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2022
Paths of
Progress
Research and Care
at Dana-Farber
Cancer Institute
Targeting
Cancer Cells With
Radiopharmaceuticals
PLUS:
Exploring the Human Microbiome
Making Progress Against Graft-Versus-Host Disease
Dana-Farber’s 2021 Annual Report
TABLE OF CONTENTS
2022 Volume 29, Number 1
14
8 20
FEATURES DEPARTMENTS
8 Targeting Cancer With Radiopharmaceuticals 2 Around the Institute
These targeted radioactive drugs combine the power News and highlights from Dana-Farber.
of pinpoint accuracy with the benefits of conventional
30 Patient Focus
radiation therapy.
Inspiring stories from our Insight blog.
14 Gut Instincts: Exploring the Human Microbiome
31 Why I Work Here
The intestinal microbiome is one of the most diverse
Brief conversations with staff across the Institute.
collections of microorganisms on the planet. Does it
hold any clues to cancer? 35 Dana-Farber 2021 Annual Report
20 The Enduring Legacy of David Livingston, MD
A titan among the giants of cancer research,
David Livingston, MD, left a legacy of groundbreaking
insights into cancer when he died unexpectedly in
late 2021.
26 Making Progress: Graft-Versus-Host Disease
Dana-Farber scientists help lead the worldwide
effort to end the most common side effect of
stem-cell transplant.
Vi si t Da n a - Fa r b e r o n lin e . www.d a n a -f a rb e r. o rg
Paths of Progress is published by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Copyright © 2022 Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. All rights reserved.
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
DEAR READERS
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute was founded by a man at odds
with the medical orthodoxy of his time, which held that there were
limitations on what cancer medicine could accomplish. Seventy-five
years later, that dissatisfaction with the status quo remains part of
the organization’s genome.
In Dr. Sidney Farber’s era, the prevailing wisdom was that drugs
capable of killing cancer cells would be too toxic – too harmful – to
be useful. Farber’s success in using chemotherapy to produce the
first remissions of leukemia in children showed those concerns to
be unfounded (although it took the medical establishment several
years to fully embrace this approach).
Farber summarized his philosophy this way: “I have never
accepted the incurability of cancer. And I have remained hopeful,
not because of wishful thinking – that’s not progress – but because
of the factual evidence of progress.” It’s hard to overstate how
radical that statement was for its era, a time when pediatric
leukemia was nearly always fatal, when survival periods for most
cancers were a fraction of what they are today, when many hospi- “As we mark the Institute’s
tals didn’t have cancer wards because there was so little that could 75th anniversary this year, we
be done for patients.
are the heirs not only of decades
As we mark the Institute’s 75th anniversary this year, we are the
heirs not only of decades of advances against cancer but also of a of advances against cancer but
way of thinking about cancer – not as a disease to be endured but also of a way of thinking about
one to be defied and eventually defeated. Farber’s legacy to this
institution is the confidence that this mission can be accomplished.
cancer – not as a disease to be
Throughout our history, we’ve been fortunate to have others – endured but one to be defied
donors, volunteers, supporters, community partners, patients, and and eventually defeated.“
their families – who have shared our belief in the transformative
power of scientific inquiry and compassionate care. The story of
– Laurie H. Glimcher, MD
the Institute is theirs as much as it is ours. The articles in Paths of
Progress are one way of presenting our work to those who may
benefit from it and those who have helped make it possible.
Seventy-five years on, the scientific and humanistic qualities that
guided the Institute’s founding are alive and well.
Laurie H. Glimcher, MD
President and CEO, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
AROUND THE INSTITUTE
$40 Million Transformative Grant Furthers Multiple Myeloma Research
– has led us to seek out the individuals, teams, and
organizations that are on the leading edge of re-
search,” said Rodger Riney. “There is no time to waste
in the pursuit of better understanding, treatment, and
cures. We hope this gift will inspire others to also
support the tremendous work happening every day in
Dana-Farber’s labs and clinics.”
The $40 million grant builds upon ongoing work and
will deepen and expand approaches for addressing
the most complex challenges in myeloma research
and improving patient care. Specifically, the grant will:
• Renew support for preclinical experiments to
identify novel targets and develop new medicines
and immune-based therapies for patients;
• Fund clinical research designed to test novel
myeloma therapies, alone and in combination with
standard and experimental treatments, to improve
Annamaria Gulla, MD (right), and Megan Johnstone in the patient outcomes; and,
Multiple Myeloma lab.
• Support the co-location of myeloma labs at
In early 2022, Paula and Rodger Riney of St. Louis,
Dana-Farber to facilitate greater cohesion
Mo, through the Paula and Rodger Riney Foundation,
and collaboration among members of the
announced a $40 million grant to support multiple
research team.
myeloma research at Dana-Farber, representing the
largest single award supporting multiple myeloma The Paula and Rodger Riney Foundation has been
research in the Institute’s history. a strong supporter of Dana-Farber and with this grant
“The Riney Family are generous and stalwart sup- has cumulatively donated nearly $60 million to the
porters, and through this grant and their previous Institute. In 2019, a $16.5 million gift established the
support they continue to make a profound impact on Riney Family Multiple Myeloma Initiative, which has
scientific discovery and clinical care,” said Laurie driven groundbreaking research in recent years.
H. Glimcher, MD, president and CEO of Dana-Farber.
“Their leadership will help patients at Dana-Farber
and around the world.” “The Riney Family are generous and
Multiple myeloma is a challenging cancer that
stalwart supporters, and through
forms in a type of white blood cell called a plasma
cell. Dana-Farber has been at the forefront of mul- this grant and their previous support
tiple myeloma therapies over the past two decades,
helping to convert myeloma from a fatal disease to a they continue to make a profound
chronic condition for many patients. However, thera-
peutic resistance and drug-related toxicities continue impact on scientific discovery and
to take a toll on many patients, underscoring the need
for innovative treatments.
clinical care.”
“My own journey as a myeloma patient – and know-
ing how many others are also living with this disease – Laurie H. Glimcher, MD
2 Paths of Progress 2022 Dana-Farber Cancer Institu te
AROUND THE INSTITUTE
Dana-Farber Establishes David Liposarcoma Research Initiative
Dana-Farber announced in 2021 that The Rossy Experimental Therapeutics, and Quick Family Chair
Foundation has committed $10 million to estab- in Medical Oncology at Dana-Farber.
lish the David Liposarcoma Research Initiative, a “The Rossy Foundation is proud to make this
five-year effort that will spearhead groundbreak- meaningful contribution toward better treatments for
ing research into liposarcoma at Dana-Farber and liposarcoma, which affects more than 4,000 patients
external collaborating partner institutions, with in the United States and Canada every year,” said
the aim of transforming the treatment of this rare, Gregory J. David, vice-chair of The Rossy Founda-
underfunded, and understudied disease in order to tion. “Our hope is that this initiative, under the direc-
improve care of patients. The Rossy Foundation and tion of Dr. George Demetri, will drive breakthroughs
KBF CANADA have partnered to fund the first phase that not only transform the landscape of liposarco-
of the initiative. ma research, but most importantly help extend and
This commitment from The Rossy Foundation will enhance the lives of patients across the globe.”
focus on collaborative research among various The David Liposarcoma Research Initiative col-
departments at Dana-Farber – including liposar- laboration will start by bringing together teams of
coma biology, biochemistry, immunology, metabo- 11 principal investigators from four institutions –
lism, genomics, and epigenetics. By conducting Dana-Farber, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and
research to improve fundamental understanding Women’s Hospital, and the Broad Institute of MIT
of the molecular mechanisms of this disease, the and Harvard. These investigators will work together
initiative may lead to new approaches to overcome on an interconnected portfolio of projects that builds
treatment resistance, as well as new strategies for upon the virtuous cycle of discovery, validation, and
clinical research to improve the outcomes of lipo- clinical testing with correlative science to stimulate
sarcoma patients worldwide. The overall research continuous discovery: from bench to patient and
initiative will be led by George Demetri, MD, direc- back to the lab bench. Dana-Farber will be the lead
tor of the Sarcoma Center, senior vice president for and coordinating institution for this new initiative.
The David Liposarcoma Research Initiative team includes (from left) Jay Oza, MD, PhD; George Demetri, MD; Suzanne George, MD;
and Candace Haddox, MD.
www.dana-farber.org 3
AROUND THE INSTITUTE
New Hale Family Gift Accelerates Pancreatic Cancer Efforts
we are committed to finding a cure.
That would be a wonderful honor
for my husband and legacy for
our family.”
The gift is in honor of Judy’s late
husband, and Rob’s father, Robert
T. “Bob” Hale Sr., a patient of the
Institute who died in 2008. Longtime
supporters of the Institute, Robert
Sr. and Judy Hale established the
Robert T. Hale Sr. and Judy B. Hale
Fund for Pancreatic Cancer Re-
search at Dana-Farber in 2007.
“Working in partnership with
the Hale Family, we have already
made significant progress against
Judy Hale (left), with her son, Rob Hale.
pancreatic cancer,” said Dana-
Continuing their family’s deep new imaging approaches and blood Farber President and CEO Laurie H.
commitment to conquering pan- tests, and develop new treatments Glimcher, MD. “We share the Hale
creatic cancer, Judy Hale, her son, for pre-invasive and early invasive Family’s bold vision to eradicate
Rob Hale, and his wife, Karen Hale, pancreatic cancers. pancreatic cancer and save lives,
pledged an additional $50 million The center will also investigate here and around the world. With
to Dana-Farber in 2021. The gift is the biology and interplay of pancre- this incredibly generous, trans-
one of the largest single gifts in the
Institute’s history and supports the
Hale Family Center for Pancreatic
“Our intention is to substantially speed the pace
Cancer Research, founded in 2016 of research and new treatments for this
with $15 million from Judy, Rob, and
Karen – bringing the Hale Family’s terrible disease.“
cumulative support to Dana-Farber
to more than $80 million. – Judy Hale
The Hale Family gift is enabling
a wide range of ambitious work in atic cancer cells, the immune sys- formational gift, the Hale Family is
two main areas of pancreatic can- tem, and stromal cells, and develop providing us with an unprecedented
cer research: early detection and a series of clinical trials to test new opportunity, and responsibility, to
prevention, and precision medicine therapies based upon discoveries do just that.”
and biology. Currently a national from these initiatives. The Hale Family’s commitment
leader in the field, Dana-Farber’s “Our intention is to substantially to research and care has continued
Hale Family Center for Pancre- speed the pace of research and across the generations. Judy Hale
atic Cancer Research is launching new treatments for this terrible created the Hale Family Center for
teams of scientists to leverage disease,” said Judy Hale, a member Pancreatic Cancer in 2012, and
health system data to identify per- of Dana-Farber’s Board of Trustees. with Rob and Karen, established
sons at highest risk for pancreatic “We are investing in the exception- the current Hale Family Center
cancer, detect it earlier through al talent at Dana-Farber because for Pancreatic Cancer Research.
4 Paths of Progress 2022 Dana-Farber Cancer Institu te
AROUND THE INSTITUTE
Dana-Farber Faculty Among World’s Most Highly Cited Researchers
An examination in 2021 by the Institute for Scien- Glimcher, MD, president and CEO of Dana-Farber. “By
tific Information at Clarivate named 35 Dana-Farber deepening our scientific understanding of cancer, we
investigators to the organization’s annual Highly Cited can improve the level of care for patients everywhere.
Researchers list. The highly anticipated list identifies I congratulate all of our faculty who were recognized
scientists and social scientists who produced multiple with this distinct honor.”
papers ranking in the top 1% by citations for their field The methodology that determines the who’s who of
and year of publication, demonstrating significant influential researchers draws on the data and analysis
research influence among their peers. performed by bibliometric experts from the Institute for
“Dana-Farber’s talented and devoted investigators Scientific Information at the Web of Science Group.
are making a tremendous impact on cancer research Learn more and see the full list at https://recognition.
that is truly felt across the world,” said Laurie H. webofscience.com.
Institute Awards $4 Million to Improve Greater Boston
Community Health
Dana-Farber in 2021 released the first round of leads several community programs for medically-
funding for its Access to Services awards, aimed underserved Boston residents focused on eliminating
at ensuring all area residents, particularly those at disparities in breast, skin, lung, and HPV-related can-
higher risk for developing cancer and other chronic cers. In addition to the Access to Services grants that
conditions, have access to coordinated and equitable have been awarded, Dana-Farber has also committed
health and support services. Through this funding approximately $1 million dollars to the Healthy Neigh-
opportunity, a total of $4 million will be distributed to borhoods Equity Fund II to address housing needs in
community organizations in Greater Boston over the Greater Boston. These innovative projects build on
next four years as part of the Institute’s Determination Dana-Farber’s continuing work to invest in the health
of Need Community Health Initiative process linked to and well-being of the communities it serves.
Dana-Farber’s new facility in Chestnut Hill.
In all, 12 nonprofit organizations were awarded
an Access to Services grant to support long-lasting
community health improvement or to boost linkages
to existing health and support services in the region.
“Funding these innovative projects in Greater Bos-
ton is consistent with our mission, as Dana-Farber
seeks to address the root causes of cancer and other
chronic conditions, while helping to advance health
equity,” said Magnolia Contreras, vice president of
Community Health at Dana-Farber. “By partnering
with local community organizations and working
upstream together, we will increase access to ser-
vices and create the conditions that promote health
for everyone.”
The Access to Services initiative is managed by
Dana-Farber’s Community Benefits Office, which Magnolia Contreras, vice president of Community Health
www.dana-farber.org 5
AROUND THE INSTITUTE Dana-Farber Leads 2021 Ranking of Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts Dana-Farber and its President most noteworthy companies and and CEO Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, nonprofits helmed by women. It ranked No. 1 in 2021 on the list of includes health-care organiza- the top 100 women-led businesses tions, retail giants, construction in Massachusetts, as ranked by the heavyweights, financial institu- Boston Globe Magazine and The tions, nonprofits, and more. Taken Commonwealth Institute, a Boston- together, the 100 companies on based nonprofit that supports the list represent a total revenue female business leaders. and operating budget of more Published in November 2021, the than $66.6 billion. Find the Top 100 Women-Led Businesses full list at www.bostonglobe. in Massachusetts list ranks the com/magazine. Laurie H. Glimcher, MD Commonwealth Foundation for Cancer Research Gift Accelerates Joint Research The Commonwealth Foundation for Cancer Research and CEO, Dana-Farber, and director, DF/HCC. ”Their in late 2021 pledged $25 million to the Bridge Project, a commitment is a reflection of the world-class innovation collaborative research program of Dana-Farber/Har- taking place through the Bridge Project, a collaboration vard Cancer Center (DF/HCC) and the Koch Institute for that is changing lives through science. This support will Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, to transform drug fund high-impact research and drug development to discovery and early-stage development. offer new solutions to patients.” As part of this commitment to the Bridge Project, The Bridge Project, launched in 2011, funds cross- The Commonwealth Foundation gift will propel institutional and interdisciplinary teams of cancer scien- “Expansion Grants,” which fund projects being read- tists, engineers, and clinicians to solve long-standing ied for clinical testing or that are already in the clinic. problems in the most intractable cancers. The program It will also place a significant focus on projects that was designed to integrate advanced cancer science accelerate therapeutic drug development, stimulating research at both institutions by leveraging MIT’s research on traditionally challenging classes of cancer strengths in basic cancer research and bioengineering, drug targets and/or on more conventional targets and DF/HCC’s strengths in clinical cancer research and found in rarer forms of cancer. cancer care. As such, each team is co-led by at least The gift builds on a previous investment of $20 mil- one MIT investigator and one DF/HCC investigator. lion in 2015 from the Commonwealth Foundation to the The Bridge Project links the cancer research efforts Bridge Project. To amplify the impact of this new gift, of MIT and DF/HCC – Massachusetts’ two National DF/HCC and MIT will match these funds over the next Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers. five years, resulting in a combined $50 million expan- The Koch Institute is an NCI-designated basic labora- sion of the Bridge Project. tory cancer center, and DF/HCC is an NCI-designated “We are deeply appreciative to the Commonwealth comprehensive cancer center that unites the cancer Foundation and the Goodwin Family for their continu- research efforts of Harvard’s five principal affiliated ing generosity,” said Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, president hospitals and two health science schools. 6 Paths of Progress 2022 Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
AROUND THE INSTITUTE
75 Years of Advancing Cancer Care and Treatment
Dana-Farber's story begins in 1947 with the first successful treatment of blood cancers by Sidney Farber, MD,
earning him the reputation as the “father of modern chemotherapy.” Now, 75 years later, the combination of
clinical treatment, bench-to-bedside research, and high-quality holistic patient care has made the Institute a
leader in life-changing breakthroughs.
Some landmarks are noted here, but learn more at www.dana-farber.org/75.
1940s 1990s
Dr. Farber and his team of clinicians and scientists Dana-Farber becomes a founding member of
are the first to use chemotherapy to attain temporary the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.
remissions of acute lymphocytic leukemia in chil- The Institute establishes the nation's first Adult
dren. Research that transfers scientific knowledge Patient and Family Advisory Council. It becomes
"from the lab bench to the patient bedside" forms a model for other centers to involve patients and
the foundation for future progress against cancer loved ones in developing the highest standard of
at the Institute. compassionate health care.
1950s 2000s
Dr. Farber pioneers the concept of patient-centered
Immunologist Gordon J. Freeman, PhD, discovers
care, in which patients are seen not only by physi-
that many cancer cells carry a surface
cians, but also by specialists in other
protein called PD-L1, which staves off
areas, such as social work, nutrition, and
an attack by immune system T cells.
integrative therapies.
This research contributes to insights
that help launch a generation of novel
1960s drugs known as checkpoint inhibitors.
The Children's Cancer Research Founda-
tion (which would later become Dana-
Farber Cancer Institute) develops means 2010s
to collect, reserve, and transfuse blood- A Dana-Farber-led clinical trial leads
clotting factors called platelets to to FDA approval of Provenge, the
control bleeding, a common side effect first therapeutic cancer vaccine for
of chemotherapy. prostate cancer.
William G. Kaelin Jr., MD, along with two co-
1970s awardees, receives the 2019 Nobel Prize for a
Dana-Farber receives federal designation as a landmark discovery on how the body senses
regional Comprehensive Cancer Center in recogni- and adapts to changes in oxygen. One result
tion of its excellent multidisciplinary approach to of the research is the development of new
cancer – including patient care, research, and cancer drugs.
community outreach.
2020s
1980s Following a clinical trial led by Dana-Farber,
Then-Institute President Baruj R. Benacerraf, MD, the FDA grants its first approval for CAR T-cell
receives the Nobel Prize for his discoveries in the therapy for adults with multiple myeloma. The
genetic underpinnings of the human immune system. therapy trial involving patients whose myeloma
Two out of every three children who enter the Jimmy had relapsed or become treatment-resistant
Fund Clinic become cancer-free. showed rapid responses in most patients.
www.dana-farber.org 7
Targeting Cancer Cells With
RADIOPHARMACEUTI
BY RICHARD SALTUS Soon after X-rays were discov- and long-term side effects.
ered in 1895, doctors began using To maximize the killing power
radiation to treat cancer. Today, of radiation and minimize side
about half of all cancer patients effects, scientists have developed
will receive radiation therapy at ways of attacking cancer cells
some point. While it can often be with radioactive drugs, known
highly effective in shrinking tumors as radiopharmaceuticals, that
and alleviating cancer symptoms, are delivered through the blood-
radiation – high-energy beams stream directly to the tumor. It’s
of charged particles – adminis- an ingenious strategy that poten-
tered from outside the body un- tially can reduce the risk of side
avoidably damages some healthy effects by exclusively targeting
tissues and can cause short- tumor cells. In addition to attack-
8 Paths of Progress 2022 Dana-Farber Cancer InstituteCALS
www.dana-farber.org 9“[Right] now, it’s mainly major medical centers and academic sites that are
set up to use radiopharmaceutical therapy.”
– Heather Jacene, MD
ing the main tumor, radiophar- cure cancer but helps to shrink maceutical efforts are focused
maceutical drugs can also seek bone metastases and relieve on radioisotopes that are linked
out and destroy small deposits of bone pain, and it may help people to antibodies, peptides (build-
cancer cells that have spread to with metastatic prostate cancer ing blocks of proteins), or small
other areas of the body. live longer. molecules that target specific
Key elements of radiopharma- Other radiopharmaceuticals proteins expressed on the surface
ceutical drugs are radioisotopes have been approved for thyroid of tumor cells.
(unstable atoms that emit radia- cancer, adrenal gland tumors, In 2018, the FDA approved the
tion) that are guided by molecules neuroendocrine tumors, and some drug lutetium Lu 177-dotatate,
such as monoclonal antibodies to types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. or Lutathera, to treat certain
bind to targets present on cancer Researchers are now designing gastrointestinal and pancreatic
cells but not normal cells. This and testing similar compounds neuroendocrine tumors; Lutathera
brings the radioisotope directly for cancers including melanoma, targets the somatostatin receptor
to the tumor, where it acts by lung cancer, colorectal cancer, present on the tumor cell surface.
breaking the DNA double helix in and leukemia. Current radiophar- The drug’s approval was hailed as
the cancer cells. The potential of
radiopharmaceutical therapy has Approved Radiopharmaceuticals in Clinical Use
sparked a surge of clinical trials
and commercial activity. There is Xofigo (radium 223 dichloride) for castration-resistant
“an explosion of companies that prostate cancer
are looking at different radio-
pharmaceutical agents targeting Lutathera (lutetium Lu 177 dotatate) for certain digestive
cancer,” says Heather Jacene, tract cancers
MD, clinical director of nuclear
medicine at Dana-Farber. Quadramet (samarium sm 153 lexidronam) to help relieve
Just in the past few years, a cancer bone pain
handful of radiopharmaceuti-
cal drugs have been approved Hicon (sodium iodide I-131) to treat overactive thyroid and
for clinical use. For example, some thyroid cancers
radium-223 dichloride (Xofigo),
which was approved in 2013 by Azedra (iobenguane I-131) for adrenal gland tumors and a
the U.S. Food and Drug Adminis- rare nerve cell tumor
tration (FDA), can be used to treat
prostate cancer that has metas- Zevalin (ibritumomab tiuxetan) for certain types of
tasized to the bones. Radium-223 non-Hodgkin lymphoma
dichloride is absorbed into the
Numerous other radiopharmaceuticals are in development
bones, and the radiation it emits
kills cancer cells there. It does not
and/or in clinical trials.
10 Paths of Progress 2022 Dana-Farber Cancer Institu teHeather Jacene, MD, clinical director of nuclear medicine, oversees treatment with a radiopharmaceutical drug, which contains
a radioactive substance to kill tumors.
a big step forward in the field: It cancer cells.) The images can the treatment improved the time
showed that solid tumors could be show whether prostate cancer it took for the cancer to progress
effectively targeted with cell-kill- has spread to other parts of and the overall time that patients
ing radiation from radioisotopes the body. were able to live with cancer.
linked to peptides that latched As an experi- “It is impressive
onto a cancer-specific target on mental treatment, because it is targeted
tumor cells. researchers at the therapy, and most
Advanced prostate cancer has drug company No- other prostate cancer
been an early testing ground for vartis developed a drugs aren’t target-
radiopharmaceuticals. In 2020, the radiopharmaceuti- ed,” said Mary-Ellen
FDA approved a diagnostic drug cal drug called Taplin, MD, a prostate
that, when injected into the blood- Lu177-PSMA-617 cancer specialist and
stream, can be imaged by PET that targeted chair of the Executive
scanning to indicate the presence PSMA and was Committee for Clinical
of PSMA-positive prostate cancer delivered via the Research at Dana-
lesions in the tissues of the body. bloodstream to men with ad- Farber. “I am thrilled to have an-
(PSMA, or prostate-specific mem- vanced prostate cancer. Report- other option for patients who are
brane antigen, is a protein found ing on a phase 3 study in June in need of effective treatments.”
in large amounts on prostate 2021, the study team reported that Taplin says the added survival
www.dana-farber.org 11Jacene, who is also assis-
tant chief of nuclear medicine
Mary-Ellen Taplin, MD, presents radiopharmaceutical study results at a conference. molecular imaging at Brigham
and Women’s, says several trials
benefit – about four months cancer in the body, coupled with of radiopharmaceuticals are un-
on average – “shows that this another radiotherapeutic drug to derway at Dana-Farber. She says
treatment, while effective, can treat it is known as theranostics. clinical trials may be suggested
be improved upon to bring more “The field of theranostics has by medical oncologists in treat-
benefit to our patients.” This seen substantial growth recently ment centers or in nuclear medi-
radiopharmaceutical drug could with the approval of several new cine. “In either instance, together
show more advantages in agents,” said Ross Berbeco, the treatment center team and
patients with earlier stages of PhD, the director of medical our nuclear medicine team evalu-
the disease or as part of combi- physics research in Radiation ate the proposal to determine if
nation therapy. These approach- Oncology. “At Dana-Farber and it is something that fits within our
es are being studied actively in Brigham and Women’s Hospital, portfolio and makes scientific
clinical trials. it is emerging as a potentially sense.” Through this approach,
Using a radioactive substance important addition to our cancer Dana-Farber participated in a
that can be imaged to locate a treatment options.” pivotal phase 3 study that led to
the approval of Lu177-dotatate,
as well as the phase 3 study of
“I am thrilled to have another option for patients Lu177-PSMA-617.
One recently opened trial is a
who are in need of effective treatments.”
phase 1 study that uses an alpha-
particle-emitting isotope drug
– Mary-Ellen Taplin, MD to target IGF-1R (the insulin-like
12 Paths of Progress 2022 Dana-Farber Cancer Institu teTarget with radioactive substances.
Protein Another challenge that re-
searchers are grappling with
is dosimetry – calculating how
much of a radioactive drug to
give to an individual patient
and for how long. Jacene says
ILLUSTRATION BY JOHN DIGIANNI
Linker that greater study of dosimetry
Radioactive Targeting should help personalize therapy
Compound Molecule for patients. In addition, the need
Cancer Cell for large numbers of specialized
practitioners and staff qualified to
Radiopharmaceuticals consist of a radioactive molecule, a targeting molecule, and handle and administer radiophar-
a linker that joins the two. Source: National Cancer Institute maceuticals imposes limits on
how widely the treatments will be
growth factor-1 receptor) on solid pharmaceutical and other types used in the near future.
tumor cells, including prostate, of drugs, such as targeted kinase “I think, and truly hope, the
colorectal, and adrenocortical inhibitors and immunotherapy field continues to grow, but right
cancers. “You have to get im- agents, to be potentially more now it’s mainly major medical
aged first, and if your tumor has effective than radiopharmaceuti- centers and academic sites that
a high enough level of IGF-1R you cal agents alone. are set up to use radiopharma-
can go onto the next phase get- Despite the potential and ceutical therapy,” Jacene says.
ting treated,” explains Jacene. advantages of radiopharmaceuti- However, she says, the field is
“If it’s there, we can treat it.” cal treatment, the field is still in becoming better known and this
Another trial is testing a com- its early days. It has been tested extends to patient groups as well.
bination of radium-223 dichloride in only a few of the many types “I attended a prostate cancer
and cabozantinib, a targeted of cancer that exist, and much support group last month and
inhibitor drug, in patients with remains to be explored in terms I was asked extremely important
advanced kidney cancer that has of targets that can be attacked and tough questions [about
metastasized to bones. the therapy] for 30 minutes,”
In collaboration with Jennifer Jacene says.
Chan, MD, MPH, director of the To stimulate research and
program in carcinoid and neuro- collaboration on promising
endocrine tumors at Dana-Farber new radiopharmaceuticals, the
Brigham Cancer Center, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in
nuclear medicine team is partici- 2019 launched the Radiopharma-
pating in a cancer cooperative ceutical Development Initiative,
group clinical trial for patients headed by Charles Kunos, MD,
with neuroendocrine tumors. The PhD, of NCI’s Cancer Therapy
patients receive the radiophar- Evaluation Program. He predicts
maceutical Lu177-dotatate, along that this new targeted approach,
with triapine, a drug that primes while it won’t eliminate conven-
cancer cells to be more respon- tional radiation therapy, “is going
sive to radiation. Researchers to transform radiation oncology
expect combinations of radio- Ross Berbeco, PhD in the next 10 to 15 years.”
www.dana-farber.org 1314 Paths of Progress 2022 Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
ILLUSTRATION BY JOHN DIGIANNI
GUT
INSTINCTS
Mapping the Intestinal Microbiome for Clues About Cancer
BY ROBERT LEVY
It’s a jungle in there. The human colon, or large intestine, is home
to one of the densest, most diverse collections of microorganisms on the
planet. Consisting of trillions of bacteria cells in hundreds of species, along
with untold numbers of viruses, parasites, and fungi, these wee forms of
wildlife, collectively known as the intestinal microbiome, are involved in
everything from digesting food to regulating the immune system.
www.dana-farber.org 15“The totality of the implications of the microbiome and cancer received a powerful
push in 2019 with the awarding
for cancer is grand – from prevention to treatment – of a $25 million Grand Challenge
grant from Cancer Research UK, a
and as such we have a grand challenge before us.” charity based in the United King-
dom, to an international team of
– Wendy Garrett, MD, PhD 14 scientists. The program’s focus
is explicit in its name: Opportunity
The possibility that the microbi- communicate with the brain. to Investigate the Microbiome’s
ome plays a role in colon cancer “The totality of the implications Impact on Science and Treatment
– as either a promoter or inhibi- of the microbiome for cancer is In Colorectal Cancer, or OPTIMIS-
tor – has fascinated scientists for grand – from prevention to treat- TICC. Its goal is ambitious: to
years. Cancer is notorious for ment – and as such we have a pinpoint how the microbi-
altering its environment to suit grand challenge before us,” says ome impacts the onset and
its needs: coaxing other cells to Wendy Garrett, MD, PhD, of Dana- development of colorectal
soften up nearby tissue so tumor Farber’s Center for Gastrointesti- cancer and to use those
cells can slip through, for example, nal Oncology and of the Harvard findings to improve outcomes
or pacifying immune system cells T.H. Chan School of Public Health for people with the disease. Its
that normally would attack a and co-director of the Harvard leaders are Garrett and Matthew
tumor. It would be very un-cancer- Chan Microbiome Public Health Meyerson, MD, PhD, director of
like for colon tumors not to try to Center, whose research focuses Dana-Farber’s Center for Cancer
make use of the bacterial on the interactions between Genomics.
and microbial riches in their microbes and their hosts and how The program brings together the
vicinity. It would be equally those interactions may affect elements – data, tissue samples,
surprising if at least some inflammatory bowel diseases and scientific talent – needed
of those microbes – so various and cancer. for a sustained assault on the
in their functions and behavior – The study of the relationship question of whether the micro-
didn’t exert a restraining force between the intestinal microbiome biome impacts cancer and, if it
on cancer.
Research into the relationship of
colon cancer and the microbiome
has boomed in recent years as
technology has enabled investi-
gators to survey the occupants
of the colon with unprecedented
precision and scientists have
gained a deeper understanding
of the microbiome’s role in overall
health. Once viewed primarily as a
workforce for breaking down fiber
and certain carbohydrates in food
and producing substances like
vitamins B12 and K, gut bacteria
Faecalibacterium prausnitzii bacteria (shown above) is one of the most abundant
also stop harmful bacteria from bacterial species found in the human gut. Its presence is thought to give protection
overrunning the intestine, prevent against a number of gut disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s
certain allergies, and even disease, and colon cancer.
16 Paths of Progress 2022 Dana-Farber Cancer Institu teWendy Garrett, MD, PhD (left), and Matthew Meyerson, MD, PhD, focus on the interactions between microbes and their hosts and
how they may affect colon cancer.
does, how that relationship can be impact, positively or negatively, questions about how environmen-
manipulated to help patients. on the effectiveness of treatment tal factors shape the microbiome
“We have computational biolo- and the side effects of various and influence treatment response.”
gists, cancer genomicists, clinical therapies.
trial leaders in colon cancer, “With MICROCOSM, we estab- New Tools to Identify
epidemiologists, immunologists, lished an infrastructure to collect Intestinal Microbes
and microbiologists on a dream these samples and generate data Though scientists have specu-
team that can focus like a laser from them – on the genetic makeup lated about a link between the
on colon cancer and the microbi- of the tumor cells and bacteria microbiome and colon cancer for
ome,” Garrett says. “It’s a thrilling cells, on the type of immune system ages, it is only relatively recently
and transformative opportunity cells mixed in with them – and real- that technology has handed them
for microbiome science and for ly begin to crack whether there’s a the tools needed to obtain a defini-
our patients.” link between the microbes that live tive answer. A key advance was
The program’s clinical flagship in a person’s gut, in their tumor, and Meyerson’s development in the
study, known as MICROCOSM (for their response to treatment,” says early 2000s of a method called
MICRObiome of Colorectal Cancer: Kimmie Ng, MD, MPH, co-director sequence-based computational
Longitudinal Study of Mechanism), of the Colon and Rectal Cancer subtraction. Though its name
is collecting long-term health Center and director of the Young- is a mouthful, the concept
information and tissue and stool Onset Colorectal Cancer Center at is simple: collect a stool
samples from more than 2,500 Dana-Farber, as well as a member sample from an individual,
people across North America and of the OPTIMISTICC team that is sequence the DNA of all the
Europe who were being treated co-leading MICROCOSM. “And cells within it, and subtract out
for colorectal cancer. Research- layered on top of that, we’ll have the human DNA. What’s left is the
ers are not only exploring whether data on everything from where DNA of intestinal microbes – bac-
the microbiome plays a role in the participants live to what they eat teria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.
formation or growth of colorectal to how much they exercise, which The approach was powerful in
cancer but also whether it has an will help us answer a wide range of principle, but the DNA-sequencing
www.dana-farber.org 17MD, PhD, now at Brigham good environment for them? Or is
and Women’s Hospital, it some combination of the two?
that indicated that patients Despite a lot of research in the
whose colorectal tumors field, we really don’t have a clear
harbored high levels of answer to that question.”
Fusobacterium had worse
prognoses than those Finding the Cancer-
whose tumors had lower Microbiome Link
levels of the bug. A 2017 To truly make the case that the
study led by Meyerson and microbiome has an impact on
co-authored by Ng and colorectal cancer or the effec-
Giannakis found that when tiveness of therapies, it would be
colorectal cancer cells necessary to find a mechanistic
Kimmie Ng, MD, MPH (left), examines a metastasize to other parts of the connection – a chain of interac-
patient at the Colon and Rectal Cancer body, the roving cells brought tions by which gut microbes alter
Center at Dana-Farber.
along some of their bacterial the behavior of tumor cells
technology of the time didn’t have cronies from the colon, including and the immune cells in
the capacity to process large- Fusobacterium nucleatum, like their vicinity. Both Garrett
enough numbers of cells. About a mementos from home. In studies and Giannakis, who is also
decade later, Aleksandar Kostic, with animal models carrying the a member of the OPTI-
a PhD student in Meyerson’s lab metastatic cells, the researchers MISTICC team, are at the
(and now a researcher at Joslin found that treating the animals forefront of these efforts.
Diabetes Center), created a with an antibiotic that targets In her lab at the Harvard T.H.
more powerful system, called many bacteria, including Fusobac- Chan School, Garrett is probing
PathSeq, that uses next-gen- terium, caused tumor cell prolif- the microbiome/colon cancer
eration sequencing. With it, he
analyzed colon cancer samples “What we don’t know yet is do these bacteria
to see what types of bacteria
were present. actually provoke the growth of the cancer or
In a study published in 2011,
Meyerson, Garrett, Kostic, and are they merely opportunistic.”
colleagues at Dana-Farber and
the Broad Institute of MIT and – Matthew Meyerson, MD, PhD
Harvard reported that they’d
found strikingly high levels of the eration to decline. nexus with the biological equiva-
bacterium Fusobacterium nuclea- Findings like these point to an lent of a clean slate. Working
tum in colorectal cancers. What association between certain gut with “gnotobiotic” mouse mod-
made the discovery par- bacteria and tumors of the colon. els – animals that are utterly
ticularly notable was that But as scientists are quick to point microbe-free – Garrett and her
Fusobacterium is usually out, association is not causation. colleagues are implanting the
found in the mouth, not As Meyerson puts it, “What we animals with specific sets of in-
the bowel. don’t know yet is do these bacte- testinal microbes to identify which
The study was followed by ria actually provoke the growth of of them, if any, have an effect on
another, by Meyerson, Garrett, the cancer or are they merely op- colon cancer.
and Marios Giannakis, MD, PhD, portunistic: are they there primar- “We’ve studied Fusobacterium
of Dana-Farber, and Shuji Ogino, ily because the cancer provides a and how it might influence the
18 Paths of Progress 2022 Dana-Farber Cancer Institu te“We’re particularly interested in finding ways to He acknowledges that microbiome
research is still in its infancy and
improve the effectiveness of immunotherapy in that much remains to be discovered.
“We’re still very much in the descrip-
colon cancer.” tive stage,” he says. “In many ways
the intestine is terra incognita. We’re
– Marios Giannakis, MD, PhD trying to find out what species are
there, in what proportions, and who
immune system in creating condi- connective tissue, along with they cohabitate with.”
tions that promote cancer in the normal and colon cancer cells, But if researchers uncover a
colon,” Garrett remarks. “We’ve enable scientists to zoom in on definitive connection between
studied not only fusobacterial the interactions between specific the microbiome and colon cancer,
metabolic products to see how cell types. the consequences for prevention
they contribute to colon cancer, “We’re particularly interested and treatment of the disease could
but also microbial metabolites that in finding ways to improve the be profound.
hinder colon cancer development. effectiveness of immunotherapy “If we find a unique microbial
We’re very interested in diet at the in colon cancer,” Giannakis signature in people who later
molecular level. With Dr. Kimmie says. Immunotherapies have develop colon cancer, we could
Ng and her group, we’ re working been less successful against potentially create a screening or
to identify associations between colorectal cancer than other forms early-detection test that would be a
dietary micronutrients and the of cancer. “Does the microbiome lot less invasive than current tech-
microbiome in the colon. The goal affect the immune system in ways niques,” Ng comments. “If we
is to pull apart their mechanistic that hamper immune-stimulating can nail down what the predictors
links using tools like gnotobiotics therapies?” Giannakis asks. “If of treatment response are, we
to develop microbiome-targeted that’s the case, can we modify the may be in a position to alter the
therapies that we can bring back microbiome to reap the benefits of microbiome to produce better
to patients.” these treatments?” results for patients.”
One area of interest under-
scores just how much remains to
be learned about the microbiome:
where, in relation to all the other
cells in the intestinal environ-
ment is the microbiome located
and how does it interact with
neighboring cells? To find out,
Giannakis and his colleagues are
studying colorectal tumors at the
single-cell level to produce an
“atlas” of the disease. They’re
also developing three-dimensional
laboratory models of colorectal
cancer in hopes of simulating the
conditions of the colon and its
environment. The models, which
include immune system cells, Marios Giannakis, MD, PhD, researches the impact of gut microbes and how they
stromal cells like those found in affect tumor cells and the immune system.
www.dana-farber.org 1920 Paths of Progress 2022 Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
The Enduring Legacy of
David Livingston, MD
BY RICHARD SALTUS
Dana-Farber’s David Livingston, MD, was a titan tory also examined how defects in various tumor
among the giants of cancer research. When he died suppressor loci regulate cell proliferation, genome
unexpectedly on Oct. 17, 2021, at age 80, he left a leg- integrity, and cell survival. David Livingston was a
acy of groundbreaking insights into the development brilliant translational researcher whose understand-
of cancer, especially breast and ovarian cancers. ing of molecular biology and genetics led to enduring
Equally important for the future of the field, he trained improvements in the research and treatment of breast
scores of students and postdoctoral fellows, many and ovarian cancer.”
of whom, inspired by his rigorous scientific methods His early work focused on how the DNA tumor virus
and his passion for improving cancer treatment, SV40 caused cancer. His lab showed this involved
are working at Dana-Farber and other elite research inactivation of the protein encoded by the tumor sup-
centers and hospitals around the world to fulfill pressor gene RB1, which, when defective, can lead to
his vision. retinoblastoma, a rare cancer of the eye in children.
In a research career spanning more than 50 years, Later, Livingston also worked on the BRCA1 and
highlights included Livingston’s landmark insights BRCA2 tumor suppressor genes that contain the blue-
into how mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 print for BRCA proteins. The BRCA proteins are criti-
genes can dramatically raise the risk of breast and cal to repairing DNA damage, among other functions.
ovarian cancer. When a mutant version is inherited, the malfunction
“Collectively, [Livingston’s] research has revo- of the DNA repair system markedly increases the
lutionized the mechanisms by which malignancies lifetime risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
such as breast and ovarian cancer are understood, The roles of the mutant BRCA1 and BRCA2 proteins
prevented, and treated,” the American Association in causing tumors “are derived in large part from their
for Cancer Research said in a statement. “His labora- function as mediators of the DNA repair process of
www.dana-farber.org 21homologous recombination, and
David’s lab was the first to make
this connection,” says Robert
Weinberg, PhD, a pioneering
cancer researcher at MIT and the
Broad Institute. “He proposed that
the genomic destabilization that
occurs when one of these pro-
teins is lost from the repertoire of
mammary cells is a driving force
of BRCA-linked tumorigenesis. At
the time of his passing, David’s lab
was actively engaged in revealing
new aspects of BRCA1 function.”
A Legacy of Mentoring
Livingston was the Emil Frei
David Livingston, MD (left), reviewing Jimmy Fund Building renovation plans with
III Distinguished Professor of
longtime Dana-Farber staff member Thomas McNamara.
Medicine and Genetics at Harvard
Medical School (HMS) and the mentored nearly 200 fellows and is the director of the Center for
Charles A. Dana Chair in Human students in his laboratory. In many Functional Cancer Epigenetics at
Cancer Genetics at Dana-Farber, cases, after moving on to open Dana-Farber, and the current Emil
where he had been on the faculty their own labs, these scientists Frei III Professor of Medicine at
since 1973. have been inspired by their work HMS. “His trainees populate the
Equally important as his discov- with Livingston to continue dis- scientific leadership of many of the
eries was the immense impact secting the thorny mysteries of world’s major medical centers.”
Livingston had by recruiting and BRCA1 and BRCA2. Perhaps his most famous pro-
training some of the brightest “His many trainees who are tégé is Dana-Farber’s William G.
young scientists, many of whom now faculty at Harvard Medical Kaelin Jr., MD, who Livingston was
have gone on to prestigious School and around the world able to see share in the 2019 Nobel
faculty positions. By one count, he will continue to build on his work Prize for Medicine for discoveries
”Collectively, his research has revolutionized the
mechanisms by which malignancies such as
breast and ovarian cancer are understood,
prevented, and treated.”
– American Association for Cancer Research
and will ultimately be his endur- about how the body senses and
ing legacy,” says Myles Brown, adjust to changing oxygen levels in
David Livingston, MD, reviewing study MD, a breast cancer researcher the environment. The findings have
slides in his office. who trained with Livingston and already led to practical applica-
22 Paths of Progress 2022 Dana-Farber Cancer Institu tetions, including new drugs to “His many trainees who are now faculty at Harvard
treat cancer.
Other former Livingston trainees Medical School and around the world will continue
who are HMS professors include
James DeCaprio, MD, chief of the to build on his work and will ultimately be his
Division of Molecular and Cellular
Oncology at Dana-Farber; James
enduring legacy,”
Griffin, MD, professor of Medicine
at HMS and a leukemia expert
– Myles Brown, MD
at Dana-Farber; William Sellers,
MD, former global head of oncol- training with Livingston, she impaired in their ability to repair
ogy at the Novartis Institutes for completed a short residency; this damage, thus raising the risk
BioMedical Research and senior and then, again with his support, of a cell becoming cancerous.
advisor to the president for ex- earned an NIH Director’s Early “But we still don’t entirely under-
perimental therapeutics at Dana- Independence DP5 award and a stand how loss of BRCA1 function
Farber; Ralph Scully, MBBS, PhD, coveted Harvard faculty appoint- leads to cancer,” notes Hill.
professor of Medicine at HMS and ment with her own lab. Thanks
co-director of the Program in DNA to Livingston’s influence, Hill’s lab Fostering Collaboration
Repair and Genomic Instability is studying, among other things, Livingston was born in Cam-
at the Cancer Research Institute, how BRCA mutations cause bridge, Mass., and educated at
Beth Israel Deaconess Medi- ovarian cancer. Exeter, Harvard University, and
cal Center (BIDMC); and Daniel The proteins made using the Tufts University School of Medi-
Tenen, MD, professor of Medicine instructions in the BRCA genes cine, after which he completed
at HMS and BIDMC. are part of a protein complex training in internal medicine at the
The most recent graduate of the that repairs DNA when both Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. His
Livingston lab to join the Harvard DNA strands in a cell are broken. postdoctoral training was at the
faculty is Sarah Hill, MD, PhD, Mutant BRCA proteins are National Institutes of Health and
who now has her own laboratory
at Dana-Farber studying ovarian
cancer. “I owe my career to him,”
she says.
Hill began working with Liv-
ingston in 2001, when she was an
18-year-old freshman at Harvard
College assigned to Livingston
as a mentee. She was quickly
impressed and asked if she could
do her undergraduate thesis
research in his lab. She did, and
with his support subsequently
went to Oxford University as a
Rhodes Scholar before returning
to enter the MD-PhD program at
Harvard, where she completed
her PhD in Livingston’s lab study-
ing BRCA1. After her MD-PhD David Livingston, MD, presenting at an NCI visit to Dana-Farber.
www.dana-farber.org 23Left photo: David Livingston, MD (left), Emil Frei III, MD (middle), and Lee Nadler, MD. Right photo: David Livingston, MD (left), Daniel Vasella, CEO of Novartis (middle), and Edward J. Benz Jr., MD (right), at the Sidney Farber Awards. HMS, before being recruited to that resulted in the development wrote a long, personal essay in Dana-Farber. of PARP inhibitors that are the journal Cell. “David methodi- After the isolation of the breast used to treat breast and ovarian cally sculpted me into a scientist cancer susceptibility gene BRCA1 cancers from people with (and talked me out of quitting in 1994, there was uncertainty BRCA1/2 mutations.” at least six times while I was in about where in the cell the BRCA1 Judy Garber, MD, MPH, was his laboratory, when the work protein carried out its functions. one of the principal investigators seemed too frustrating and hard), “David’s group was one of the of the OlympiA trial that recently and his mentorship and advocacy first to make monoclonal antibod- reported a disease-free survival for me continued almost until ies that answered the question benefit for BRCA1/2-mutant breast the very day that he died,” wrote of where the BRCA1 protein was cancer treated with the PARP Kaelin. “My eventually winning localized, and the Livingston inhibitor olaparib, says Brown. the Nobel Prize says more about group determined in a landmark Garber, who leads Dana-Farber’s David than it does about me.” paper that it is located in the cell’s Cancer Genetics and Prevention Invariably, the memorial essays nucleus,” Hill explains. As a re- program, wasn’t one of David’s described Livingston’s ground- sult, “you could finally ask: What trainees, but she was a very close breaking efforts to foster collabo- does BRCA1 do? The antibodies collaborator over the years and ration among scientists, from his used in those experiments were worked to translate Livingston's larger institutional accomplish- so critical, and people are still us- work to the clinic. ments to the informal retreats at ing them constantly.” After Livingston’s death, many the Livingston family farm for the Brown says that Livingston’s leading scientific journals pub- purpose of open sharing of unpub- work identifying the role of lished obituaries or appreciations lished research findings – and BRCA1/2 in DNA damage repair penned by his colleagues and for- always accompanied by memo- “was the fundamental discovery mer trainees. Kaelin, for example, rable meals and stories served up 24 Paths of Progress 2022 Dana-Farber Cancer Institu te
by the prominent “David methodically sculpted me into a scientist
scientists at
the retreats. (and talked me out of quitting at least six times
“David was
instrumental in while I was in his laboratory when the work
bringing people
together in the fight
seemed too frustrating and hard), and his
against cancer, and mentorship and advocacy for me continued
he led the effort to
establish the Dana- almost until the very day that he died.”
Farber/Harvard
Cancer Center (DF/
HCC),” wrote Brown – William Kaelin Jr., MD
and DeCaprio in an
obituary in Nature.
“In doing so, he tration-approved targeted cancer and ovarian cancer – and possibly
brought together therapies,” they said. to prevent them.
a prestigious yet More recently, Livingston “He used to say to us, there are
somewhat reluctant worked with Tyler Jacks, PhD, at women in the hospital here who
group of leaders and investigators MIT to develop the Bridge Project, are so sick and losing their hair –
from seven Harvard institutions a collaboration between DF/HCC we have to do something better
and served as its deputy director and the Koch Institute for Integra- for this disease,” says Hill. “I
from 1999 to 2019.” tive Research at MIT. Bridging the think he would have found ways
Brown and DeCaprio also noted Charles River geographically and to detect cancers early and how
that Livingston was instrumental different disciplines metaphori- to prevent them. Making sure
in forming an academic-industry cally, it brings together cancer David’s legacy is honored is a
partnership between Dana-Farber researchers and bioengineers huge thing for everyone who
and Sandoz (now Novartis) in the from MIT with clinical oncologists worked with him.”
early 1990s that has continued from Harvard’s hospital consor- That is also true for Dana-
ever since. “David’s vision played tium to address pressing prob- Farber President and CEO Laurie
a key role in the development of lems in cancer care. H. Glimcher, MD, who, although
several Food and Drug Adminis- Sarah Hill, who says she talked she was not one his trainees,
to Livingston the Fri- expressed the feelings of many
day before the week- when she said, “We have lost
end on which he died, not just a source of comfort but
said she is still deeply a source of inspiration. David
saddened by his Livingston made it possible for us
passing, but continues to dream big about the future of
to be inspired by his Dana-Farber, because that was
zeal for research and how he saw it, and his unflag-
ambition to improve ging enthusiasm and love for the
treatments for breast institution and everyone in it lifted
our hearts and spirits every day.
Ursula Matalonis, MD
(left), Joyce Liu, MD Surely, there is no better way to
(middle), and David honor his memory than to do what
Livingston, MD he spent his life doing.”
www.dana-farber.org 25You can also read
