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Pharmacist Receives Funding in Memory of Patient
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 19, 2008) − When Kim Seibert of Prospect, Ky., was
diagnosed with lung cancer she became determined to help other non-smokers beat
this deadly disease. The wife and mother of two young boys never smoked, yet she was
diagnosed with a lethal drug-resistant form of lung cancer. She lost her battle in
September 2007, but in her memory, cancer researcher Esther Black, pharmaceutical
scientist at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, will be able to further her
research in treating drug-resistant tumors that mostly affect non-smokers.
Black, assistant professor in the UK Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
has received the Kim Massengill Seibert Memorial Fund Award, a $100,000 grant from
Uniting Against Lung Cancer. Ken Seibert, Massengill's husband, raised the full
$100,000 with donations from family members and friends. Seibert, a University of
Kentucky graduate, worked with Uniting Against Lung Cancer to create the memorial
fund and selected Black as the recipient.
Approximately 25,000 cases of lung cancer diagnosed each year are not linked
to smoking, the majority occurring in women. These tumors are frequently dependent
upon a mutation in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene. Although the
drug Tarceva has been found to inhibit this gene and has had unprecedented
responses, patients frequently develop resistance to the drug and the response is shortlived.
An Equal Opportunity University
One of only a few pharmacogeneticists in Kentucky, Black is exploring the
hypothesis that using two different targeted inhibitors in the EGFR-dependent non-small
cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may result in significant advantages in preventing drug
resistance.
Funding received by Black from Uniting Against Lung Cancer is one of 14 grants
totaling $1.4 million in 2008.
"We are proud to support these talented scientists as they focus their efforts on
lung cancer and pleased to be a valued resource in the search for new treatments and a
cure for this disease," said Susan Mantel, executive director of Uniting Against Lung
Cancer.
Uniting Against Lung Cancer, founded as Joan's Legacy in 2001, was developed
to increase survivorship of lung cancer and hope for all others affected by the disease.
The organization raises awareness about lung cancer and funds for research into its
diagnosis and treatment. Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer in the United
States, taking more than 162,000 lives each year.
The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the UK College of Pharmacy is a
leader in both education and research. Faculty, graduate students, postdoctoral
scholars and staff are engaged in teaching and multi-disciplinary pharmaceutical
research as well as conducting clinical and translational research. In 2007, pharmacy
research faculty at UK ranked 4th out of 354 institutions in scholarly activity.
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