Tufts Medical Center News Headlines
Week of January 29, 2007 - February 5, 2007
The following headline stories are re-printed from the Tufts Medical Center News, Tufts Medical Center's weekly publication.
Tufts Medical Center’s BMT Program First in New England to Participate in Clinical Trial
Tufts Medical Center’s Bone Marrow and Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Program is the first in New England to participate in a clinical trial using mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in the treatment of patients with acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GVHD).
GVHD, a life-threatening complication that arises in patients who receive bone marrow transplants, occurs in up to 50 percent of patients who receive a hematopoietic stem cell transplant. This results when immune cells from the donated bone marrow attack the recipient’s own organs and tissues.
“Patients who develop severe acute GVHD and do not respond to steroids have little chance of survival,” said Hans Klingemann, MD, PhD, Director of Tufts Medical Center’s Bone Marrow and Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Program. “Patients receiving MSC treatment have a higher survival rate than expected with steroids alone.”
Osiris Therapeutics Inc., a leading therapeutic company, selected Tufts Medical Center to participate in the randomized Phase III trial that will follow an estimated 240 patients who are not responding to steroid treatment for GVHD.
The patients will receive Prochymal, a therapy produced by Osiris Therapeutics Inc. that uses MSC from bone marrow cells to distribute stem cells to areas of inflammation where they can repair damaged tissue.
“Mesenchymal cells obtained from bone marrow have proven to down-regulate the immune response and hold much promise for improving the treatment of advanced Graft-Versus- Host Disease,” Klingemann said. "In addition, MSC are currently being used in clinical trials to repair cartilage or to replace small sections of bone after injuries or infections, which has incredible implications for regenerative medicine.”
Celebrations for John T. Harrington, MD, Note His Contributions
On Friday, January 19, the Division of Nephrology hosted a day of events to celebrate John T. Harrington, MD’s 70th birthday and to note his many contributions to Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine as well as the field of nephrology.
Harrington began his association with the Medical Center in 1965 as a Nephrology fellow, subsequently serving as Director of the Dialysis Unit and as Chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine. In 1996, he was appointed Dean of Tufts University School of Medicine, a position he held until 2002. As Dean Emeritus, Harrington currently serves as a Senior Nephrologist and Professor of Medicine.
The celebration featured the inaugural “Dr. John T. Harrington Medical Grand Rounds,” an annual event that will feature a visiting speaker renowned in the field of nephrology. The first Harrington Medical Grand Rounds speaker was Nicolaos E. Madias, MD, Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Caritas-St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center. Special announcements made during the event included the creation of the John T. Harrington, MD, Endowed Fund in Nephrology and the naming of the Division of Nephrology conference room as the Dr. John T. Harrington Conference Room.
More than $260,000 has been contributed to the Harrington Fund. The contributions include a gift of $125,000 given by Keith Johnson, MD, President, of Dialysis Clinic, Inc, on behalf of the company and a gift of $100,000 from Mary and Thomas Shields.
Following Grand Rounds, the Division of Nephrology held its weekly clinical conference at which time its official naming as “Harrington Rounds” was announced.
Tufts Medical Center and Floating Recognized for Support of the Employee We Care Campaign
Tufts Medical Center and the Floating Hospital for Children were recently honored by the United Way of Massachusetts Bay for their successful 2006 Employee We Care Campaign.
The Medical Center received the United Way President’s Award in recognition of more than doubling participation rates and contributions over the prior year’s campaign.
Kelly Gallagher, Director of Annual Giving, was recognized as the Employee Campaign Manager of the Year for the healthcare division. Employee donations to the We Care Campaign supported both the United Way and Tufts Medical Center and the Floating Hospital.
Tufts Medical Center Celebrates Black History Month
Tufts Medical Center’s Department of Human Resources and Employee Activities Committee will feature a series of events to honor Black History Month in February. The following is a list of events:
• Friday, February 2, noon-1 p.m.- Guest speaker Robert Lewis, Jr., Executive Director of The Boston Centers for Youth and Families, will speak in the Atrium.
• Friday, February 9, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.- The film “Building on a Firm Foundation” will be featured in the Stearns Auditorium.
• Friday, February 16, noon-1:30 p.m.- An African American historical timeline will be featured in the Stearns Auditorium.
• Thursday, February 22 , noon-1:30 p.m. - Enjoy traditional African dance with the Roxbury Center for the Performing Arts dance troupe in the Atrium.
• Friday, February 23, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. - Save your appetite for our famous “Taste of Soul” in the Wang Café.
As part of the Medical Center’s celebration of Black History Month, each week throughout February, a profile of the accomplishments of an African American within the health care field will be highlighted in the Tufts Medical Center News. Each profile will be included in the historical timeline, which will be featured in Stearns Auditorium on Friday, February 16. The following profile is the first of the series.
This week’s Black History Month Spotlight:
Audrey Penn, MD
Audrey Penn, MD, is the senior advisor to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and served as the former deputy director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) from 1995-2006. Penn’s career started when she enrolled at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City in 1956—a time when few women or minorities became doctors.
Penn devoted herself to studying diseases that affect muscle control and became famous for her work on myasthenia gravis. Her contribution to understanding how an arthritis drug called penicillamine can trigger an immune attack associated with the onset of myasthenia gravis has helped over 25,000 suffers in the US.
Au Bon Pain Espresso Promotion to Benefit Tufts Medical Center and Floating
In celebration of The Rising Stars Gala, Au Bon Pain will donate $1 dollar for every espresso beverage purchased at its Tufts Medical Center location between Monday, January 29 and Thursday, February 8. All proceeds will benefit the Floating Hospital for Children and Tufts Medical Center.
“Au Bon Pain is once again, thrilled to support Tufts Medical Center by saluting this year’s Rising Stars,” said Karlene Sprague, Field Marketing Manager for Au Bon Pain. “Their commitment to the Medical Center is inspirational to all of us.”
The 4th Annual Rising Stars Gala to Benefit Tufts Medical Center and Floating will take place on Thursday, February 8 at The Westin, Boston Waterfront. This special evening will honor John B. Hynes, III, Celtics’ Captain Paul Pierce and Katie Wakeley, MD, Tufts Medical Center’s Chief of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, for their outstanding achievements within the Tufts Medical Center community. For more information about the Gala, please contact Becca Romish, Special Events Coordinator at ext. 9846 or via email at bromish@tufts-nemc.org..