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Read MoreThe Carolina Alumni Review has received a national writing award for an in-depth report on research at UNC’s Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Research Center.
“To Build a Cure,” in the January/February 2020 issue, received a Silver Award for writing about research, medicine and science on June 9 from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education’s 2021 Circle of Excellence competition.
The article by Beth McNichol ’95, a freelance writer based in Raleigh and a former associate editor for the Review, delved into the Lineberger center’s efforts to develop T-cells from the body’s immune system that would be more effective against cancer.
T-cells are the immune system’s warriors, skilled at protecting the body from obvious foreign invaders like viruses. But they can be guileless heroes when it comes to cancer. Malignant cells are double agents, mutated versions of the body’s normal cells that can escape a T-cell’s detection. Lineberger, in its largest research program ever, set out to attract the researchers and commit other needed resources to change that situation.
In simplest terms, T-cells are removed from the patient’s body, outfitted with unique receptors designed to recognize and bind to proteins, or antigens, found on the patient’s specific tumor cells. The souped-up cells are then multiplied in a lab, and reintroduced to the patient’s blood to begin attacking their targets.
“We enjoyed this piece, especially being able to see how science is helping others in the real world,” the CASE judges wrote. “It also dealt well with the failures of the research, and addressed things that didn’t go well — which is often something people ignore.”
The GAA’s print and electronic publications have been recognized with national or district CASE awards each year since 1996.
Overall, the GAA has been recognized with 135 national or district CASE awards since 1996 — 72 for Alumni Communications; 61 for Alumni Programs, which include 27 awards from CASE’s Affiliated Student Advancement Programs; and two for Membership.
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., CASE is a national professional association serving educational institutions and the advancement professionals who work on their behalf in alumni relations, communications, development, marketing and allied areas.