3/9/2011 Update

LHi. Wanted to give you guys an exciting HOOT update. So the preliminary work that we have used HOOT funds for has laid the groundwork for a $100,000 grant to start bringing the anti-viral T cells into the laboratory! The protocol is now at the IRB and we hope to start infusing donor derived anti-virus cells this summer! I do not think we could have received that grant nor be ready to put cells into patients without HOOT support! The new project that I will start using HOOT funds to help with supply money is our new doctors work with Natural Killer Cells. Dr. Monica Thakar is working with a PhD Dr. Malar at the Blood Center investigating how we can harness these “natural born killers” to attack cancer cells without causing Graft Versus Host Disease. We have a study putting these Natural Killer cells into humans already..and we have basic science work looking to see if certain medications can help these cells work better! I’m very excited, proud, and most of all thankful for all of the Bisswurm and St. Agnes Family support for all of this work.