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Institution
Medizinische Hochschule Hannover
Host
Institution(s)
University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston
Mentor: Michael Andreeff, MD, PhD, Molecular Hematology & Therapy
Creation of new gene therapy strategies for myelogenous leukemia.
Although patients with acute and chronic myelogenous leukemias (AML/CML) initially respond well to standard chemotherapy and radiation, their remissions are not durable. Standard therapy is able to kill 99% of the malignant cells, but the remaining cells are often resistant and contribute to relapse. Gene therapy appears to be a new approach in the treatment of relapsing leukemias and minimal residual diseases, but the malignant hematopoietic progenitor cells are poor targets for conventional gene vectors. Therefore we are testing new strategies and new vectors in hematopoietic progenitor cells and leukemic cells from patients samples, e.g. modified Herpesviruses, retargeted Adenoviruses or the VP22-"Voyager"-System, a plasmid that contains a HSV-transporter protein with the ability to transfer DNA into neighboring cells. The vectors have several marker genes, e.g. expressing a "green fluorescent protein" (GFP) that can easily be measured by flow cytometry. Another aspect is to work on genes that could be potentially used for the genetic modification of cancer cells. A common problem of resistant malignant cells is that they have lost the capability to undergo apoptosis, or programmed cell death. "bcl-XS" is a recently identified proapoptotic gene. The laboratory has established a vector system in which this gene of interest can be turned on and off by withdrawing or adding the antibiotic tetracycline. We are now analysing several leukemic cell-lines with this on/off-vector system to study the efficiacy in the treatment of these diseases.
It was an important experience for me to arrive in a country without knowing anybody and to start exploring the city. I really had a great time here, most of the people I met here and work with are really friendly, nice and helpful. I also found that luckily not all the prejudices about the "superficial Americans" are true. Doing research in the U.S. with all the amazing equipment and experienced scientists is very exciting and interesting.
Persuading my mentor to pay me a trip to a meeting at Miami Beach, Florida, in December. Just kidding, he is a kind of generous, and you should always keep in mind that a BMEP-student is free for the host institution, so it might be possible to get some "extras" from your boss! I see the "minor" daily difficulties (like learning new methods in the lab, finding an appartment, buying a car, staying within the budget, managing my time) as a challenge that can be handled with fun.
When I arrived at Houston Airport, I was supposed to live in an apartment that I had booked by phone and fax from Germany. Unfortunately the apartment manager, a 70-year-old, very nice but confused lady, told me: "Sorry, honey, I have no room for you". She promised me one for the next day and gave me the address of another German Medical student. He allowed me to stay at his room for the night but it took a whole week until I got my apartment. It was not too bad, because we had lots of fun and he showed me many bars and clubs. The old lady seems to mix up dates quite often; when I visited her home, two German students were sleeping on the floor of her living room, a Iranique physician had a bed in her bedroom, and the two guestrooms were also occupied by students.
In general (official stuff): Try to get the IAP-66/visa paperwork started as soon as possible. I didn't care very much about these things, and got my form from the U.S. university one week before I left Germany. But as you can see, it is possible to get the visa from the U.S. embassy in one week. You should also try to contact your mentor early. Tell him what methods you know and what you would like to do and learn, and make sure you get a defined and organized project you are working on.
In general (life): Rob a bank before you leave Germany! You need more money than you expect (even though a DAAD stipend helps a lot). Another hint: travel as much as you can. There are so many great cities and different areas in the U.S. that are worth visiting!
Specific to Houston: Houston is huge and spread out, so don't even think about surviving here without a car. You have to buy one. And although Houston doesn't sound very exciting, it has lots of cool places, nice areas and interesting attractions. You have to look around (and drive a lot) to discover them.