The loss of an exceptional young man to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at age 30 served as the inspiration for the creation of an outstanding fundraising endeavor. Under the direction of Stephen J. Forman, M.D., chair, Division of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation at City of Hope, friends and family members established the Tim Nesvig Lymphoma Fellowship and Research Fund to further understand the underlying causes of lymphoma and develop better treatment options for patients.

Hua Yu, Ph.D.

Hua Yu, Ph.D., is Professor of Cancer Immunotherapeutics and Tumor Immunology. Dr. Yu is a pioneer in STAT3, a protein that plays a critical role in converting healthy cells into cancerous ones. She was also the first to show STAT3’s role in both boosting cancer and shielding cancer cells from the immune system. Her work has uncovered several ways that tumor cells and immune system cells interact. Recently, she and her colleagues developed a new way to block STAT 3 in cancer cells while simultaneously boosting the immune system. The method marks a critical step in efforts to tackle the development and spread of cancer. Dr. Yu received both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Molecular Biology from Columbia University in New York City. She has published numerous articles in national science journals and lectured extensively on her groundbreaking work.

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2010 Robert Chen, M.D.		Robert Chen and his team are conducting several phase I and phase II studies of an antibody-based therapeutic treatment to target a specific type of Hodgkin’s lymphoma (CD 30 expressing Hodgkin’s Lymphoma). Preliminary results show that this treatment is efficacious and has minimal side effects. Dr. Chen is also working on developing a new therapy using RNA to target mantle cell lymphomas that have become resistant to chemotherapy.
2009 Defu Zeng, M.D.		Defu Zeng and his team are researching a new regimen for a safer and potentially lifesaving treatment for blood cancers. Zeng and his team are investigating the use of a genetically engineered antibody called anti-CD3 before transplantation, which has shown great promise both in preventing Graft Versus Host Disease and as a replacement for radiotherapy before transplant.
2009 Anna Scuto, Ph.D.		Anna Scuto has been seeking more effective, less toxic treatments for non-HodgkinsB-cell lymphoma. Her investigations into the role of one protein — signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, or STAT3 — revealed that the STAT3 pathway is activated in lymphoma cells, unlike healthy B cells. Her lab experiments showed that inhibiting STAT3 halted lymphoma’s growth and spread.
2008 Ryotaro Nakamura, M.D.		Dr. Nakamura has made significant progress developing a novel treatment that stimulates the patient’s immune system to treat non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. A clinical trial testing a refinement of his treatment schedule begins in summer 2010. In addition, Dr. Nakamura’s team is following up on findings that may lead to a new lymphoma vaccine that triggers the body’s natural defenses to attack cancer.
2007 Mark Kirschbaum, M.D.		Dr. Kirschbaum heads up an active program of clinical trials testing new targeted therapies for lymphoma. These treatments correct the actual molecular changes that bring about the disease. The goal is to develop therapies that are easier to administer, more effective and less toxic than traditional chemotherapy. Currently, Dr. Kirschbaum is testing several combination therapies designed to avoid drug resistance — a common problem with cancer treatments.
2006 Leslie Popplewell, M.D.		Dr. Popplewell leads a clinical trial that seeks to eradicate residual disease following bone marrow transplantation. In the study, patients receive infusions of their own immune cells that have been genetically modified to attack lymphoma. This strategy to prevent lymphoma recurrence was developed in City of Hope’s own laboratories.

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