Summer 2024 Newsletter
Dear CICT Friends!
We hope you have been enjoying the sunshine and the relaxing pace of summer! Thank you for being a part of the CICT team and continuing to support our mission to transform the lives of patients with cancer and organ transplants. We are excited to share with you some recent updates and upcoming plans!
Staff Changes
In March 2024, our wonderful Research Coordinator, Caitlin Gard, moved on to pursue nursing school at University of Washington. We are so grateful to Caitlin for her contributions to the CICT and are confident she will excel in this next chapter of her life!
Following Caitlin’s departure, we welcomed a new Research Coordinator, Felicia Che, to the CICT Team. Felicia joined the CICT Team after graduating from UW with a BS in General Biology, having also led the student employees in clinical transplant for 3 years. She has quickly embraced her role and is an incredible addition to our team. We can’t wait to see what contributions she brings to the team.
In July 2024, we bid farewell to our lovely Research Manager, Barbara Kavanaugh. Barbara contributed so much to the creation of CICT and after nearly 3 years, moved to take a clinical trials manager position at Seattle Children’s Research Institute. While we are sad to see her go, we are excited for her as she takes on this new opportunity.
Research Coordinators Felicia and Caitlin
CICT Research
Since beginning recruitment in March 2023, the Bioregistry has rapidly expanded, now with over 340 subjects enrolled to date. On average, we have enrolled 20 subjects each month to the Bioregistry. Patients seen at the UWMC pre- and post-transplant clinics and at the Cancer and Organ Transplant (COTC) Clinic are invited to join the Bioregistry. This rich resource will continue generate future studies on cancer and transplant for CICT and collaborators around the world.
*Average enrollment by month (2023-green, 2024- blue); total enrollment (orange)
We are committed to better understanding how social factors may impact ethnic and racial minority groups. Our social determinants of health study continues to actively enroll patients who are being evaluated for kidney transplant at UWMC. In this collaborative project with UW Drs. Bessie Young and Yue-Harn Ng, we have enrolled over 140 subjects so far! Drs. Ng and Blosser also continue to work with Dr. Eric Engels and colleagues (NCI) to study cancer among US kidney transplant recipients in underrepresented minority groups. We look forward to sharing results from these studies in the future.
Our prospective study of renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer) began enrolling subjects December 2023. We have recruited 43 subjects and are performing experiments with innovative tools to increase the impact and prepare for manuscript submission this year.
Additionally, we continue to work with Dr. Andrew Portuguese and colleagues at Fred Hutch Cancer Center to study the tumor micro-environment and related outcomes of patients with post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD). These blood cancers occur in patients receiving chronic immunosuppression and are one of the most common causes of death after transplantation. A newer cell-based treatment, called CAR-T cell therapy, is effective for similar cancers in the general population and may offer improved effectiveness for these higher risk patients. We are performing research on CAR-T cell function and survival in the setting of immunosuppression to optimize patients’ experience and outcomes.
Cancer and Organ Transplant Clinic
The CICT Cancer and Organ Transplant Clinic (COTC) continues to see a steady increase in patients and referrals. To date, we have served over 40 patients in the clinic, while responding to additional calls and questions from patients around the country and beyond. At the COTC, we see patients with most types of cancers in the setting of organ failure or organ transplant. Patients or providers can submit a referral. We see most patients at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center campus, but also offer telemedicine visits throughout WA, AK, MT and ID.
American Transplant Congress
We have had ongoing opportunities to present our work and exchange information with other experts in the field of transplant. In June, Dr. Blosser and UW Transplant Fellow, Dr. Takayuki Yamada, attended the 2024 American Transplant Congress (ATC) in Philadelphia, PA.
Dr. Blosser presented a talk at ATC on the application of CAR-T Cell Therapies in Organ Transplant Recipients. Dr. Yamada’s presentation focused on antibody-mediated organ transplant rejection, a long-term challenge that decreases transplant survival.
Drs. Chris Blosser and Takayuki Yamada at ATC
Dr. Blosser also delivered a speech at the annual Global Summit of the American Association of Kidney Patient (AAKP) this July. He spoke about cancer risks and outcomes in patients on dialysis and after kidney transplant.
SONG Transplant Initiative
The Standardized Outcomes in Nephrology (SONG) Initiative is an international initiative that aims to develop a standardized set of high impact measurable outcomes in all clinical trials for kidney transplant recipients. Dr. Blosser is a member of the SONG-Tx Cancer Expert Working Group. This global group of experts is working to establish core outcome measures for kidney transplant recipients with cancer.
Obliteride with Fred Hutch
CICT is participating in Fred Hutch’s annual Obliteride! Obliteride is a 5k walk/run and bike ride that raises funds for CICT and Fred Hutch to help cure cancer. Obliteride will take place this year on Saturday, August 10th. Please consider supporting Team CICT by donating!
Reconnection Event
This July, CICT had the pleasure of hosting a Reconnection Event with colleagues from the Kidney Research Institute (KRI) and UW Medicine Diabetes Institute (UWMDI). This event at Magnuson Café and Brewery gave us the opportunity to connect with colleagues while enjoying the breathtaking water views of Lake Washington.
Our Reconnection Event in July 2024 at Magnuson Café & Brewery
Publications
Since our last newsletter, we have been busy publishing the results of our work. You can find links to our recent publications below:
Transplant Onconephrology: An Update
Invitation to Support CICT
While we continue working hard to care for patients and advance our knowledge of cancers in high-risk transplant patients, we need resources to achieve our mission - Transforming the lives of people with cancer and organ transplants through integrated healthcare and research. We invite you to make a financial contribution to CICT, whether in honor of a loved one living with cancer or transplant, or in memory of friend or family member. We can also accept donations of stock, personal checks, or donations from a foundation. Contact the CICT Team at cict@uw.edu for more information on these ways to donate. Please know that your donation will be used to further our mission. You can make a tax-deductible donation here: Make a Tax-Deductible Donation
However you choose to be involved, we are grateful and couldn’t do it without you!
Thank you,
Chris Blosser and Felicia Che