The Cancer Center Research Foundation Inc

Programs: Dr. Murray bern completed the analysis of data, manuscript preparation and submission to journals of data dealing with the clotting system, deep vein thrombosos and transfusion medicine. This work led to publications in three scientific journals. It also set the stage for further research by fellows of the oncology service and his own further work looking in deeper detail into the clotting system for patients having cancers. Two of the successful reseach projects demonstrated how to best use blood study markers for demonstrating the optimal use of drugs to prevent clotting (in this case deep vein thrombosos of the legs) and how one might best use some of the available drugs so as to reduce the risk of bleeding with the anticoagulants.

the third research project demonstrated how in the post-operative setting there is often an overuse of hydrating fluids like saline and glicose that leads to dilution of the blood and an iatrogenic worsening of anemia, which then creates the appearance that transfusion of blood is needed. The next phase of study will be directed at developing a deeper understanding of why clots, such as deep vein thrombi of the arms and legs, occur more often among patients with cancer. The work will focus upon whether fragments of normal and cancerous cells, called extracellular vesicles(evs), can be a nidus or catalyst for those clots to form and worsen within otherwise normal veins.

specifically, the work will examine whether molecules that are exposed on the surface of the ev's (phosphatidylserine) cause them to dock on the lining cells of the veins at an increased rate or density. The work will use a special laboratory technique called phage display to explore this question. The first phase of this work was started in the past year creating a series of focused scientific questions, examining and selecting already published techniques in the field and gathering needed support of other relevant basic science investigatiors.