San Antonio research institutions announce partnership in precision therapeutics

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Related: With precision therapeutics initiative, San Antonio is skating to where the puck is going to be

The presidents of San Antonio’s four largest research institutions announced on Oct. 15 that they are providing $800,000, collectively, for a major initiative in precision therapeutics. The process of precision therapeutics ultimately leads to breakthrough treatments that can be individualized to specific patient populations.

The new San Antonio Partnership for Precision Therapeutics (SA PPT) is being established by UT Health San Antonio, Texas Biomedical Research Institute (Texas Biomed), the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and Southwest Research Institute (SwRI®).

While precision medicine generally focuses on personalized interventions that are based on genetics, environment and diet, precision therapeutics represents a unique merger of this discipline with the complete drug discovery pathway, encompassing and integrating the two which has not been done before.

Ethnic diversity makes the Alamo City a prime location for the development of a precision therapeutics model. With a Hispanic population that is expected to double by the year 2050, San Antonio currently reflects the demographics that the nation will experience in the coming decades. Of the city’s 1.5 million residents, 65% are Hispanic, and of this group, 91% are of Mexican descent.

“The San Antonio Partnership for Precision Therapeutics is an innovative and high-impact initiative that will put the patient first by fundamentally changing the way new treatments are developed for cancer, obesity, diabetes, infectious diseases and other debilitating conditions,” said UT Health San Antonio President William Henrich, M.D. “Diversity is the key to discovering and developing improved and more effective drug therapies. Due to its diverse population, San Antonio is the exemplar for this groundbreaking partnership.”

Texas Biomed, UTSA, UT Health San Antonio and SwRI will each contribute unique assets and expertise to the SA PPT.

UT Health San Antonio, one of the nation’s leading academic health and research institutions, is home to the Mays Cancer Center, a clinical and research enterprise affiliated with the world-renowned MD Anderson Cancer Center. The Mays Cancer Center, one of only four National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Centers in Texas, includes the renowned Institute for Drug Development. UT Health San Antonio also features the Center for Renal Precision Medicine, the Center on Smart and Connected Healthcare Technologies, the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, and the Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies. To advance the SA PPT, UT Health San Antonio will offer nine institutional core laboratories, including those focused on mass spectrometry, lipidomics, metabolomics and X-ray crystallography as well as biobanking, high-resolution optical imaging, single-cell analyses and flow cytometry.

A pioneer of biomedical breakthroughs, Texas Biomed is a world-leader in the science of infectious diseases and their associations with other disease states and susceptible populations. Its strengths include research programs in tuberculosis, HIV, malaria and other parasitic diseases, hepatitis and hemorrhagic viruses, aging and obesity and other complex metabolic disorders.

UTSA’s research portfolio is heavily focused on biomedicine, including neuroscience and brain health, infectious diseases, and regenerative and molecular medicine. Additionally, it is home to the nation’s top cybersecurity program and has robust expertise in cloud computing, data analytics and artificial intelligence, which will lead to technological innovation and the creation of new algorithms to accelerate drug discovery and therapeutics.

SwRI, a leading applied science institution, has a rich history in advancing and supporting commercialization of drug and formulation technology to improve patient health care. It has developed and licensed multiple technologies to fight infectious disease, reduce pain and treat addiction, mitochondrial poisoning and cancer. Its scientists offer vast expertise in micro and nanoencapsulation technologies that solve complex drug delivery problems and accelerate drug discovery and development.

Liz Tullis has been named SA PPT Interim Operations Director. She will be responsible for establishing routines and governance, operational performance and strategic planning. More information on the San Antonio Partnership for Precision Therapeutics is available at www.sappt.org.

Melissa’s breast cancer journey

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For Melissa Stockhoff, wife and mother to three small kids, life moves fast. She grew up in Idaho and made her way across the country before landing in Texas with her family.

But in 2015, at the age of 33, her world came to a stop. What started out as a suspicious lump in her left breast was soon diagnosed as Stage 3C breast cancer, and in 2017, Stage 4.

After being referred by the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, she now has a team of experts she can trust at the UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center who are committed to helping her move forward. Her oncologist, Virginia Kaklamani, M.D., has been an advocate for her along the way and works endlessly to ensure Melissa’s quality of life is the best it can be.

Today, Melissa feels great, stays active, cares for her three young children, and is able to be there for her family and friends when they need her. Although her journey has been long and ongoing, she finds strength in her family, faith and dedicated medical team.

To those diagnosed with breast cancer, Melissa reminds patients, “Don’t lose hope.”

Luncheon to bring awareness to domestic violence

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October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Tragically, one of every three American women will experience intimate partner violence during her lifetime. Men are also victims, with the U.S. Department of Justice estimating that one in every four men are victims of physical violence by a partner every year.

Victims suffer not only physical injuries but are at increased risk of mental disorders.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It first began in 1981 by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence as a Day of Unity to connect battered women’s advocates across the country.

To raise awareness of the issue, the Title IX office will host a Purple Passion Luncheon Oct. 23. The event is free and open to the university community and will feature a presentation from physicians and researchers from the Department of Family and Community Medicine. They will highlight their study on the daily patterns of domestic violence and how it translates into working in the community.

Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m. and the panel presentation begins at noon. Attendees will receive a giveaway bag. Seating is limited.

RSVP by Oct. 20 here.

For more information, contact Nina Sosa at 210-450-8470 or at sosan@uthscsa.edu.

 

San Antonio Business Journal honors Military Health Institute director

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Dr. Byron Hepburn holding an award
Byron Hepburn, M.D., is director of the Military Health Institute.

The San Antonio Business Journal honored the director of UT Health San Antonio’s Military Health Institute at its inaugural Veterans in Business Awards ceremony on Oct. 10.

Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Byron Hepburn, M.D., is among 12 local military leaders chosen to receive the award for supporting his fellow veterans in the workplace. He was recognized for both his current role at UT Health San Antonio and his distinguished military career spanning more than three decades.

“It’s an honor for the MHI to be among this group of esteemed community leaders,” said Dr. Hepburn. “I believe this accolade is truly a team award and reflects the dedication of the MHI members and our broader UT Health San Antonio colleagues.”

Watch this video on Dr. Hepburn’s military background

Gifts for Children project needs a coordinator

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UT Health San Antonio’s Gifts for Children project, which provides thousands of gifts each year to children in hospitals and clinics, is looking for a new coordinator and team members.

Gifts for Children began 30 years ago with the idea of bringing a bit of cheer during the holiday season for children in the hospitals and clinics where our residents and students train. Last year, more than 3,000 toys and other items were delivered.

Gifts for Children has been led for the past six years by Sofia Reyna, who is stepping down due to a demanding new position.

If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, please respond to Cindi Adcock adcockc@uthscsa.edu and Pat Smith smithpj@uthscsa.edu.  We will contact you in a couple of weeks to set up a time to further discuss how we can continue this great program for our children of San Antonio.