HJAR Sep/Oct 2020

32 SEP / OCT 2020  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS   Healthcare Briefs “Once the biology of myeloma stem cells is better understood, more novel therapeutic tar- gets can be created and tested, with the ultimate goal being to develop a novel therapy and pre- vent myeloma relapses,” said Zhan, who holds the Morrison Family Endowed Chair in Myeloma Research. With the DOD grant, Zhan will study the biology of specific myeloma cancer cells that can survive chemotherapy. He hopes to find a potential cure aimed at eradicating these cells. The theoretical treatment has two parts: a stem cell transplant that occurs in two phases coupled with chemo- therapy, followed by a particular type of immu- notherapy aimed at killing the remaining drug- resistant cells. Relapses of myeloma and other types of can- cers are often caused by these drug-resistant cells. Specifically, Zhan believes a protein called CD24 may serve as a reliable indicator of the presence of these drug-resistant cells and that a therapeutic antibody called SWA11 could be used to target them. The DOD grant continues through 2023. Meanwhile, the NIH-funded study looks in detail at two genes, NEK2 and PD-L1, hoping to uncover how they work and how they possibly drive myeloma. Patients with these genes are difficult to cure and are at high risk for relapse. Therapies targeting PD-L1 have been successful in treating many cancers, but attempts to dem- onstrate their effectiveness for myeloma have been unsuccessful. Zhan believes this is proba- bly because PD-L1 is most common in patients who have a subtype of myeloma known as hyper- diploid, but PD-L1 studies have not targeted this group of patients. For other subtypes of myeloma where PD-L1 levels are low, such as in high-risk and relapsed myelomas, he theorizes that a combination of a NEK2 treatment and PD-1/PD-L1 treatment could be effective. Zahn and his team will test these theories at the molecular level using a couple of different methods. He believes the results could reach far beyond myeloma to assist in treating many other solid tumor and blood-related cancers. “Dr. Zhan’s research in identifying and targeting myeloma stem cells and the genomic classifica- tion of the disease has and will continue to help us to further the innovative treatment we have offered for more than 30 years now,” said Frits van Rhee, clinical director of the Myeloma Center. The NIH grant runs through 2025. UAMS Receives $2.5 Million CDC Grant to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening in Arkansas The Department of Family and Preventive Med- icine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has received $2.5 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for a five-year project to increase colorec- tal cancer screening in Arkansas. Partnerships in Colorectal Cancer Screening in Arkansas is a project of the Department of Fam- ily and Preventive Medicine’s Community Health and Education Division. Alysia Dubriske, director of community health and education at UAMS, is leading the program and managing the grant. Arkansas ranks near the bottom of the list at 34th in the nation for the number of people per capita who are screened annually for colorectal cancer. Nationwide, colorectal cancer is the sec- ond leading cause of cancer-related deaths when men and women are combined. The American Cancer Society predicts 1,540 Arkansans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2020 and 610 will die of the disease. According to CDC guidelines, people over the age of 50 should be screened annually for colorectal cancer, and people with a family his- tory of the disease should start at a younger age. “This grant allows us to address these dispar- ities in Arkansas by working with both health- care providers and the public,” Dubriske said. “We will educate providers on evidence-based approaches for increasing colorectal cancer screening and then partner with them to imple- ment those interventions. This will be supported by a communication campaign directed at the public so they better understand the importance of screening.” The approaches include automatic remind- ers for healthcare providers to touch base with patients who are overdue for screenings, increas- ing public awareness about screening though media and communication efforts, and reducing structural barriers that allow Arkansans in rural areas access to prevention, early stage diagno- sis, and treatment. The program will target primary care clinics, especially in counties with low screening rates and low average household incomes. The pro- gram will work directly with providers to teach them best practices and help them implement the techniques in their clinics. “Ultimately, our goal is to reduce the amount of late-stage colorectal cancer in Arkansas and the number of colorectal cancer deaths in Arkan- sas,” Dubriske said. “Colorectal cancer is a highly treatable disease, especially if caught early, and we know that screening saves lives. We’re look- ing forward to partnering with clinics to make a difference.” UAMS will work with Federally Qualified Health Centers and Arkansas’ Quality Improvement Organization to implement the project. Dr. Rimsha Hasan Joins the CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute CHI St. Vincent announced that interventional cardiologist Dr. Rimsha Hasan has joined the CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute. Hasan will begin see- ing patients at the Conway Regional Cardiovas- cular Clinic, located at 525 Western Avenue, Suite 202.  “We’re delighted to welcome Dr. Hasan to the Conway Regional Cardiovascular Clinic,” said Marcia Atkinson, president of the CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute. “She has proven herself to be a remarkable interventional cardiologist who will make a great addition to our ministry in central Rimsha Hasan, MD