From bench to bedside with Dirk Inglehart, MD- BWH Bulletin - For and about the People of Brigham and Women's Hospital
From bench to bedside with Dirk Inglehart, MD- BWH Bulletin - For and about the People of Brigham and Women's Hospital
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February 7, 2000
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From bench to bedside with Dirk Inglehart, MD
Survey results produce action
How do genetic factors influence a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer? Ever since human oncogenes—groups of genes that produce proteins whose complex interactions can lead to tumors—were discovered, researchers have been studying this question from all angles. Dirk Iglehart, MD, one of the most important players on the research stage of the genetics of breast cancer, has recently joined BWH as chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology and DFCI as a Charles Dana Investigator in Cancer Genetics. Iglehart returns to Boston after 25 years at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, where he spent half his time in the laboratory studying the genetics of breast cancer and the other half as a surgical oncologist focused on breast cancer. In his new role, Iglehart is the co-director of the Breast Cancer Program in the newly formed Dana-Farber/ Harvard Cancer Center. The application he just submitted to the National Institutes of Health to study breast cancer creates a Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE), leaves no research stone unturned, and utilizes resources from all seven Harvard-affiliated institutions. Said Iglehart, “As we learn more about the genetics of breast cancer, we have increasing opportunities to interrupt a key pathway in the disease’s progress. The compounds that successfully thwart disease process can then be studied and developed into therapies for patients.” Translating research discoveries into clinical practice is the guiding principle behind all Iglehart’s work. The more than 30 SPORE researchers and clinicians will study the genetics of breast cancer and look for compounds that interrupt crucial disease pathways. They will also look at the perceptions of women diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), a curable pre-cancerous condition that can lead to cancer if left untreated, as well as the physicians’ views of DCIS diagnoses. One important goal of the SPORE is to team with the Channing Laboratories and the Nurse’s Health Study to translate important findings from populations into clinical practice that benefits individuals. “Bench-to-bedside research in which research findings influence patient care and patient conditions influence research questions is the single most fruitful model of disease research,” said Michael Zinner, MD, chair, department of Surgery. “Dirk’s expertise as a clinician and as well as a researcher is an invaluable combination. His vision and leadership have propelled him to the front of breast cancer research. With the talent and commitment of those at BWH and across the Harvard affiliates, Dirk and his program are sure to make a significant contribution to the understanding and treatment of breast disease.”