Curing Cancer: Dr. Stephen Russell

February 25, 2015

Dr. Stephen J. Russell graduated from the Edinburgh University Medical School of Scotland in 1982 with distinctions in microbiology and surgery and earned his Ph.D. in 1990 at the University of London. He held appointments at several hospitals in the United Kingdom and at Cambridge University before joining Mayo Clinic in 1998.

Today, he is the Richard O. Jacobson Professor of Molecular Medicine and Consultant Hematologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and is a member of the Buena Vista University Board of Trustees. Russell has published over 100 scientific papers that have transformed the fields of virology, oncology, and medicine with his research, and he is the leader of a team of researchers at Mayo Clinic who last year released promising results of a landmark clinical trial using virotherapy to battle cancer, specifically multiple myeloma.

Researching for a Cure

At Mayo Clinic, Russell has created one of the finest gene therapy programs in the world. In his research to find a cure for cancer, he has chosen the groundbreaking strategy of re-engineering specific viruses to destroy cancer cells.

"My research goal is to demonstrate the value of oncolytic virotherapy as a new method for the treatment of cancer," says Russell. "My long-term research aims to develop genetically engineered oncolytic (cancer-killing) viruses that are selectively destructive to a variety of disseminated cancers, to clarify the molecular targeting mechanisms that govern their cancer specificity, and to advance them to clinical testing."

Along with being a clinical doctor who treats patients at Mayo Clinic, Russell also oversees a research laboratory where viruses from several families are engineered and treatment targeting approaches are developed.

"My research lab consists of approximately 10 scientists, and additional students participate in lab activities during the summer months," says Russell. "While the overarching goals of the projects undertaken in the laboratory are highly connected, individual lab members typically work relatively independently of each other and play a major role in the development of their own project directions."

Viruses as Treatment

In a recent proof of principle clinical trial, Mayo Clinic researchers have demonstrated that virotherapy — destroying cancer with a virus that infects and kills cancer cells but spares normal tissues — can be effective against the deadly cancer multiple myeloma. The findings appear in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

The patient highlighted in the report is still in remission, off all therapy, and it is now 18 months since she was treated with the measles virus. The phase-two clinical trial opened in October 2014 and is progressing well.

"We still have a long way to go," says Russell. "Stacy Erholtz was the first patient to respond to intravenous measles therapy and showed us what is possible, but to turn that into a reliable, reproducible therapy for other cancer patients is definitely going to be a rocky path. But we will succeed!"

Russell has ongoing trials testing measles virus therapy against ovarian cancer, brain cancer (glioma), mesothelioma, and head and neck cancer. They also have an ongoing trial using a different virus (Vesicular Stomatitis Virus or VSV) for the treatment of liver cancer. Other trials are planned and will open in 2015.

Mayo Clinic and BVU

U.S News & World Report ranked Mayo Clinic in Rochester as the best hospital in the nation in its 2014-15 rankings. But that is not news to Russell. "It is the greatest medical center in the world and the best place to develop and test the idea that viruses can be used to impact human cancer," he says.

Through Russell's relationship with BVU, Mayo Clinic has also become important to BVU and its faculty and students. Dr. Brian Lenzmeier spent his George Wythe Award sabbatical in 2011-12 in a molecular medicine research residence at Mayo Clinic in Russell's Virology and Gene Therapy laboratory.

"By immersing myself in primary biomedical research at the Mayo Clinic, I learned many new things that I have incorporated into my BVU courses at all levels," says Lenzmeier.

Mayo Clinic scientists also worked with Lenzmeier to develop a cancer research project that includes BVU students participating in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic team while at BVU. Lenzmeier says that students' collaboration with other professionals has

important benefits. "Doing research with other scientists forces students to be more careful, thoughtful, and critical of their experimental design and results," says Lenzmeier. "Knowing your work will be scrutinized by your peers, your professor, and other scientists commands excellence. It is also highly motivating to students to know that their research has a potential purpose for progress in the greater scientific community."

Mentor to BVU Students

Since delivering the dedication address for the Estelle Siebens Science Center in 2004 and speaking at commencement ceremonies and joining the Board of Trustees in 2009, Russell has developed a rewarding relationship with BVU staff and students. "I remember when I first came to BVU to give a presentation about our measles virus work on the occasion of the opening of the new Estelle Siebens Science Center," recalls Russell. "During that visit, I was so impressed with the BVU students and teachers I met, and with their appetite to become engaged in what we were doing, that I was determined to work closely with Dr. Brian Lenzmeier to forge a relationship that has really blossomed."

Subsequently, several students have been accepted for paid research fellowships in the Department of Molecular Medicine at Mayo Clinic. Over the past six years, seven BVU students have interned and done research in Russell's laboratory as part of the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program, and one student, Roland Pappoe, Class of 2014, recently published work with Russell about the antibody neutralization of retargeted measles viruses.

"Each year one to three students spend the summer working in research laboratories at the Mayo Clinic through the SURF program," says Lenzmeier. "Over the past eight years, 16 BVU biology students have earned competitive paid internships and Mayo typically only accepts 5-10 percent of applicants for this program. Most BVU students have done their research in the Virology and Gene Therapy Department, but we have also had students do research in immunology and in biochemistry."

According to Russell, "I have had the privilege to welcome several BVU students into my lab at Mayo Clinic as Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows to work with my team members on measles virus projects. The 10-week fellowships have been a universally positive experience, not just for the BVU students, but also for my team members who gain invaluable supervisory experience from the relationship. Also, the lab always feels more vibrant during those summer months when the students are here – that injection of youth, curiosity, and teaching is energizing for everybody. So it truly is an honor to be able to offer this type of learning experience to BVU students."

The BVU students who have spent time in Russell's lab found inspiration for their futures and careers from their time working at Mayo Clinic. Andrew Schanbacher, Class of 2013, is a production scientist at Integrated DNA Technologies. "Having the opportunity to work in Dr. Russell's lab was truly an honor. Working on a project which had the potential to change lives was something I never imagined when I first came to BVU," says Andrew. "Dr. Russell and his colleagues served as a catalyst allowing me to develop and grow as a scientist. Dr. Russell inspired me to push my boundaries and achieve my goals."

Emily Nielsen worked in Dr. Russell's lab. She is now a third-year medical student at the University of Iowa.

Emily Nielsen, Class of 2011, is currently a third year medical student at the University of Iowa and worked in Russell's lab during her BVU education. "Dr. Russell was an excellent mentor and role model, as he guided me though the project while ensuring that I learned as much as I could about gene therapy and cancer, which are both such expansive areas within themselves that people can spend a lifetime researching," says Emily.

"He is part of my inspiration to become a physician, as he not only makes a difference through the lives of his individual patients he sees in the clinic, but also through the fascinating innovations and breakthroughs in his lab, all while being an inspiring individual and a pleasure to work with."

Elizabeth Fay, a senior biology major, spent a summer in Dr. Russell's lab.

Current BVU students continue to be influenced by working in Russell's lab. Elizabeth Fay, a senior biology major from Good Thunder, Minn., participated in the SURF internship in Russell's lab which has led her to decide to pursue a career as a research scientist. She is currently applying to doctorate programs in molecular and cellular biology.

"During my weekly meetings with Dr. Russell, he challenged my knowledge about my project and the work I was doing in the lab. He wanted to make sure that I was not just going through the protocols; he made sure I understood the concepts behind my project and that I knew why I was doing each step of my project," says Elizabeth. "I learned an incredible amount about my project and the process of medical research during my time at the Mayo Clinic, and it has helped tremendously in my decision to pursue a career in research."

Beyond Research

Outside his lab and clinical work at Mayo Clinic, Russell spends time with his wife, Janey, who is an information technology manager at Mayo Clinic. She earned her master's degree, with honors, at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and her master's degree in management of technology at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

The Russells have four children: Luke is completing his PhD in neuroscience at Ohio State University; Holly is attending college in Lansing, Mich.; Sam is attending college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Rosie is a first year student at BVU.

Russell enjoys cross country and downhill skiing; hillwalking; road trips; big family gatherings, especially with relatives in England; and talking science, business, and politics. He is also a member of the Rochester Art Center Board.

Cancer therapy research is never far from Dr. Russell's mind. Along with his work at Mayo Clinic, Russell is an active member of many groups that are focused on the development of new therapies for cancer, including the American Society of Hematology, American Society of Cell and Gene Therapy, European Society of Cell and Gene Therapy, and American Association for Cancer Research.

Russell also shares his time outside of the lab with BVU as a member of the Board of Trustees. "I care about higher education and love to have the opportunity to contribute to the development and training of the people who will inherit the world as my generation ages," says Russell.