Research Interests
My research interests involve clinical and translational research in the hematologic malignancies. In particular, I am involved in the design and conduct of phase I and II clinical trials of novel agents and drug combinations for patients with acute leukemias and myelodysplastic syndromes. Furthermore, I have particular interest in incorporating correlative science studies that can predict biologic response or drug toxicity in patients with hematologic cancers.

Recent projects include a retrospective cohort study of multiple myeloma patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplant. This study investigated the prognostic value of immunohistochemistry staining of bone marrow biopsies for CD138, a transmembrane proteoglycan expressed on normal and neoplastic plasma cells. Such immunohistochemical techniques may provide sensitive methods to detect residual disease and predict depth and duration of response in patients undergoing stem cell transplant.

Ongoing projects include early phase studies of the nucleoside analog clofarabine in patients with high risk leukemias and myelodysplastic syndromes. We are conducting a phase I study of clofarabine in combination with the anti‐CD33 monoclonal antibody gemtuzumab ozogamicin in patients with relapsed and/or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML). A forthcoming pharmacokinetic study of both orally‐ and intravenously‐administered clofarabine aims to define the oral bioavailability of this drug, and the potential for drug interactions with agents that may alter clofarabine clearance. This study and other forthcoming pilot studies also aim to investigate the impact of germline polymorphisms in genes that encode molecular targets, metabolic enzymes and transporters. Polymorphisms in such genes may alter the disposition of anti‐leukemia drugs, or tumor cell response to such agents, thus altering toxicity and/or efficacy.

Training
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill BA 1997 Chemistry
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill MD 2002 Internal Medicine

Publications
Seltzman HH, Foster MC, Wyrick CD and Carrol FI. Synthesis of Tritium Labelled SR144528 by Metallation and Tri-n-Butyltin Tritide Quenching. NIDA Research Monograph, Problems of Drug Dependence, Proceedings of the 60 th Annual Scientific Meeting vol. 179, pg. 249, 1999.

Seltzman HH, Foster MC, Wyrick CD, Burgess JP and Carroll FI. Tritium Labeling of the Peripheral Cannabinoid Receptor Ligand SR144528. Drug and Alcohol Dependence vol. 63, pg. S142, 2001.

E-mail: mcfoster@med.unc.edu
Telephone: 843-2477
FAX: 966-6735
Address: POB, Rm 3144 , NC

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