• Chapel Hill Magazine - Newsmakers: Drs. Donald Rosenstein And Justin Yopp 
• Associated Press' The Big Story - Dads whose wives died of cancer turn to NC group 
• FOX Afflilate WGHP in the Triad - UNC cancer hospital provides support for widowed husbands 
• Hospitals and Health Networks - The Extra Mile: Giving Widowed Dads a Shoulder to Lean On 

Find out more about the program here or visit their website.

Here is an update about Lucky 13's progress to date:

• Today is the 8th day of their trip and, so far, it has rained every day of their ride.
• They have raised $25,000 and are only $5,000 from their $30,000 goal!
• You can follow the pedal-by-pedal action and photos on their Twitter account: @Lucky13BikeTrip.

For more information, check out their event page here.

_{Date: June 17, 2013}

At UNC Lineberger, Dr. Kim's clinical interests include surgical oncology, GI malignancies, pancreatic cancer, sarcomas, hepatobiliary malignancies, and surgical management of endocrine diseases.

The other new Executive Council members inducted were Nipun B. Merchant, MD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Christopher M. Pezzi, MD, Abington Memorial Hospital; and Kevin K. Roggin, MD, University of Chicago Hospitals.

_{Date: June 14, 2013}

The exhibition, open to the general public, is a collaboration between the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) of the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Evans shares why this exhibit is important for everyone to see.

What was your role in the genomics exhibit?

I was a technical advisor, concentrating on genomics and especially the medical aspects of it, including its promise and the challenges it raises as such things are increasingly incorporated into clinical medicine.

"We live in an age where science touches our lives constantly and in every sphere."

Why is an exhibit like this important?

We live in an age where science touches our lives constantly and in every sphere. Yet, the general public and our leaders all too often have a poor understanding of science. Given its tremendously important role in our lives it is critical that the public understand scientific concepts that shape us and influence us. Much formal science education intimidates students. Thus, there is a huge need for science to be presented to people in ways that make it approachable, understandable and for it to be done in a way that allows people to see the beauty in science. In particular, genomics is really about who we are at a fundamental level – what could be more important than understanding such things, even apart from the growing role that genomics is having in medicine?

Who is this exhibit for? Who would enjoy this type of an exhibit?

Anyone who happens to be human and has the least interest in what makes us tick.

What do you want people to walk away from knowing/appreciating about genomics?

That we now understand how life works at its most basic level – the level of the gene and how much insight that gives us into everything from medicine to where we came from. I’d like people to walk away from the exhibit not just with knowledge but with an appreciation simply for how beautiful genetics is.

Dr. Evans is Bryson Professor of Genetics and Medicine, director of the Clinical Cancer Genetics Program of UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, and editor-in-chief of the journal Genetics in Medicine.

_{Date: June 13, 2013}

James Evans, MD, PhD

“This is a predictable decision. It’s one in which both parties get something that they can claim as a victory. At this preliminary juncture, what I am pleased about is that there has been a ruling that simply isolating DNA is not sufficient for patent protection.  And the reason I think that’s important is that this decision will enable the use of modern, emerging technologies for medical purposes. I think this decision puts to rest some concerns that many of us had about patent law getting in the way of medical progress and that this decision on the whole will enable progress and will not allow patents to stand in the way.

“What it will probably mean for patients is that we will have more freedom to analyze their DNA without as many concerns about patent infringements.”

Dr. Evans is the Bryson Distinguished Chair of Human Genetics at the University of North Carolina and director of the UNC Lineberger Clinical Cancer Genetics Program. He also serves as editor-in-chief of the journal Genetics in Medicine.

An expert in gene patenting and genetics policy, Evans has spoken and written nationally and internationally on the issue of direct to consumer genetic tests.

He led a program to educate federal judges about the intricacies of genetics and genetic policy as well as chairing a Federal task force that looked into the issue of gene patents. That task force, part of the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health and Society, made formal recommendations to the Secretary of HHS regarding the role of gene patents in medical diagnostics. 

Evans earned his medical and doctoral degrees from the University of Kansas. He completed his residency, serving as chief resident, in internal medicine at the UNC School of Medicine, and a fellowship in medical genetics at the University of Washington.

^{Date: June 13, 2013}

Now research from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine has shown how a protein called UHRF1 “reads” the histone code in a specific way to perform an important cellular function. “Because the protein has been found to be defective in cancer, the finding not only lends new insight into functions downstream of the histone code but could also point the way toward novel strategies for cancer treatment and prevention,” said senior study author Brian Strahl, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry and biophysics and member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The research, which appears June 1, 2013, in the journal Genes and Development, is the latest of many studies to investigate the histone code hypothesized more than ten years ago by Strahl and his former postdoctoral advisor C. David Allis. The hypothesis suggests that distinct combinations of histone modifications work together to form a code, akin to the classic genetic code, in which three-letter combinations of nucleotides make an amino acid. These histone modifications – chemical changes like phosphorylation, acetylation and methylation – generate an epigenetic language that is interpreted through the ability to recruit proteins to DNA and histones that in turn modulate cellular functions.

“This study provides important support for the histone code hypothesis, and also reiterates how difficult it will be to crack this code,” said Strahl. “It is not enough to understand how one tag works in isolation—we now have to look at all different combinations of tags on both histones and DNA to piece together the puzzle encrypting this second layer of information.”

Over the last decade, researchers have pinpointed a number of different “domains” that proteins use to interact with, or read, the histone code. Scott Rothbart, PhD, lead author and a postdoctoral research fellow in Strahl’s laboratory, previously showed that one such domain on the protein UHFR1—the tandem Tudor—helps it bind to a histone in the cell that is methylated at a specific place. Adjacent to the Tudor was another domain called a PHD finger that helped the protein also bind the unmodified end of a histone. Rothbart and Strahl wondered if these neighboring domains might function together to help UHRF1 to read the histone code and, subsequently, influence its ability to function in the cell.

To investigate this question, the researchers used a highly sophisticated peptide microarray technology developed in the Strahl lab. Just as DNA microarrays contain sections of DNA sequence spotted on glass slides, these peptide arrays contained sections of modified histone proteins. When the researchers applied the UHRF1 protein to the array, they found it bound the histone differently when it contained the linked Tudor and PHD domains than when it contained the domains in isolation. They then used biochemical techniques to show that the two domains of UHRF1 functioned together in cells—whereby each domain is making a key contribution to promote binding to the histone protein in a specific way.

One of the main functions of UHRF1 is the maintenance of a critical modification known as DNA methylation. The researchers showed that when these domains of UHRF1 were not functioning together to read the histone code, DNA methylation patterns in the cell were eventually lost.

“Abnormalities in the patterning of DNA methylation are a hallmark of many cancers,” said Rothbart. “In addition, UHRF1 has been found to be defective in a number of cancers including prostate, breast, kidney, and lung cancer. UHRF1’s function in maintaining DNA methylation seems to be reversible—if you take it out of the cell, you lose DNA methylation, but if you add it back, you restore DNA methylation. We therefore think that by using small molecules to disrupt the recognition of the histone code by UHRF1, we may be able to reprogram DNA methylation patterns in cancer cells.”

The research was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health, the Carolina Partnership and the University Cancer Research Fund, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the American Cancer Society.

Study co-authors from UNC were Bradley M. Dickson, PhD, postdoctoral research associate; Krzysztof Krajewski, PhD, research assistant professor; and Dmitri B. Kireev, PhD, research professor.

_{Date: June 13, 2013}

_{Date: June 11, 2013}

UNC women’s basketball Coach Sylvia Hatchell’s blueberry patch near Black Mountain, NC is almost ready for the summer picking season. Blueberries are expected to be ready the week of June 24. Each year Coach Hatchell donates proceeds from her patch to UNC Lineberger. Pickers send money to UNC Lineberger on an honor system, based on how much they pick from the “pick your own” patch. 

Blueberries are among the fruits with the highest level of antioxidants, believed to help prevent cancer. These antioxidants are even more powerful than Vitamin C. Not only that, studies suggest that blueberries may improve short-term memory.

For some great blueberry recipes from Our State Magazine and the North Carolina Blueberry Council, check out the 2013 Blueberry Recipe Collection  featuring reader-submitted recipes.

Directions to the Blueberry Patch

• Take Interstate 40 West to exit 64, NC-9
• Keep left at the fork, follow signs for Chimney Rock/Lake Lure/North Carolina 9 S
• Turn left onto NC-9 S/Black Mt Ave
• Continue to follow NC-9 S for 5 miles
• Turn right onto Chestnut Hill Rd
• Continue to follow Chestnut Hill Rd for 2 miles
• Turn left onto Flat Creek Rd (Garren Creek Fire Department)
• Continue on Flat Creek Rd for 3/10 of a mile. Destination will be on the right.

Address:
143 Flat Creek Rd
Fairview, NC 

Deborah Mayer, PhD, RN, associate professor of nursing and oncology focus coordinator, said, “It is very rewarding that all four students who applied were able to receive this generous scholarship. It speaks to their accomplishments as students and to the caliber of the UNC program.”  Dr. Mayer is a member of UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Sean Gallagher earned his BSN from UNC, and was a nurse navigator and coordinator for the UNC Head and Neck Oncology Program of UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center before deciding to pursue his MSN.

April Lenker earned her BSN from UNC and gained experience as a hematology/oncology nurse at Rex and a specialty surgical unit at Duke University before returning to school.

Melissa Matson earned her BSN from UNC, and prior to starting her graduate studies, she was a clinical nurse and nurse navigator with UNC Hematology/Oncology.

Lori Walker earned her BSN from UNC-Wilmington and was a hematology/oncology nurse at Georgetown Lombardi Cancer Center in Washington, DC, prior to returning to North Carolina to earn her MSN.

For every $15,000 raised by the Lucky 13 cyclists, Lineberger will send one pediatric cancer patient to Victory Junction in Randleman, NC, a year-round camping facility that serves children, ages 6 to 16, with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses.

The teen cyclists, most of whom are members of Boy Scout Troop 845 in Carrboro, will handily earn their Cycling merit badges on the trip.

Departing on June 10, from Havre de Grace, MD, the boys will ride without a support vehicle, and will carry everything they need with them. They will camp in parks, on firehouse lawns, and in the yards of family friends along the route.

The Lucky 13 Bike Crew

This spring the boys have been busy doing yard work and odd jobs earning money to “gear-up” for the trip. It will cost each cyclist and estimated $2,500 to be fully equipped for the ride, and they will need money for food and repairs along the way.

Hugh Kelley, a 10th grader at Chapel Hill High School, said he anticipates that the ride will be challenging, but worth every mile.
“The biking aspect is going to be difficult, but it will also be very rewarding because we’re doing it for a good cause,” Kelley said.

Those interested in making a tax deductible donation to UNC’s Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center can make donations online at lucky13.kintera.org.

For information about the Lucky 13 ride, and to follow their journey online, visit www.lucky13biketrip.com.

Check out some of their news coverage here:

The Daily Tarheel
Chapel Hill Magazine
Chapel Hill News
Chapelboro

_{Date: June 7, 2013}

Speakers from UNC Lineberger included:

• Lisa Carey, MD, on tumor biology and breast cancer
• Neil Hayes, MD, MPH, on lung and head and neck cancers
• Jared Weiss, MD, on head and neck and non-small cell metastatic lung cancer
• Ronald Chen, MD, MPH, on survivorship and comparative effectiveness research on radiation therapy
• Hyman Muss, MD, on geriatric oncology
• Ethan Basch, MD, on genitourinary cancer
• Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, on genitourinary (nonprostate) cancer and ethical considerations for genomics care and research
• Frances Collichio, MD, on accreditation and milestones for program directors and key faculty
• Carey Anders, MD, on triple-negative breast cancer and central nervous system metastases
• Bert O'Neil, MD, on colorectal cancer liver metastases
• Katie Reeder-Hayes, MD, on women in oncology and health sciences research
• Emily Meichun Ko, MD, on diabetes and obesity in endometrial cancer outcomes
• Kevin M. Schuler, MD, on endometrial cancer

For more information on this year’s annual meeting, visit ASCO’s website.

For video updates from the 2013 ASCO Annual Meeting, visit the organization’s YouTube page.

_{Date: June 5, 2013}

A research team, including UNC scientists, reports that including the positive effect of aspirin on cancer mortality influences the threshold for prescribing aspirin for primary prevention in men. The benefit of aspirin for cancer mortality prevention would help offset the risks and thus lower the age and increase the number of men for whom aspirin is recommended.

Their results were published in the June issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Michael Pignone, MD, MPH, and study lead author, says,  “We found that including a risk reduction for cancer deaths had a substantial impact on the overall benefits of aspirin, especially for early middle-aged men from 45 to 55 years of age. Based on this effect, several million men who were not previously good candidates for aspirin prevention would now become eligible.

Dr. Pignone is professor of medicine and chief of the division of general internal medicine, and a member of UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, of which Dr. Pignone is a recently appointed member, recommends aspirin for primary prevention in men  “when the potential benefit of a reduction in myocardial infarctions outweighs the potential harm of an increase in gastrointestinal hemorrhage.” This recommendation was issued in 2009, before the potential benefits for cancer reduction were recognized.

Other authors are:  Stephanie Earnshaw, PhD, and Cheryl McDade, Research Triangle Institute Health Solutions in Research Triangle Park, NC; and Mark Pletcher, MD, of the University of  California, San Francisco.

Funding for the study was provided by Partnership for Prevention and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (R21HL1122256-01) and the National Cancer Institute (K05CA 129166).

_{Date: June 4, 2013}

To view a list of poster award winners, PDFs of the presentations, and a brief slide show of the event, please click here.

_{Date: June 4, 2013}

Reuland, Pignone and Harris are all members of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

_{Date: June 4, 2013}

ASCO collaborated with LIVESTRONG to produce short videos for health care professionals on fertility preservation options and resources that are available for use with male and female adolescent and young adult patients diagnosed with cancer.

Read more about UNC’s Fertility Preservation Program.

^{Date: June 3, 2013}