Sir Christopher S. Lange Honored for Excellence in Radiation Oncology

    MANHASSET, NY, March 04, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Sir Christopher Lange, Professor and Associate Chair of Radiation Oncology at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center, has been recognized by Worldwide Branding for showing dedication, leadership and excellence in his profession.

Dr. Lange has dedicated 46 years to the medical field, concentrating on biophysical and biological research relating to human medical problems, particularly cancer and its treatment. He has studied stem cells, cancer stem cells, aging, embryology and regeneration, the molecular basis of cellular radio sensitivity, DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and their repair in mammalian cells, and mammalian chromosome structure.

In his current role of 34 years, Dr. Lange has a staggering amount of duties. He is running the research division of the radiation oncology department, as well as the radiation biology division, for teaching residents. He is reviewing articles for more than 20 journals, including radiation research, international journal of radiation biology, and international journal of radiation oncology biology physics. Finally, he is conducting studies of cancer stem cells and their role in determining patient treatment outcomes.

Dr. Lange changed the fields of embryology and regeneration when he explained the mechanism of anterior-posterior (AP) polarity control. He showed that the AP morphogenetic field, as described in the textbooks, incorrectly predicted the results of transplantation and regeneration experiments. This is yet another model of his that changed paradigms and textbooks and remains unchallenged.

Additionally, Dr. Lange was the first to show that DNA double-strand breaks in mammalian cells are reparable. Along with Dr. Ostashevsky, he also created a quantitative basis for the molecular understanding of cell survival (the DSB model). He made several further significant changes in this field. Also with Dr. Ostashevsky, he invented the clustered loop model of higher eukaryotic (mammalian) interphase chromosome structure.

In the future, Dr. Lange hopes to have FDA approval of an assay he developed (patent and patents pending) that measures the sensitivity to proposed treatments of each patient's cancer stem cells. This would permit individualized treatments for each cancer patient using the most effective treatments for them.

Dr. Lange's patents and those pending are quite overwhelming. They include: International Patent application number PCT/US2008/004247, titled "Methods of Assaying Sensitivity of Cancer Stem Cells to Therapeutic Modalities" filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office on behalf of The Research Foundation of SUNY and Drs. C.S. Lange, B. Djordjevic and M. Rotman (2008); International Patent Application No. WO 2008/121417 A1: "Methods of Assaying Sensitivity of Cancer Stem Cells to Therapeutic Modalities" filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization on behalf of The Research Foundation of SUNY and Drs. C.S. Lange, B. Djordjevic and M. Rotman (2008); Invention No. RF1907-100 "Production and secretion of protegrins, a broad spectrum bacteriocidal and mycocidal class of agents, from conditionally immortalized normal human diploid fibroblasts in vitro," Dr. C.S. Lange, U.S. Patent # 6,020,146; Carcinogenicity Testing System, Bozidar Djordjevic The Research Foundation of SUNY (2000); Invention No. R-312, "A Clinical Assay for Radiation Therapy Treatment Planning," C.S. Lange and J.Y. Ostashevsky; Invention No. R-283, "The Use of Viscoelastometry to Determine Secondary and Tertiary Molecular Structures,"' C.S. Lange and J.Y. Ostashevsky; Invention No. S-280, "Control of Diffusion-Controlled Reactions by Solvent Viscosity and Temperature Control," C.S. Lange and J.Y. Ostashevsky. He has also published essays and articles in prominent industry journals.

Dr. Lange has been successful because of his curiosity and training. He says the key to his profession is asking questions; he made his own biophysics program for his bachelor's degree in physics, with minors in biology, chemistry, mathematics and philosophy from MIT in 1961. He then became interested in stem cell biology, which was new at the time, and obtained a D.Phil. in radiation biophysics from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Oxford (1968), with work demonstrating that the life of the organism can be understood in terms of its stem cells. He also added certifications in the protection of human subjects in research, the care and use of animals in research, and the transport of hazardous biomedical and radioactive materials. His career has progressed ever since.

That entire career demonstrates Dr. Lange's ability to challenge paradigms, create new ones, take intellectual risks, and integrate diverse sources of information. Its highlights are numerous. They include the discovery that survival of organisms and their tissues can be understood quantitatively in terms of their stem cells; of the cellular basis of organismal aging; of the basis of organismal polarity control; that DNA double strand breaks are reparable and that irradiated cell survival can be understood in terms of their repair kinetics; of the structure of interphase mammalian chromosomes (clustered loop model); and development of an assay for individual patient cancer stem cell sensitivity to potential treatments, potentially allowing the selection of the best for each patient.

Those highlights come from Dr. Lange's impressive work record. His job titles include: MRC Research Assistant, Churchill Hospital, Headington, Oxfordshire, UK (1961-62); Research Officer, Paterson Laboratories, Christie Hospital & Holt Radium Inst., Manchester, UK (1962-68); Senior Residency Officer, IBID (1968-69); Assistant Professor of Radiology and Radiation Biology & Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY (1969-80); Professor of Radiation Oncology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center (1980-Present), Professor of Biophysics & Physiology, IBID (1980-90), Professor of Molecular & Cell Biology, IBID (1990-Present), Associate Director Residency Program, IBID (2008-Present), Associate Chair Radiation Oncology, IBID (2010-Present).

Recently inducted into Worldwide Branding, Dr. Lange also maintains affiliations as a Committee Person of the 60th ED and 16th AD of the Village of Flower Hill (1986-Present); on the Executive Committees of the Town of North Hempstead Democratic Party, Nassau County, NY (1988-2009), and the Nassau County Democratic Party (1988-2009); and Zone Chairman, Manhasset Zone, 16th AD (1987-2009). He also belongs to The New York Academy of Sciences; Radiation Research Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Sigma Xi The Scientific Research Society, the European Society for Radiation Biology, and the American Association for Cancer Research.

Not surprisingly Dr. Lange has received many awards: The Marquis Who's Who in the World (2006-Present); Honored for Commitment to Excellence in Graduate Medical Education, by the President of SUNY Downstate Medical Center and the Residents and Fellows of the Alumni Society (2008); Lifetime Honorary Consultant, Swietokrzyskie Centrum Onkologii, Poland (2005); Board of Directors and Executive Committee, Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society (1999-2005); Knight's Cross, Order of Merit for Outstanding Contributions to Polish Science and Education, by the President of the Republic of Poland (2004); Barbara Johnson Memorial Award for Outstanding Service to the Community and the Democratic Party (2004); Commissioner, Kosciuszko Foundation (1988-2011); Presidential Certificate of Gratitude for Contributions to Science, Faculty of Science, Presidential Distinguished Lecturer, Hirosaki University, Japan (1979); and the USDHHS/NIH/NCI Research Career Development Award (1972-1977).

Dr. Lange has also been previously recognized by Worldwide Branding. He was named a VIP Member and a Top Elite American in Education, which can be viewed at https://eliteamericaneducators.wordpress.com/2014/10/13/sir-christopher-s-lange-s-b-d-phil-kcom/. He was chosen to be profiled in the "Top 101 Industry Experts" book and received a Lifetime Achievement Award. To read more Dr. Lange, about http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christopher_Lange/publications.

SUNY Downstate Medical Center is a college of medicine and school of graduate studies that provides higher education and health services. For more information, visit http://www.downstate.edu.

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