers across the country.
- Project #5: Angiogenesis inhibition (budget need $1,000,000). Numerous
agents have been tested with and without chemotherapy for the treatment
of mesothelioma and other cancers by inhibition of new blood vessel formation.
This will be explored in the seldom-tested setting of chronic maintenance
and may also be combined with interferon and COX-2 inhibition therapy.
This project will be conducted at UCLA and other mesothelioma treatment
centers across the country.
Screening/Early Detection/Prevention
Populations of people exposed to asbestos, and therefore at risk for mesothelioma
and lung cancer, currently have no way of determining whether they will
develop one of these terrible cancers. Only approximately 15% of patients
exposed to asbestos will actually develop mesothelioma or lung cancer.
In addition, there is no test which can detect mesothelioma at an early
or even pre-malignant stage. In order to help people at risk detect the
disease at an early stage when there are many more options available for
effective treatment, PHLBI plans an aggressive program for improving screening,
early detection and prevention.
Screening Projects
Breath test for volatile hydrocarbons (budget need: $150,000). In order
for persons exposed to asbestos to determine whether they are among the
smaller population of those who are at high risk of actually developing
asbestos-related malignancies, PHLBI plans to examine the volatile hydrocarbons
which are exhaled in people's breath (breath testing). Dr. Cameron
has already gained significant experience in breath testing of patients
with lung cancer and is eager to expand the testing to patients exposed
to asbestos and at risk for mesothelioma. The test involves breathing
into a tube which collects volatile hydrocarbons on a filter so they can
be analyzed. This project will be conducted at UCLA and other mesothelioma
treatment centers across the country.
Early Detection Projects
Proteonomics in early detection of mesothelioma (budget need: $500,000).
Normal and abnormal cells in the body generate distinctive amounts and
kinds of proteins. This "protein profile" can be used much like
a fingerprint. PHLBI plans to conduct investigation to determine the "protein
profile" generated by mesothelioma cells so that simple blood tests
can be used to detect mesothelioma at an early stage. This project will
involve analysis of blood and urine from mesothelioma victims at all stages
of disease as well as normal and asbestos-exposed people to better define
protein profiles in these populations. This project will be conducted
at UCLA and other mesothelioma treatment centers across the country.
Prevention Projects
COX-2 inhibition as prevention of mesothelioma (budget need: $1,500,000).
Chronic inflammation induced by asbestos fibers has been implicated in
the development of mesothelioma. One way to prevent the development of
mesothelioma in patients with known significant asbestos exposure is to
treat them with COX-2 inhibitors (Celebrex, etc.) of inflammation. This
has already been shown to prevent other cancers, such as colon cancer,
and may be effective in lung cancer. This project will be conducted at
UCLA and other mesothelioma treatment centers across the country in conjunction
with Unions of high risk workers/patients.
How A Painful Fall From An Ornery Horse
Results In A Life-Saving Lung Cancer Surgery
Hematologic Cancers
PHLBI also has an ambitious plan for researching advancements in the diagnosis
and treatment of hematologic cancers such as acute myelogenous leukemia,
multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. These particular cancers
have been related to exposure to benzene. PHLBI's Gary Schiller, M.D.
is Chief of Hematology-Oncology at The David Geffen School of Medicine
at UCLA and has conducted numerous studies which put into clinical trials
new drugs and therapeutics which are developed in the laboratory for treatment
of acute myelogenous leukemia ("AML") and other hematologic
malignancies.
Bone Marrow Models
Ex vivo bone marrow models (budget need: $1,500,000). There is a desperate
need for a laboratory system for studying bone marrow models in AML and
other hematologic cancers. PHLBI intends to develop a laboratory model
of bone marrow diseases using tissue engineering techniques. There has
been preliminary work in this area conducted by PHLBI personnel and the
results have been encouraging. This type of work can lead to additional
applications involving almost every facet of hematopoiesis (bone marrow
growth and maturation), including red blood cell formation and development,
platelet formation, and white blood cell formation. This knowledge will
lead to improved treatments for AML, anemia, low platelets, bone marrow
transplantation, and even certain infections.
Administrative Improvements in Medical Care
In addition to its research into therapeutic and scientific advancements,
PHLBI is committed to investigating ways in which the administration of
medical care can be improved so that patients are vested with additional
knowledge, security and control regarding their treatment.
Electronic Medical Records System
(Budget need: $500,000). PHLBI believes in
empowering patients with their own medical records for better understanding and control
over their own health and treatment. PHLBI supports an electronic medical
records system, which is directly accessible to patients. Such a system
would enable data to be directly entered from point of generation and
allow for the coordinated transfer of medical information among providers
and research studies. This type of system would result in complete and
organized records possessed by all persons and facilities involved in
the treatment, thereby increasing the time for meaningful discussions
of medical problems between health care providers and patients and improving
the quality and efficacy of patient care.
Health Care Systems
(Budget need: $1,000,000). PHLBI recognizes the need for development of
novel methods of health care delivery. PHLBI supports a system founded
on an "ability to pay" basis. This means that instead of every
person paying a health-handicapped insurance premium to a "for-profit"
company, people would pay based on their ability to contribute to a "catastrophic"
government fund while using individual savings accounts for lower cost
items. This would allow individual provider-based pricing but income-based
premium payments. This project will involve collection and analysis of
data on individual access and consistency of access system approach.
Roger Worthington, Dave "Punch" Worthington and David Worthington
David "Punch" Worthington, Dr. Gerald Levey, the Dean of
the
UCLA Medical School, Dr. Robert Cameron, Chief of Thoracic Surgery and
Dr. Mary Maish, Thoracic Surgeon