Florida - June 2015 Archives

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Clinicians testing the drug dasatinib, approved for several blood cancers, had hoped it would slow the aggressive growth of the deadly brain cancer glioblastoma; however, clinical trials to date have not found any benefit. Researchers at Mayo Clinic, who conducted one of those clinical trials, believe they know why dasatinib failed — and what to do about it. In the online issue of Molecular Oncology, investigators report finding that dasatinib inhibits proteins that promote cancer growth as expected but also suppresses proteins that protect against cancer. The findings suggest that pretesting patient glioblastoma biopsies will help identify who may respond well to dasatinib and who should avoid using the drug, says the study’s senior author, Panos Z. Anastasiadis, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Cancer Biology at Mayo Clinic in Florida. MEDIA CONTACT: Kevin Punsky, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 904-953-0746, punsky.kevin@mayo.edu

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mayo Clinic in Florida has been named a Pulmonary Hypertension Care Center by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association. The designation is given to centers that provide early diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension, a full range of therapies and specialized care, outcomes follow-up and clinical research and studies, among other points of excellence. Mayo Clinic in Florida is the only Pulmonary Hypertension Care Center in the Southeast and one of only 26 in the country. MEDIA CONTACT: Kevin Punsky, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 904-953-0746, punsky.kevin@mayo.edu

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., and SILVER SPRING, Md. — Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ: UTHR) today announced a collaboration to build and operate a lung restoration center on the Mayo campus. The goal is to significantly increase the volume of lungs for transplantation by preserving and restoring selected marginal donor lungs, making them viable for transplantation. The restored lungs will be made available to patients at Mayo Clinic and other transplant centers throughout the United States. Construction of the center is expected to be completed in late 2017. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed. “This collaboration is exciting because it allows Mayo Clinic to bring the latest advances in life-saving technology to transplant patients,” says Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., chief executive officer of Mayo Clinic’s campus in Florida. “Ultimately, this relationship will help Mayo Clinic expand its reach to patients who could benefit from this innovation. Increasing the number of lungs available for transplantation provides more options for patients suffering from pulmonary disease.” MEDIA CONTACTS: Kevin Punsky, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 904-953-0746, punsky.kevin@mayo.edu; Michael Benkowitz, United Therapeutics Corporation, 415-464-4838, mbenkowitz@unither.com Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Farrugia are available in the downloads. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn5NUxLV-ms