Peter Anderson, D.V.M., Ph.D., Professor of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, and Director of Pathology Undergraduate Education, in March celebrated the publication of the 5th edition of the book, Human Histology, of which he is an author.
Published by Elsevier, the book is described by the publisher as, "easy to read, well organized, and focused on high-yield content." The topic is core knowledge in the complex field of histology. It is a textbook written with students in all health care areas in mind. The new edition includes developments in integrated and problem-based learning, allowing for students to make connections between histological knowledge, cell biology, anatomy, clinical understanding and assessment.
This week, the research of Lalita Shevde-Samant, Ph.D., Professor, Molecular & Cellular Pathology, was featured by the Department of Defense's Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs in an article on their website, titled, "Reprogramming the Pro-Tumorigenic Immune Microenvironment to Anti-Tumorigenic in Breast Cancer." The piece features breast cancer research, for which Shevde received follow-on funding through the Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) BCRP with a Breakthrough Funding Level 2 Award.
Shevde-Samant is Associate Director for Education and Training for the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB. In February, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama presented $1 million -- its largest donation to date -- to the O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. This annual donation provides pilot money for clinical research projects, including Samant's investigation of the hyperglycemic state of triple negative breast cancers. Triple negative cancer cells have been shown to be more aggressive and capable of suppressing the immune system, preventing it from recognizing and killing the cancer cells. With BCRFA funding, Samant and her team will now examine whether combining a diabetes drug with a treatment that targets triple negative breast cancer cells will improve outcomes. This study will likely lead to a clinical trial for diabetic triple negative breast cancer patients.
Dr. Lalita Shevde-Samant, Professor, UAB Pathology
In the article, Dr. Shevde states, “We established a new concept that breast cancer cells mediate a ‘conversation’ or a crosstalk with tumor-infiltrating macrophages via Hedgehog ligands that act as ‘conversational’ molecules; this results in immense molecular changes in macrophages that functionally recalibrates them to an immune-suppressive, tumor-promoting state. I am very grateful to the DoD BCRP for funding my research program over the past several years on Hedgehog signaling; cumulatively, these investments have enabled me to take on new challenges to modify the breast tumor microenvironment towards eliminating breast cancer.”
Her work has led to the discovery of this novel signaling paradigm. From the article,"Many of the macrophage-targeting treatments currently in clinical trials abrogate not just the recruitment of M2 macrophages but M1 as well. Thus, more targeted approaches, such as the one Dr. Shevde is taking, are needed so as to specifically target the tumor-promoting macrophages while preserving the function and integrity of the tumor-killing M1 macrophages."
It is our pleasure to announce the publication of our inaugural issue of Pathology in Focus, a magazine covering the recent clinical, educational and research activities and successes of the UAB Department of Pathology. It is a chance to highlight our accolades, which in 2018 were many.
We hope you enjoy this overview of some of our faculty, staff, researcher and students’ many accomplishments: https://issuu.com/uabpathology/docs/391118_-_uab_pathology_magazine_v1_
For news updates between issues, we offer a monthly digital newsletter, available online: https://www.uab.edu/medicine/pathology/news-events/pathology-newsletters. You may subscribe to UAB Pathology E-news here: https://signup.e2ma.net/signup/1870768/1812726/. Our website’s News & Events section is another great way to keep up with the latest events and announcements. And follow us on Twitter, where we highlight our Case of the Week and other news.
Please send us your feedback, including any of your own news you’d like to share. We look forward to engaging with you in the near future. Reach out to editor Christina Crowe, Communications Director, with story ideas, comments and more: ccrowe@uabmc.edu.
A journal article by researchers in the UAB Department of Pathology is featured in this month's "Lippincott Journals Hot Topics in Pathology" newsletter, distributed by publisher Wolters Kluwer.
The article, "PAX8 Expression in Solitary Fibrous Tumor: A Potential Diagnostic Pitfall," was published in Applied Immunohistochemistry & Molecular Morphology, the official journal of the International Society for Immunohistochemistry and Molecular Morphology (ISIMM).
The article was authored by David Ullman, M.D.; Jennifer Gordetsky, M.D.; Gene Siegal, M.D., Ph.D.; Carlos Prieto-Granada, M.D.; Shi Wei, M.D., Ph.D.; and Todd Stevens, M.D.
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