Past Events

October 10, 2005 6th Annual Tea Party Reception with Judah Folkman

Helen Moss, founder of the eponymous Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and her husband Richard Fleischman hosted an informal reception at their Bratenahl home in honor of Dr. Judah Folkman. Mrs. Moss said that her foundation, in partnership with the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine invited Dr. Folkman to address both medical students and professionals and the public at separate programs the following day at the University Circle campus. Dr. Folkman himself is the subject of both the NOVA film "The Cancer Warrior" that was scheduled to be shown at the public forum, as well a of Robert Cooke's book, "Dr. Folkman's War: Angiogenesis and the Struggle to Defeat Cancer."

Dr. Folkman, professor of cell biology at Harvard Medical School and director of the vascular biology program at Boston Children's Hospital, is renowned as the pioneer in the field of cancer research through his 30 years' project on antiangiogenesis, targeting cancer itself in treatment rather than the entire body.

About 70 guests attending the reception enjoyed hors d'oeuvres and beverages provided by The Shoreby Club prior to the program that began with remarks by Mrs. Moss and Dean Ralph Horwitz of CWRU Medical School.

"Dr. Folkman was born in Cleveland," said Dean Horwitz, "and his work is now legendary."

Dr. Folkman began his talk about the "miles of capillaries in the body." (there is a mile of capillaries in one pound of fat alone) and how early in his career he explored the connection of blood vessels to pathological processes, and subsequently using circulatory inhibitors to target diseases in situ. He said that only the week before there was an article in the "New York Times" on the response of age-related macular degeneration to angiogenesis inhibitors. He and researchers around the world are working on finding non-toxic treatments as well as possible cures, for patients with cancer and other diseases.

The afternoon was the sixth annual reception and lecture under the aegis of Mrs. Moss' Foundation that she established at the time of her own breast cancer diagnosis. The Foundation's mission is "to encourage and support education in Integrative Medicine and Comprehensive Cancer Care in Northeastern Ohio."

Story and Photographs by Kathryn Riddle

Photo Gallery

Dr. Nate Berger, Trustee; Dr. Gerson; Dr. Michael Weiss, Trustee

Dr. Judah Folkman, Helen Moss, and Dean Ralph Horwitz

Click here to see Plain Dealer ad for the event

Click here for more information about Dr. Folkman