Highlights from the Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF) 2009 Mantle Cell Lymphoma Consortium (MCLC) Scientific Workshop will be published in the March 2010 issue of Leukemia & Lymphoma. Traditionally accessible to subscribers for period of one year, Leukemia and Lymphoma has agreed to make this report available to the public for one month — Mantle Cell Lymphoma: Report of the 2009 MCL Consortium Workshop.
“It is gratifying to see our work recognized by a respected scientific journal such as Leukemia & Lymphoma. We hope the information published in this report will further accelerate the understanding of mantle cell lymphoma and encourage other researchers to seek out collaborative work environments such as LRF’s Mantle Cell Lymphoma Consortium,’ commented Michael Williams, MD, MCLC Chairman and Director, Hematologic Malignancy Program — Hematology/Oncology Division University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville..
Mantle Cell Lymphoma
Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) that is frequently diagnosed as a stage IV disease. Constituting only about 6 percent of all NHL cases in the United States (i.e. only about 4,000 cases per year), MCL is considered a rare or orphan disease. According to the Rare Diseases Act of 2002, a rare or orphan disease is one that affects fewer than 200,000 people in the United States.
Mantle Cell Lymphoma Research Initiative/Consortium
In 2003, the Lymphoma Research Foundation undertook a major program in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) by developing the MCL Initiative and awarding MCL-specific grants. To date, $23 million dollars has been awarded to support 38 research grants in the United States, Canada and Europe, making LRF the world’s largest private funder of mantle cell lymphoma research.
In 2005, the success of the Initiative led LRF to the establishment of the Mantle Cell Lymphoma Consortium with the goal to accelerate advances in the field of MCL by creating a forum in which to share data, exchange ideas, and foster collaboration within the MCL research community, and to improve the outcome and survival rate for MCL patients. Currently the MCLC is comprised of over 100 top-ranking investigators from the United States, Canada and Europe.
The MCLC has since successfully raised support for a broad program that includes:
- Creating a website with resources for both patients and researchers.
- Establishing a “cell bank” to help researchers easily find high quality, well-characterized cell lines for their research work.
- Supporting clinical trials (which are essential in the creation treatments for patients) through an easy to search database of clinical trials for patients on this website. MCL research projects range from laboratory studies to the identification of new therapeutic approaches, including clinical trials of novel agents, chemotherapies, immunotherapy, radiation therapy and stem cell transplantation.
- Supporting work in the area of biomarkers and pathology. This information can make a difference in identifying the best treatment options for particular patients.
Lymphoma Research Foundation
The Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF) is the nation’s largest voluntary health organization devoted exclusively to funding lymphoma research and providing patients and healthcare professionals with critical information on the disease. LRF’s mission is to eradicate lymphoma and serve those touched by this disease.
LRF has funded over $37 million in lymphoma-specific research. The Foundation is the world’s largest private funder of mantle cell lymphoma research. LRF also provides a comprehensive series of programs and services for patients, survivors and loved ones affected by lymphoma, including our toll-free Lymphoma Helpline and Clinical Trials Information Service, in-person patient education programs, webcasts, teleconferences and support services.
Follow us on Twitter: @lymphoma
Friend us on Facebook: Lymphoma Research Foundation
Comments are closed.