The J.P. McCarthy Research Poundation awarded two of its three basic research grants to Wayne State University School of Medicine faculty members, Roger Dansey, MD, and Jared Klein, MD. The foundation, which is dedicated to the investigation and cure of blood disorders, was established in honor of Detroit's WJR-AM radio talk show host J.P. McCarthy, who died in 1995 after battling myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

Drs. Dansey and Klein are studying MDS, which affects approximately one in 100,000 people per year and is cured only through allogeneic transplantation. Complication risks include infection, bleeding, and disease recurrence.

Dr. Dansey, associate professor of internal medicine, is conducting a pilot study for a novel autologous peripheral blood stem cell program for patients with poor prognosis MDS who lack an allogeneic donor. Preliminary evidence shows the normal peripheral blood stem cells can be collected during the recovery phase following chemotherapy. According to Dr. Dansey, this raises the possibility that autologous transplantation may be used in patients who achieve a complete remission.

Dr. Klein, associate professor of internal medicine, is investigating T cell depletion in patients with MDS. His focus is on the use of allogeneic peripheral blood progenitors cells (PBPC) which more quickly allow a large number of stem cells to be collected. Because there is an increased risk in the severity and frequency of graft versus host disease, Dr. Klein is also looking at ways of modifying PBPC samples to allow for more successful transplants. Dr. Dansey and Dr. Klein each received a one-year $50,000 grant from the Foundation.

Wayne State University School of Medicine, the academic institution of The Detroit Medical Center, is nationally and regionally respected for research and treatment programs in such areas as oncology, the neurosciences, and women's and children's health. The School plays a strong role in the application of research and education to clinical care through its affiliation with the DMC.