Rainer Storb honored for pioneering mini-transplant research

Dr. Rainer Storb's research into less toxic forms of allogeneic marrow and blood stem-cell transplantation for malignant and non-malignant blood diseases has earned him a $150,000 award from the prestigious Jacqueline Seroussi Memorial Foundation for Cancer Research in Israel.

The foundation's board annually chooses six scientists worldwide to receive the award.

Storb, who heads the Transplant Biology Program in the Clinical Research Division, submitted a short paper to the foundation summarizing his development of the "mini-transplant" a decade ago and new research he is doing to improve the procedure.

About 1,000 patients to date have received this type of stem-cell transplant, known as a nonmyeloablative transplant. It uses a very low dose of radiation and mild chemotherapy to prepare the patient for transplant. Its advantages include lower regimen-related toxicity, morbidity and mortality than traditional high-dose regimens. Mini-transplants can be used on older patients who are not in otherwise good medical condition, and can be done in the outpatient setting.

The Jacqueline Seroussi Memorial Foundation for Cancer Research is a charitable, nonprofit organization, established in Israel by the Ajax Trust to encourage and reward research on malignant disease.