Deathstalker Scorpion

David Hume Kennerly
Wherever history has happened for over 40 years, David Hume Kennerly has been there to document it with a vision and eye for capturing the most poignant moments in a way that is almost uncanny.

David spent two years in Vietnam literally in the line of fire, recording some of the most emotional and controversial events this country has ever experienced. His work there garnered a Pulitzer Prize.

Upon returning home, he and his camera were present from the student protests to the assassination of Bobby Kennedy; from Nixon's rise and fall to the healing years of Ford and Carter; from the first attempts at Middle East diplomacy to the advent of Reaganism and the crumbling of the Soviet Union; from the Clinton and Bush dynasties to an exploration of life in America during the year after 9/11; all the way to the most important events of the past few years.

Along the way, David served as President Ford's personal White House photographer and has stayed close with the family and continued to document their life since.

It seemed only natural that he was the ideal person to capture the amazing stories that are unfolding at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Stories that, in their own way, are poignant and significant in the evolution of the human saga. David had never done a project like this before. We asked. Fortunately, he said yes.

The Clinical Trial

Dr. Steven Rosenfeld and his team at NewYork-Presbyterian are exploring, in three clinical trials, if chlorotoxin, a substance derived from the venom of Deathstalker scorpions, is an effective treatment against malignant glioma, one of the most aggressive and deadliest forms of brain cancer. Patients with malignant glioma currently have limited treatment options and generally face a poor prognosis.

Dr. Rosenfeld’s research uses, in different combinations, radioactive and non-radioactive chlorotoxin delivered either locally (directly into the tumor site)
or intravenously (through an IV; generally in the arm).

Chlorotoxin is not like chemotherapy or radiation, which destroy both cancerous and healthy cells. After entering the body, chlorotoxin binds only to cancerous cells. It may destroy them by inhibiting angiogenesis, the cells’ ability to grow blood vessels. The cancerous cells essentially starve.

During Dr. Rosenfeld’s first trial, which is now completed, patients received radioactive chlorotoxin via local delivery. With this method, a thin catheter is inserted through the skull, into the brain, and positioned to outflow directly into the tumor site.

In Dr. Rosenfeld’s second clinical trial, currently underway, patients receive non-radioactive chlorotoxin delivered intravenously.

Patients in the third clinical trial, which is scheduled to begin in several months, will receive radioactive chlorotoxin intravenously.