Malcolm A. S. Moore

Malcolm A. S. Moore, D.Phil. (born January 18, 1944) is the Enid A. Haupt Chair of Cell Biology at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Moore is a noted oncologist and hematologist primarily known for being the Principal Investigator in the development of filgrastim, marketed by Amgen under the brand name of Neupogen and Neulasta. Over 3 million patients world-wide, mostly with cancer, have been treated with Neupogen. G-CSF mobilizes stem cells from the bone marrow into the circulation and subsequent peripheral blood leukapheresis produces sufficient stem cells for both autologous or allogeneic transplantation, reducing the need to obtain large volumes of bone marrow. Such stem cell transplants give a faster recovery of white blood cells, platelets and red cells than seen with conventional bone marrow transplantation. G-CSF stem cell transplants are used in treatment of leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma resulting in prolonged remission and, in some cases, cure. He is a member of various national and international societies and is on the editorial boards of a number of Journals. He has served or chaired committees of governmental and professional organizations.

Research

In his early career Dr Moore discovered that all stem cells of the blood and lymphoid system developed in the yolk sac at an early stage of embryo development and migrated via the blood stream to colonize the bone marrow and immune system. All adult blood stem cells derived from this initial source. These discoveries provided a rational for bone marrow transplantation. He was the first (1970) to prove the existence of cancer stem cells in a study of leukemia. Working with Dr. Metcalf in Australia he showed that “colony stimulating factors” were necessary for the growth of normal and leukemic stem cells and progenitor cells.

In 1980-82 his group first identified (and provided an in vitro assay for) the human mesenchymal stem cell - the precursor of bone, cartilage, adipose tissue and smooth muscle. In collaboration with Dr . Shahin Raffi in 1994, a bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cell was identified and shown to play an important role in the development of the blood supply of developing tumors.

In 1983-84 his group succeeded in identifying and purifying a human growth factor, G-CSF, that stimulates white blood cell production (neutrophils). In collaboration with Amgen, recombinant G-CSF (Neupogen) was developed and in 1987 the first clinical studies were begun at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in cancer patients and pediatric patients with a genetic form of neutropenia. G-CSF protected against chemotherapy-induced neutropenia, reducing hospitalization due to severe infections and permitting all patients to receive the optimal doses of chemotherapy. In breast cancer, a significant improvement in patient survival was achieved since G-CSF reduced inter-treatment time.

Most recently Dr Moore has been studying the cancer stem cell in lung cancer and ovarian cancer and has developed some novel methods for growing human cancer stem cells in vitro allowing extensive molecular analysis and identification of targets for therapy designed to eliminate this rare cell population that is responsible for aggressive tumor growth and relapse.

Honors and awards

1980: Boyer Award for Meritorious Achievement in Basic Cancer Research, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Cornelius P. Rhoads Memorial Award for Meritorious Achievement in Cancer Research, American Association of Cancer Research;
1987: Hammer Prize for Pioneering Work in Cancer Research; 1987: Dr. Kenny Award, Leukemia Society of America (LSA) 1990: Henry M. Stratton Lecture, American Society of Hematology 1995: William B. Coley Award for Distinguished Research in Immunology, Cancer Research Institute;
1996: First Recipient of the van Bekkum Stem Cell Award, International Autologous Marrow and Blood Transplantation Society;
1999: 50th Anniversary Commemorative Award, Leukemia Society of America.
2000: Takaku Award, Int’l Symposium, Molecular Biology of Hematopoiesis
2005: Donald Metcalf Lecture and Award, International Society for Experimental Hematology
2007: The 32nd Annual Jeffrey A. Gottlieb Memorial Award, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center
2008: Hope Funds for Cancer Research Awards, Hope Funds Award of Excellence in Basic Research.
2011: Lifetime Achievement Award, Cancer Research and Treatment Fund
2013: The C. Chester Stock Award, (Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center)

Education and professorships

Dr Moore received his Bachelor of Medicine degree in 1963 and his Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1967 from the University of Oxford. In 1965 he was appointed a Prize Fellow at Magdalen College, Oxford. He was a Queen Elizabeth II Visiting Fellow (1967-1969) and Senior Research Scientist and Head of the Laboratory of Developmental Biology (1970-1974) at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia. Since 1974 he has been a Member at the Sloan-Kettering, New York, Head, James Ewing Laboratory of Developmental Hematopoiesis, Attending Biologist, Hematology-Lymphoma Service, Division of Medical Oncology, Memorial Hospital, and Professor of Biology, Sloan-Kettering Division, Cornell University Graduate School of Medical Sciences. He is the incumbent of the Enid A. Haupt Chair of Cell Biology and member of the Leukemia Disease Management Team, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He is the author of over 520 publications in the area of stem cell biology, hematopoiesis, leukemia and cancer.

References

External links

• Dr. Moore’s page at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
• G-CSF: its relationship to leukemia differentiation-inducing activity and other hemopoietic regulators