A study about how a protein termed E2F4 effects immune cell development has been selected by the American Society of Hematology (ASH) for presentation at the Society's annual meeting, the premier hematology meeting in the world. The 46th Annual Meeting of ASH will be held December 4-7, 2004, in San Diego.
The study, presented by lead author Dr. Clay Smith, head of the Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant program at the BC Cancer Agency, was chosen from among more than 5,700 abstracts submitted for the meeting. The four-day event, focusing on the latest blood disease and cancer research, is expected to have an attendance of more than 20,000.
The study, "E2F4 plays a critical role in early B-cell development," examines how a protein termed E2F4 influences the early stages of growth of B-lymphocytes. This study suggests that E2F4 may serve to help link together and coordinate processes that are important in cell division and differentiation in these early B-cells. These findings may turn out to be important in understanding how cell proliferation and development are coordinated in of other blood cells as well. In particular, understanding these processes may provide keys to efforts aimed at expanding bone marrow stem cell numbers for transplants to treat persons with leukemia and other serious blood disorders. Current efforts to grow large numbers of bone marrow stem cells for transplants have been hampered by the fact that these cells have a strong tendency to differentiate whenever they are grown outside the body. Future studies focused on interrupting the activity of E2F4 may allow bone marrow stem cells to grow without differentiating.
Dr. Smith is currently an Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia, Director of the Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program of British Columbia and a Senior Scientist at the Terry Fox Laboratory in BC Cancer Agency. He received his MD degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Dallas, Texas.
The American Society of Hematology, a non-profit organization with more than 13,000 members, is the world's largest professional society concerned with the causes and treatment of blood disorders.
For more information, please contact:
Nicole Adams
Public Relations Officer
BC Cancer Agency
604.877.6272
nadams@bccancer.bc.ca