Vanderbilt researcher receives Waxman Foundation's award for B-cell lymphoma study

Scott Hiebert, Ph.D., of Vanderbilt University was awarded a $25,000 grant from the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation to further his research in abnormal BCL6 overexpression, which occurs in a common B-cell lymphoma.

Hiebert and his colleagues at Vanderbilt University have obtained drugs that inhibit HDAC3-another epigenetic control element leading to abnormal gene programs, and ultimately cancer. Scientists believe that by eliminating BCL6, they can turn the genes back on and kill the cancer cells. If the researchers can inhibit HDAC3, they hope to knock out B-cell lymphoma completely.

Hiebert's research will be funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in January 2012. To ensure that his important work continues without interruption, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center will match the Waxman Foundation's award to help get Hiebert's work started before the start of his NIH grant. The Max Cure Foundation has also agreed to collaborate with the SWCRF in supporting the work.

"The Max Cure Foundation is humbled to be collaborating not only with SWCRF, but also with Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and NIH in what promises to be significant research in the area of B-cell lymphoma, the cancer that struck my grandson, Max-the inspiration for our foundation," said Richard Plotkin, the Vice Chairman of the Max Cure Foundation.

"The SWCRF is proud to join forces with such prestigious organizations to support a novel grant that will examine epigenetic therapy for B-cell lymphoma," said Samuel Waxman, M.D., the Founder and Scientific Director of the SWCRF. "Collaboration is the hallmark of the SWCRF, and we are delighted to play a role in not only fostering collaboration among scientists, but in collaborating with funding organizations as well."