Rayne Rouce

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Rayne Rouce is an American pediatric hematologist-oncologist, physician scientist, and community leader who has authored over 200 original songs. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Rouce attended Xavier University of Louisiana, a historically black college and university (HBCU) that has matriculated a record number of Black aspiring physicians to medical school. [2] Rouce earned her medical degree and completed her residency in Pediatrics at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. She completed her fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology at Texas Children's Cancer Center. [3]

Career

Rouce is Associate Professor of Pediatrics [4] at Baylor College of Medicine, where she leads the task force for promoting equity in cancer trials. She leads DEI programs for several scientific organizations. [5] Rouce serves on the Board of Directors of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society [5] and National Marrow Donor Program. [6] She directs research on CAR T cell therapy and stem cell transplantation. [7]

Community engagement

Rouce leads a weekend science program at Baylor. [1] She spent years volunteering for the Periwinkle Foundation helping children, siblings, and families affected with cancer. She served on a medical mission to Bolivia. [3] Her fluency in Spanish has helped her serve patients and their families in Texas. [8] She advocates for dismantling barriers to access to transplantation and other cell therapies. [9]

After experiencing Hurricane Katrina while in college and losing her possessions during Hurricane Ike as a medical student in Galveston, Texas, Rouce organized relief efforts during both Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Maria. [10]

Educational songs

Rouce raps her own educational songs as "Rizzo". [1] She has performed her original science rap songs at national meetings, including the American Society of Hematology's ASH-a-Palooza each year since 2018. Her 2020 video performance, which can be viewed online, [1] is accompanied by the ASH Blood Drop mascot and includes the lyrics:

What's a sickle cell, what does that entail? A gene, modified, stem cell? A congressional briefing with a strategic plan? Can we do it in this lifetime? Yes we can! The sky's the limit, benign or malignant!

In the song, she correctly predicted the development of gene therapy for sickle cell disease, namely Casgevy, which was FDA approved in 2023. [11] Her 2024 performance at the HOSA international leadership conference is also viewable online. [12]

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leukemia</span> Blood cancers forming in the bone marrow

Leukemia is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and produce high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called blasts or leukemia cells. Symptoms may include bleeding and bruising, bone pain, fatigue, fever, and an increased risk of infections. These symptoms occur due to a lack of normal blood cells. Diagnosis is typically made by blood tests or bone marrow biopsy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lymphoma</span> Hematologic cancer that affects lymphocytes

Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes. The name typically refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include enlarged lymph nodes, fever, drenching sweats, unintended weight loss, itching, and constantly feeling tired. The enlarged lymph nodes are usually painless. The sweats are most common at night.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chronic lymphocytic leukemia</span> Bone marrow cancer in which lymphocytes are overproduced

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a type of cancer in which the bone marrow makes too many lymphocytes. Early on, there are typically no symptoms. Later, non-painful lymph node swelling, feeling tired, fever, night sweats, or weight loss for no clear reason may occur. Enlargement of the spleen and low red blood cells (anemia) may also occur. It typically worsens gradually over years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philadelphia chromosome</span> Genetic abnormality in leukemia cancer cells

The Philadelphia chromosome or Philadelphia translocation (Ph) is a specific genetic abnormality in chromosome 22 of leukemia cancer cells. This chromosome is defective and unusually short because of reciprocal translocation, t(9;22)(q34;q11), of genetic material between chromosome 9 and chromosome 22, and contains a fusion gene called BCR-ABL1. This gene is the ABL1 gene of chromosome 9 juxtaposed onto the breakpoint cluster region BCR gene of chromosome 22, coding for a hybrid protein: a tyrosine kinase signaling protein that is "always on", causing the cell to divide uncontrollably by interrupting the stability of the genome and impairing various signaling pathways governing the cell cycle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation</span> Medical procedure to replace blood or immune stem cells

Hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) is the transplantation of multipotent hematopoietic stem cells, usually derived from bone marrow, peripheral blood, or umbilical cord blood, in order to replicate inside a patient and produce additional normal blood cells. HSCT may be autologous, syngeneic, or allogeneic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acute lymphoblastic leukemia</span> Blood cancer characterised by overproduction of lymphoblasts

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a cancer of the lymphoid line of blood cells characterized by the development of large numbers of immature lymphocytes. Symptoms may include feeling tired, pale skin color, fever, easy bleeding or bruising, enlarged lymph nodes, or bone pain. As an acute leukemia, ALL progresses rapidly and is typically fatal within weeks or months if left untreated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma</span> Human disease

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma is a rare cancer of the immune system's T-cells caused by human T cell leukemia/lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1). All ATL cells contain integrated HTLV-1 provirus further supporting that causal role of the virus in the cause of the neoplasm. A small amount of HTLV-1 individuals progress to develop ATL with a long latency period between infection and ATL development. ATL is categorized into 4 subtypes: acute, smoldering, lymphoma-type, chronic. Acute and Lymphoma-type are known to particularly be aggressive with poorer prognosis.

In biology, chimeric antigen receptors (CARs)—also known as chimeric immunoreceptors, chimeric T cell receptors or artificial T cell receptors—are receptor proteins that have been engineered to give T cells the new ability to target a specific antigen. The receptors are chimeric in that they combine both antigen-binding and T cell activating functions into a single receptor.

Waldenström macroglobulinemia is a type of cancer affecting two types of B cells: lymphoplasmacytoid cells and plasma cells. Both cell types are white blood cells. It is characterized by having high levels of a circulating antibody, immunoglobulin M (IgM), which is made and secreted by the cells involved in the disease. Waldenström macroglobulinemia is an "indolent lymphoma" and a type of lymphoproliferative disease which shares clinical characteristics with the indolent non-Hodgkin lymphomas. It is commonly classified as a form of plasma cell dyscrasia, similar to other plasma cell dyscrasias that, for example, lead to multiple myeloma. Waldenström macroglobulinemia is commonly preceded by two clinically asymptomatic but progressively more pre-malignant phases, IgM monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and smoldering Waldenström macroglobulinemia. The Waldenström macroglobulinemia spectrum of dysplasias differs from other spectrums of plasma cell dyscrasias in that it involves not only aberrant plasma cells but also aberrant lymphoplasmacytoid cells and that it involves IgM while other plasma dyscrasias involve other antibody isoforms.

Lymphoid leukemias are a group of leukemias affecting circulating lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. The lymphocytic leukemias are closely related to lymphomas of the lymphocytes, to the point that some of them are unitary disease entities that can be called by either name. Such diseases are all lymphoproliferative disorders. Most lymphoid leukemias involve a particular subtype of lymphocytes, the B cells.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acute myeloid leukemia</span> Cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells, characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal cells that build up in the bone marrow and blood and interfere with normal blood cell production. Symptoms may include feeling tired, shortness of breath, easy bruising and bleeding, and increased risk of infection. Occasionally, spread may occur to the brain, skin, or gums. As an acute leukemia, AML progresses rapidly, and is typically fatal within weeks or months if left untreated.

Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is a rare form of chronic leukemia that affects children, commonly those aged four and younger. The name JMML now encompasses all diagnoses formerly referred to as juvenile chronic myeloid leukemia (JCML), chronic myelomonocytic leukemia of infancy, and infantile monosomy 7 syndrome. The average age of patients at diagnosis is two (2) years old. The World Health Organization has included JMML as a subcategory of myelodysplastic and myeloproliferative disorders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ETV6</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

ETV6 protein is a transcription factor that in humans is encoded by the ETV6 gene. The ETV6 protein regulates the development and growth of diverse cell types, particularly those of hematological tissues. However, its gene, ETV6 frequently suffers various mutations that lead to an array of potentially lethal cancers, i.e., ETV6 is a clinically significant proto-oncogene in that it can fuse with other genes to drive the development and/or progression of certain cancers. However, ETV6 is also an anti-oncogene or tumor suppressor gene in that mutations in it that encode for a truncated and therefore inactive protein are also associated with certain types of cancers.

Richter's transformation (RT), also known as Richter's syndrome, is the conversion of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or its variant, small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), into a new and more aggressively malignant disease. CLL is the circulation of malignant B lymphocytes with or without the infiltration of these cells into lymphatic or other tissues while SLL is the infiltration of these malignant B lymphocytes into lymphatic and/or other tissues with little or no circulation of these cells in the blood. CLL along with its SLL variant are grouped together in the term CLL/SLL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B-cell prolymphocytic leukemia</span> Medical condition

B-cell prolymphocytic leukemia, referred to as B-PLL, is a rare blood cancer. It is a more aggressive, but still treatable, form of leukemia.

Helen Elisabeth Heslop is a physician-scientist from New Zealand whose clinical interests are in hematopoietic stem cell transplants. Heslop’s research focuses on immunotherapy to treat viral infections, post transplant and hematologic malignancies. She is a professor in the Department of Medicine and Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and the director of the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital. She is also the Dan L. Duncan Chair and the associate director of clinical research at the Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crystal Mackall</span> American physician and immunologist

Crystal L. Mackall is an American physician and immunologist. She is currently the Ernest and Amelia Gallo Family Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at Stanford University. She is the founding director of the Stanford Center for Cancer Cell Therapy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nirali N. Shah</span> American physician-scientist and pediatric hematologist-oncologist

Nirali N. Shah is an American physician-scientist and pediatric hematologist-oncologist, serving as head of the hematologic malignancies section of the pediatric oncology branch at the National Cancer Institute. She researches the translation of immunotherapeutic approaches to treat high-risk hematologic malignancies in children, adolescents and young adults.

Irene Roberts is a British physician-scientist specializing in pediatric hematology. She is an emeritus professor of paediatric haematology at the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine at the University of Oxford.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Phifer, Andy (February 3, 2021). "'Swag worthy' doctor splits time between patients, rap music". Baylor College of Medicine. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Inspiring Lyrics Help Fight Childhood Cancer". American Society of Hematology. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Interview With 2016 ASH-AMFDP Recipient Rayne H. Rouce, MD". American Society of Hematology. June 28, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Rayne H. Rouce, MD: Cancer and Blood Disorders". Texas Children's Hospital. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  5. 1 2 "The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Welcomes Five Members to its Board of Directors". Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. July 1, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Board of Directors: Rayne Rouce, MD". NMDP. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  7. ↑ Scott, Ryan (September 4, 2024). "Tisagenlecleucel Climbs into Earlier Lines of Therapy for Pediatric R/R B-ALL". Onc Live. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  8. ↑ ""New Frontiers of Cancer Cell and Gene Therapy: Is the Future Now?"". NIH VideoCast CCR Grand Rounds. NIH. May 17, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  9. ↑ Rouce, Rayne (January 31, 2023). "BLOG: Creating systemic change with the ASTCT-NMDP ACCESS Initiative". Healio. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  10. ↑ Bagley, Allison (May 10, 2018). "Physician Rayne Rouce activated social network to rescue families, gather donations". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Vertex and CRISPR Therapeutics Announce US FDA Approval of Casgevy (exagamglogene autotemcel) for the Treatment of Sickle Cell Disease" (Press release). Vertex Pharmaceuticals. December 8, 2023. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2024– via Business Wire.
  12. ↑ Kigera, Noni (July 23, 2024). "HOSA Alumna Dr. Rayne Rouce Engages and Inspires with Her Science Rap at the 2024 ILC". HOSA Future Health Professionals. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
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