Support Cervical Cancer Research at Johns Hopkins

While all of the efforts at Johns Hopkins to advance our understanding of cervical cancer and to develop new techniques to diagnose and treat this dreaded disease are proceeding at a record pace, we have more leads than we have resources to pursue them. Financial support is needed to continue these efforts. Some people have given direct donations, some left us money as a bequeath, and some have asked that donations be sent in lieu of flowers. Each donation has helped us explore new avenues of research, and each is a poignant reminder of the human cost of this disease. Importantly, this private giving has provided us with the opportunity to make real advances in our understanding of cervical cancer. Those of you wishing to support cervical cancer research at Johns Hopkins may do so by sending your tax-deductible contribution payable to The Johns Hopkins University to:

Cervical Cancer Research Program
Richard Roden, PhD
Johns Hopkins University
Department of Pathology
Ross Building/Room 512
720 Rutland Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21205-2196



If you have any questions about how you can help support cervical cancer research, do not hesitate to give us a call: (410)614-2905.

We have received a number of donations in lieu of flowers. This is a wonderful way to both honor a loved one and to help fight this terrible disease. These donations are made at very difficult times, and we therefore wanted to simplify the process. If you have lost a loved one and would like donations sent to Hopkins to help battle this disease in lieu of flowers, all you need to do is:


1. Ask the donor to:
   1. Make donations payable to: "Johns Hopkins University."
      
      
   2. Indicate on the memo line of the check the name of the individual in whose memory the donation is being made and that the donation is for cervical cancer research.
      
      
      
      
   3. Mail the donation to:
      Cervical Cancer Research Program
      Richard Roden, PhD
      Johns Hopkins University
      Department of Pathology
      Ross Building/Room 512
      720 Rutland Avenue
      Baltimore, MD 21205-2196
      
      
2. Please include with your donation the name and address of where you would like acknowledgments to be sent (or you may call our office (410)614-2905.

   When we receive memorial donations, we send a thank you to the donor and we also send a complete list of the names and address of the donors to the relative of the deceased.

   We realize that the death of a loved one is extremely difficult. We hope these simplified instructions will help those of you who wish to honor your loved one with bequests to Johns Hopkins for cervical cancer research.

The last five years have brought remarkable advances to our understanding of the genetics of cervical cancer. Indeed, at the genetic level, cancer of the cervix is currently among the better characterized neoplasms. This growing understanding of the genetics of cervical cancer will form the basis of new screening and diagnostic tests for the early detection of cervical cancer; they are used to identify patients at risk for familial forms of cervical cancer; and they can be used to characterize even the most subtle pathologic changes, thereby advancing our understanding of early cervical neoplasia. In addition, and most importantly, an understanding of the genetic changes associated with the development of cervical cancer will form the foundation for developing novel, rational, gene-based therapies for cervical cancer.

The establishment of an endowed chair for cervical cancer research would allow us to pursue high-risk research work. We believe this work will advance our understanding of cervical cancer, not by small steps, but instead by leaps and bounds. All to often, scientists focus their efforts on "evolutionary" work because it is safer, and more of a sure bet. Endowed chairs allow scientists such to pursue revolutionary work. In addition, because endowed chairs are permanent, named chairs are a wonderful way of permanently honoring the donor.

The cost for a named endowed chair is approximately $2.0 million.

Physicians and scientists must make critical decisions when they come to the end of their standard training. They must decide whether or not to pursue an academic career in research. Those who choose a career in research must then choose a sub-specialty area on which to focus their research efforts. These critical career choices are often made for rather trivial reasons. Countless physicians and scientists with enormous potential have chosen not pursue an academic research career because of a lack of a secure fellowship program.

At the same time, young minds are the most creative minds. Human creativity peaks at a rather young age; as our fund of knowledge increases our creativity paradoxically decreases. Indeed, some of the major new ideas in cancer research in the last several years have come from young scientists in their training. For example, Victor Velculescu here at Johns Hopkins created the idea for the revolutionary technology of serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE). Victor did this while he was a post-doctoral student in the Johns Hopkins cancer research laboratories.

We propose to create an endowed fellowship training program in cervical cancer research at Hopkins. This program will provide secured funding to young scientists and physicians wishing to pursue a career in cervical cancer research. The research fellowship program will not be a standard fellowship program. Instead it will take advantage of and most importantly encourage the creativity of the trainees. The fellow will not be a mere technician following detailed instructions from a mentor. Instead, the fellows will be given extensive free time and the fellowship will be focused on creating novel new technologies which can be applied to cancer research and on identifying new technologies, developed in other fields, which can be applied to cervical cancer research.

This approach will bring more minds to the battle against cervical cancer. Furthermore, the focus on creative spark will mean that our understanding will advance not in safe yet small steps, but rather in daring leaps.

BUDGET

1 Fellow (1 year X $50,000/year)	$50,000
1 Fellow (2 years X $50,000/year)	$100,000 (most Fellowships last 2 years)
Permanent Endowed Fellowship	$750,000

One human gene contained within a cloning vector		$10
Membranes for screening new genes		$15
Reagents needed to isolate DNA from a patients' blood sample		$20
A pair of PCR primers used to amplify one gene		$30
Bacterial clone containing tumor-related gene		$30
Vials for freezing tumor samples		$35
Enzyme to precisely cut DNA		$40
Scalpel blades for dissection of tumor samples		$55
Enzyme to join DNA fragments		$60
Updates to lab manual		$70
Flasks for growing tumor cells		$75
Radiolabel used to label DNA for sequencing and probing		$100
Tumor cell line		$100
Gel mix used to resolve DNA on gels		$100
A vial of enzyme to modify or amplify DNA		$100
Serum to grow cancer cells		$130
DNA purification kit		$150
Reagents to introduce genes into cancer cells		$180
Purification kit for tumor-suppressor proteins		$230
X-ray film to detect DNA sequence of a gene		$270
Plates for drug-screening reactions		$380
Enzyme to amplify DNA from tumors		$400
DNA fragments to study a new gene		$500
Lab refrigerator used in ongoing experiments		$700
Digital camera for web page construction/updates		$800
Set of pipettes to measure chemical solutions		$900
Lab computer to access gene database		$1,800
Ultraviolet light and camera to visualize DNA		$2,000
Incubator for tumor cell culture		$2,700
Set of DNA sequencing apparatus		$3,800
Lab freezer		$5,000
Centrifuge for drug screens and purifications		$7,000
PCR machine to amplify DNA		$9,000
Named permanent endowment		$10,000 and up
Drier for DNA gels and purifications		$12,000
Cancer Research Technician		$30,000/yr
Drug library to screen for new therapeutics (19,000 drugs)		$38,000
Research fellow and supplies		$50,000/yr
Named permanent endowed research fellowship		$750,000
Named permanent endowed chair for cervical cancer research		$2 million
Named endowed cervical cancer center		$5 million