newsletter vol 3 num 3
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Vol. 3 Num. 3 October 2014
Newsletter
In this Issue:
02 Puerto Rico in the AIDS Malignancy Clinical Trials Consortium
04 HiREC
07 PRCTRC Scientific Highlights
08 New Personnel
03 VIP News
PRCTRC At the 28th AEA Annual Conference Zulmarie De Pedro The Evaluation Component (EC) of the PRCTRC participated of the 28th Annual Conference of the American Evaluation Association (AEA) held in Denver, Colorado on October 15-‐18, 2014. AEA's Annual Conference brings together evaluators and professionals from around the world for practices sharing. In addition to professional development and networking, EC Team presented a poster session entitled “Network Approach to Evaluate Scientific Collaboration in a Clinical and Translational Research Program”. The primary objective of this study was to assess the extent to which PRCTRC fostered scientific collaborations among supported scientists and their institutions. Additionally, this Conference provided the opportunity to share evaluation experiences with colleagues form the Evaluation Milestones Key Function from the RCMI Multidisciplinary And Translational Research Infrastructure eXpansion (RMATRIX) at the University of Hawaii Manoa, and the Evaluation Activity from the Meharry Translational Research
Center (MeTRC) at the Meharry Medical College. EC Team is glad to strength collaboration with these programs. EC wants to thanks Héctor Colón-‐Jordan, PhD and Marizaida Sánchez-‐Cesáreo, PhD for their contributions of the success of this scientific presentation.
Ryan Tolman,MA; Carlamarie Noboa-‐Ramos, MS; Zulmarie de Pedro-‐Serbiá, MSc; and Judith Inazu, PhD.
Click the Image to see the poster
PRCTRC Newsletter edited by: Joselyn Gandía
Vol. 3 Num. 3 October 2014
Participation Of
Puerto Rico In the AIDS Malignancy Clinical Trials Consortium
Ana Patricia Ortiz, PhD
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Cancer is the leading cause of death in Puerto Rico. With the advancement in antiretroviral therapy and subsequently life expectancy, chronic diseases, such as cancer, have become a concern among persons living with HIV/AIDS. Cancer is a particular concern among persons living with HIV/AIDS, as research studies in Puerto Rico and internationally have shown an excess risk of caner in this population. Research among persons living with HIV/AIDS is of particular interest in our population, as Puerto Rico is also among the top US states and territories in terms of HIV incidence and prevalence, and there are currently 20,036 people living with HIV in the island.
With an interest to collaborate in HIV-‐cancer research efforts worldwide, Drs. Ana Patricia Ortiz and Vivian Colón have worked during the past four years in research supplements (National Cancer Institute-‐Grants U54CA096297-‐08S1 & U54CA096297-‐11) under the UPR/MDACC: Partners for Excellence in Cancer Research grant, focused on the development of research infrastructure essential for the designation of Puerto Rico as a site of the NIH funded AIDS Malignancy Clinical Trials Consortium (AMC). As a result of these efforts, in February 2014, the University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center was awarded designation for being an official site of the AMC. Funded by the National Cancer Institute (Grant #U01CA121947), the AMC is a clinical trials research group founded in 1995 to support innovative trials for AIDS-‐related cancers.
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Specifically, clinical trials within this consortium aim to develop early detection and adequate treatment options for cancer among persons living with HIV/AIDS. This consortium is composed of over thirty-‐seven trials sites worldwide, administrative, operations and data management offices, a statistical office, a central laboratory and multiple working groups. Four of the working groups perform research on cancers that affect persons living with HIV/AIDS, including Kaposi’s Sarcoma, Lymphma, Human Papillomavirus-‐related Cancers, and Non-‐AIDS Defining Cancers, and another working group works with behavioral aspects of clinical trial participation.
Led by Drs. Maribel Tirado (Principal Investigator), Ana Patricia Ortiz and Vivian Colón, the AMC site in Puerto Rico is taking advantage of the clinical research facilities, nursing and laboratory services of the PRCTRC to execute the AMC protocols to be implemented in the island. With the collaboration of physicians such as Drs. Humberto Guiot, Vivian Tamayo, Jorge Santana and Yolanda Rodríguez, the Puerto Rico site is getting ready to start two protocols related to anal cancer screening and treatment among
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Continued from page 2
For more information regarding the AMC: https://web.emmes.com/study/amc/public/ For more information regarding the activities of the AMC-Puerto Rico site, Contact our AMC coordinator: Cristina Munoz, MS, MT [email protected]
VIPNews
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persons living with HIV/AIDS. One of them, the ANCHOR Anal Cancer Prevention Study (AMC Protocol #A01), is a 5-‐year, longitudinal, multi-‐center, phase III clinical trial that aims to determine standard of care for anal cancer prevention and treatment among persons living with HIV/AIDS. This is a particular area of interest, as the incidence of anal cancer is increasing among persons living with HIV/AIDS and scientific evidence for the development of standard of care guidelines have not been yet established by a clinical trial. The participation of Puerto Rico in this international research group is very important to increase the participation of Puerto Ricans and other Hispanic populations in these trials and for contributing to the advancement of scientific knowledge for the appropriate prevention, control and treatment of cancer among HIV populations. Our participation in the AMC also increases the possibilities for international collaborations of HIV and cancer researchers in Puerto Rico that want to collaborate within this consortium.
Congratulations!
è The competitive renewal application for the RCMI Program at Ponce School of
Medicine and Health Sciences has been funded by the NIH for an additional five-‐year cycle (2014-‐2019, # 2G12MD007579) at the level of $11 million (PI: José Torres-‐Ruiz, Ph.D., and Co-‐PI: Richard Noel, Ph.D.). The RCMI Program, sponsored by the National Institute for Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) at the NIH, has been continuously funded at PSMHS for the last 29 years. Certainly, it was the first RCMI Program funded in Puerto Rico, and one of the first in the Nation. Undoubtedly, the RCMI Program has been fundamental in the development of the research enterprise at PSMHS. It has significantly contributed to the acquisition of modern facilities and state-‐of-‐the-‐art equipment to pursue competitive research in the basic, clinical, and behavioral sciences.
è Dr. Qiyi Tang, Associate Professor in Microbiology at PSMHS, was recently awarded an SC1 award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to examine In vitro and in vivo studies of cytomegalovirus immediate early gene regulation.
è Dr. Eida M. Castro, an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Program and the Psychiatry Department at PSMHS, has been awarded research funding from the Susan G. Komen Foundation. This a very prestigious and competitive initiative and it speaks highly on the quality of the behavioral research conducted at PSMHS. With this funding, Dr. Castro will unravel innovative mechanisms of improving medical access to breast cancer patients in Puerto Rico
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Vol. 3 Num. 3 October 2014
HiREC
VISITING ENDOWED CHAIRS: Helping to Build Research Capacity and Infrastructure at the UPR-Medical Sciences Campus
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On August 28, 2014, the NIMHD sponsored Endowment program HISPANICS-‐IN-‐RESEARCH CAPABILITY: SoHP & SoM PARTNERSHIP (HiREC) held its 1rst HiREC Visiting Endowed Chair Recognition Activity. Two distinguished professors, researchers and mentors: Stefan Hofmann, PhD in Psychology, from Boston University and expert in culture and anxiety, and Walter Frontera, MD, PhD, expert in Physical Medicine and in Exercise Physiology from Vanderbilt School of Medicine, were honored. They received from Dr. Noel Aymat Santana, Chancellor and Dr. Estela Estapé, Principal Investigator and Director of HiREC, the institutional recognition awarded by the Medical Sciences Campus’s Junta Administrativa for their commitment and contribution of advancing the research infrastructure of our institution.
This institutional recognition set a landmark in HiREC’s goal to accomplish one of its objectives in its Strategic Plan as approved by NIH/ NIMHD (Grant # S21MD001830): the creation of an Endowed Chair.
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Of particular significance is that the initial proposal of naming a HiREC‘s Endowed Chair, was transformed into a unique idea to create: HiREC‘s Visiting Endowed Chairs. This was a distinct contribution of Dr. Walter Frontera, who at that time was PI of HiREC with Dr. Estapé. Thus, having him as one of the two first Visiting Endowed Chairs, is an honor for the present HiREC‘s PI leadership, Dr. Clemente Diaz and Dr. Estapé. The sense of pride and satisfaction with Dr. Frontera’s achievements is shared by all who has
worked closely with him, both at the Puerto Rico Clinical and Translational Research Consortium (PRCTRC), as he was its past Principal Investigator and at the School of Medicine, where he was Dean until 2011.
The implementation of HiREC‘s Visiting Endowed Chair was a challenge. To make it possible, Dr. Estapé proposed the creation of the HiREC Career Development Award: Phase III in May 2013. This award was conceptualized as an endowed research mentorship initiative with experienced investigators to guide and coach young and promising researchers and faculty. It also fostered the creation of new clinical and translational research teams between both schools with the awardees to be MSc Phase I Graduates who successfully completed MSc Phase II program. They were required to submit a mentor that had to meet HiREC’s criteria to be appointed as HiREC‘s Visiting Endowed Chair.
These two distinguished Endowed Chairs are serving
Estela S. Estape MT, PhD, DHL
Principal Investigator and Director, HiREC Professional Development Core Leader
Dr. Walter Frontera (Univ of Vanderbilt), Dr. Estela S Estapé (SoHP), Dr. Stefan Hofmann (Boston University), Aracelis Huertas and Lourdes Soto(SoHP), HiREC.
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Vol. 3 Num. 3 October 2014
Dr. Rubén García García, acting dean School of Health Professions (SoHP), Dr. Walter Frontera: Professor University of Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and HiREC Visiting Endowed Chair, Dr. Jessica Rodríguez Torres, professor Physical Therapy, (SoHP), Dr. Valerie Wojna, Professor & Researcher, School of Medicine, Co Investigator HiREC Phase III Award, Dr. Inés García García, past acting Dean School of Medicine and Dr.Noel Aymat Santana Chancellor of Medical Sciences Campus.
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as mentors to help advance the research career development of two promising young UPR researchers, who graduated from UPR MSC Postdoctoral Master in Science in Clinical Research. The two HIREC‘s Phase III Scholars 2013-‐2015 are:
è Karen Martinez Gonzalez, MD, MSc, (Scholar 2006) who is Assistant Professor Department of Psychiatry at our School of Medicine. One of her projects is the Development of an evidence-‐based treatment manual for anxiety disorders for Puerto Ricans. This award support research infrastructure and has made possible for Dr. Martinez to create the Center for the Study and Treatment of Fear and Anxiety, of whom she is the director. The Center is located at the School of Health Professions as an intra-‐professional collaboration of both Schools with a co-‐investigator, Dr. Arnaldo Cruz, a Psychologist and Occupational Therapist from the Graduate Department, School of Health Professions.
The significance and contribution of Dr. Hoffman mentorship and close participation during past year has been determinant; as he has worked closed, not only with Dr. Martinez, but with the entire team. He has provided feedback and evaluation on how the proposed manual could incorporate cultural idioms of distress in Puerto Ricans, like ataque de nervios. His experience in the modernization of cognitive-‐behavioral therapy as well as in cultural adaptations has been very helpful for the development of this manual. Also, his experience with clinical trials on psychotherapy has been an asset to the investigators, as they believe he can lead them and the research team to the next level of this project. Publications and submission of research proposal by awardee is the ultimate goal of HiREC Phase III Award as well for Dr. Martinez: as she focus into obtaining external funding to make her an independent and funded researcher here at UPR Medical Sciences Campus.
Prior to HiREC Phase III Award, Dr. Martinez‘s interest in pursuing a research career in our institution led her to identify funds opportunities at our Medical Sciences Campus. On February 2011, she was awarded a PRCTRC Pilot Project Grant: a Neuropsychological test as predictors of fear learning and extinction. The Pilot Project Program remains as a challenging step in the development of the research career of young researchers at our institution.
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Vol. 3 Num. 3 October 2014
From the Puerto Rico Clinical &Translational Research Consortium (PRCTRC), Doctors Valerie Wojna, (SoM), Margarita Irizarry (SoHP), Marcia Cruz-‐Correa, (SoM), From the SoM, Dr. Glorisa Canino, From Endowment HiREC, Doctors Estela S Estapé (SoHP), Lourdes Soto (SoHP), and Bárbara Segarra (SoHP).
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è Farah Ramirez Marrero, (MSc Scholar 2004) professor at Rio Piedras Campus, Graduate
program in Physiology of Exercise, has appointments both at the School of Medicine and School of Health Professions. The award will support to build research infrastructure and capacity to study: “Low volume-‐high intensity exercise and neurocognitive function in Hispanic HIV+ women in Puerto Rico”. With the support of the HiREC award, an exercise physiology laboratory has been created in the AIDS Clinical Trials Unit (ACTU) project in the Medical Sciences Campus, where cardiorespiratory fitness and anthropometry will be evaluated in all study participants. It is of particular significance the collaboration with Dr. Valerie Wojna as Co-‐investigator as she is a recognized neurologist, professor and researcher of the School of Medicine and Leader of the PRCTRC Pilot Project Core. Her other co-‐investigator, Dr. Jessica Rodriguez Torres, a junior investigator from the Dept. of Physical Therapy at the School of Health Professions who will gain experience in conducting the designed study protocol for women with VIH who volunteer to participate in the study.
The significance and contribution of Dr. Frontera mentorship and guidance during past year has been determinant to Dr. Ramirez and the entire translational research team. He has provided feedback and ideas on the protocol design, has shared his own research experience in Puerto Rico and the United States, and has expressed his commitment in supporting Dr. Ramirez research project at short and long range.
Acknowledgment:
HISPANICSINRESEARCH CAPABILITY: SoHP & SoM PARTNERSHIP (HiREC) is an Endowment awarded by NIH, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIH/NIMHDGrant Number: S21MD001830) in 2008 for $15 million. HiREC constitutes a permanent fund to help expand and sustain the School of Health Professions (SoHP) and School of Medicine (SoM), Medical Sciences Campus, UPR, develop strategies for building capacity and research infrastructure that will facilitate minority health and health disparities research.
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Vol. 3 Num. 3 October 2014
PRCTRC Scientific Highlight
Project Title: Mitochondrial DNA Damage Is Associated With Damage Accrual And Disease Duration In Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
SYLVETTE AYALA PEÑA, PhD UPR-Medical Sciences Campus
Background:
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease of unknown etiology characterized by dysfunction of T and B cells, the formation of antinuclear antibodies and immune complexes, inflammation, and organ dysfunction. Although both genetic and environmental factors are involved in the pathogenesis of SLE, the molecular mechanisms contributing to disease pathology and progression remain unclear. A leading hypothesis is that oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction play a significant role in SLE pathogenesis. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been associated with aging and diverse human diseases such as diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders, and recently to autoimmunity. This study aims to determine the extent of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients compared to healthy subjects and to determine the factors associated with mtDNA damage among SLE patients.
Advance: This study shows that SLE patients exhibit significant levels of mitochondrial damage in the form of increased levels of mtDNA lesions and mtDNA depletion compared to healthy individuals. Among lupus patients, those with damage accrual and major organ involvement were more likely to have lower abundance of mtDNA. In addition, we found a correlation between levels of mtDNA lesions and disease duration. The results suggest that damage to the mitochondrial genome in the form of mtDNA lesions and/or mtDNA depletion are potential biomarkers to evaluate the severity of disease. Public Health Impact Statement : The results of this study suggest that early interventions to prevent mtDNA depletion and mtDNA lesions may be relevant to treat SLE. A model in which increased levels of mtDNA damage may play a role in SLE pathogenesis was proposed. How NIMHD Grant Enabled Advance: The Clinical Resources and Facilities and Technologies and Resources for Core Laboratories from the PRCTRC (U54MD007587) supported this study. Grant Support: This study was supported by grants from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (8U54 MD007587 and 2G12MD007600); the National Center for Research Resources (U54 RR026139-‐01A1 and 2G12RR003051); and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (TL1TR000145) from the National Institutes of Health.
Publication Citation: López-‐López, L., Nieves-‐Plaza, M., Del R Castro, M., Font, Y., Torres-‐Ramos, C., Vilá, L., and Ayala-‐Peña, S. (2014). Mitochondrial DNA damage is associated with damage accrual and disease duration in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Lupus, 23(11), 1133-‐1141.doi:10.1177/0961203314537697 PMID: 24899636, PMCID: PMC4156531.
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Vol. 3 Num.3 October 2014
New Personnel
Ladimila De Lima Research Nurse The PRCTRC welcomes Ladimila De Lima as the new research nurse of the Clinical Research Resources and Facilities Core (CRF).
Bárbara Guzmán Head Nurse
Ladimila De Lima Research Nurse
María del PIlar Cotto Research Nurse
Kenira Thompson, PhD Collaborations and Partnerships Core (CPC) Co-‐Leader Kenira Thompson, Ph.D. Research Dean from Ponce is the Co-‐Leader for the Collaborations and Partnerships Core at the Ponce School of Medicine. She assists with the establishment and sustainability of research collaborations among the participating institutions. She was recently appointed President / Director of Research at the Ponce Research Institute
Vanessa Rivera, PhD Research Subject Advocate Vanessa Rivera, Ph.D. Associate Professor in Microbiology is the Research Advocate for the Regulatory Knowledge Support at the Ponce School of Medicine. She will assure compliance and study performance as detailed in the IRB’S-‐approved protocols.
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