We are a proud supporter of Dr. Wolchok’s work at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center where his program is known for being one of the most successful in the world at rapidly moving laboratory discoveries into the clinic. Currently, Dr. Wolchok’s work with immunotherapy techniques thought to potentially cure metastatic melanoma has gained great recognition in the medical field.

Dr. Wolchok’s laboratory has continued to develop and translate new approaches to cancer treatment and prevention that target the immune system.  Because cancer arises from one’s own tissues, and the body’s checks and balances prevent immunity against “self,” the immune system has great difficulty in rejecting cancer cells.  Investigators have discovered novel ways to overcome this resistance and stimulate the immune system to attack and destroy cancer.  Dr. Wolchok’s research pays special attention to those strategies and treatments that can be adapted to many different types of cancer. It is not possible to discuss all of the achievements and discoveries that came out of the Laboratory over the last year, but these are several highlights:

• Cancer vaccines developed in the laboratory have been used to treat more than 300 companion animals with cancer, in collaboration with the Animal Medical Center. 
• Results in companion animals with melanoma, which is usually a rapidly lethal cancer in dogs, continue to be very encouraging and have moved to large-scale national trials.
• A molecular immune stimulant called GM-CSF DNA improves survival of companion animals with melanoma who received DNA vaccines—and the same DNA immune stimulant is being tested in a clinical trial in patients with cancer at MSKCC.
• Clinical trials using 10 different vaccines are ongoing or are about to begin in people with high risk or metastatic melanoma, prostate cancer, breast cancer, kidney cancer, and lymphoma.
• Preliminary results in patients with high-risk melanoma receiving an experimental DNA vaccine reveals that T cells of the immune system against a melanoma antigen are increased and functional, and that patients who responded were much more likely to survive.
• Preliminary results of ongoing clinical studies investigating a monoclonal antibody treatment (anti-CTLA4, developed by Dr. Jim Allison, Chair of Immunology at MSKCC) that modulates the immune system—with or without vaccination—in patients with high-risk melanoma are encouraging. 
• A monoclonal antibody against a molecule on lymphocytes called GITR, which stimulates CD8+ T lymphocytes to attack cancer cells—while shutting down suppressor lymphocytes that prevent cancer immunity—was successful in treating cancer in laboratory models; the mechanism was shown to primarily involve activating T cells.
• Another novel monoclonal antibody that activates a molecule on CD4+T lymphocytes (called OX40) was effective in treating palpable tumors, leading to complete regression without recurrence in laboratory models.
• A new vaccine approach comprised of randomly generated mutations generated better cancer immunity than first-generation vaccines in laboratory models.
• A novel cancer vaccine made from a disabled alphavirus was effective in laboratory models against cancer.

This was an exceptional year for the Wolchok research team — one of the most exciting in years.  Thanks to the Live, Love, Laugh Foundation’s continued support, the Cancer Center has made new discoveries and important progress in the development of innovative treatments for melanoma and other cancers.

This summer Live, Love and Laugh launched an exciting new education program with Camp Vega in Fayette, Maine and the Hampton Jitney Bus Company in Long Island, NY, to educate the public on the harmful effects of the sun. 

Camp Vega proved to be a very exciting event and took place on Wednesday, July 11, 2007 at Camp Vega’s annual Grandparent’s Day, which was also named Live, Love and Laugh Day in honor of the program.  Over 300 girls and their grandparents attended and a great time was had by all.

The Camp Vega Education Program was designed to give adults and children the skills they need to protect themselves from the sun’s harmful rays and to ensure a healthy future.  It was hard to tell who had more fun, the campers or the grandparents!  The day was packed with exciting events at the camp. The highlight of the day was surely the speech from Live, Love and Laugh’s founder, Mindy Gorman, on helpful ways to stay healthy in the sun. Mindy also discussed the initiatives LLL is funding to ensure innovative research is being done to find a cure for metastatic melanoma.

With the campers spending so much time in the sun, their risk for melanoma is increased dramatically.  This program helped educate campers and their grandparents so that they can enjoy their health for years to come.  LLL would like to thank Camp Vega for partnering with us to make Live, Love and Laugh Day a huge success!  This program reached close to 1,000 people in one day!

The Hampton Jitney Bus Education Program targeted those who ride this bus service from Manhattan to the Hamptons. Every month on a randomly selected Friday, Hampton Jitney hands out gift bags to all people riding the Hampton Jitney bus. Among other items organized and donated by the Hampton Jitney, a postcard was included by Live, Love and Laugh that educated the riders on the dangers of the sun’s harmful rays, ways to protect oneself and how to get involved in protecting one’s peers. This program reached over 1,500 people throughout the summer and was a great way to educate local community members.

LLL is always interested in partnering with organizations to educate youth and their families on the dangers of the sun’s harmful rays. Please let us know if you would like to partner with us in the future by contacting Jules Greenwald at jules@poweredbyprofessionals.com.