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Michael DeGregorio, 53, grew up in Lake County. Six years ago, he bought a Kelseyville farmhouse built in 1870, which he moved into three months ago.
He commutes most days to UC Davis, where he's a professor of hematology and oncology. He also has a laboratory at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, and leads the pharmacology research program at UC Davis Cancer Center, where he specializes in the molecular analysis of drug activity and the evaluation of biomarkers of drug response or resistance. The majority of his work focuses on developing new drugs that improve women's health.
DeGregorio and his research team have received a $3 million grant from Merck KGaA to assess the effectiveness of Stimuvax, an experimental vaccine that targets MUC1, a cancer cell surface protein that is uniquely overexpressed in many cancers, including more than 90 percent of all breast cancers.
The study DeGregorio and longtime collaborator Greg Wurz, a UC Davis research scientist, are launching will study Stimuvax to determine if it can arrest or prevent breast cancer when used in conjunction with standard hormonal therapies.
They will assess the vaccine's ability to prevent breast cancer in mice bred to promote human MUC1 expression and a gene known to spontaneously cause breast cancer. The mice additionally will be exposed to one of four anti-estrogen therapies to assess the vaccine's impact.
Existing cancer vaccines for hepatitis B and the human papillomavirus aim to prevent the viral infections that can lead to liver and cervical cancers. But the experimental breast-cancer vaccine aims to stimulate the immune response against breast cancer tumors themselves.
Results from the UC Davis study will help direct the design of human clinical trials slated to begin worldwide in 2009, according to a statement from the university.
In an effort to give back to the community where he grew up, DeGregorio – a Kelseyville High School alumni – will offer up to six research internships this summer to local students who excel in the sciences.
Students will receive three to four weeks' experience in DeGregorio's state-of-the-art lab, where he said they will see actual cancer patients. Participating students also will be able to conduct molecular biology-type studies in labs.
Those students who complete the internship will come away with a letter of recommendation that can help them get into schools at a time when competition for spots at state colleges is getting tighter, he said.
The internships are open to all area high school students, who DeGregorio said must be at least 16 years of age.
DeGregorio said he hopes that, by giving students first-hand experience in a research lab and showing them how scientists apply knowledge to find solutions to challenging health problems, he'll help those who may be interested in pursuing a career in research or medicine.
Matthew Cockerton, principal of Kelseyville High School, said he appreciates the opportunity to expand students' knowledge.
"Opportunities like this don't surface for our school too often," he said. "Anytime we can give students real-world experience at a nationally ranked university, we are elated. And we are deeply grateful to Dr. DeGregorio for remembering his early experience and offering his laboratory to broaden our students' education."
DeGregorio has been all over the world since leaving Lake County to pursue his studies as a young man.
He started off at junior college, then went on to San Francisco State. DeGregorio received his doctorate from the University of California, San Francisco, where he became a faculty member at age 26.
DeGregorio would later go on to become an associate-level professor at Yale while he was in his early 30s. Then it was on to the University of Texas, where he became a full professor and started a biotech company. He arrived at UC Davis in 1994.
Throughout his travels around the world, DeGregorio said he always wanted to return to Lake County.
Now that he's back, he's placing this new focus on helping local students who have an aptitude for science.
DeGregorio notes there are very bright young people in Lake County. “I really think that we have to even the playing field a little bit out there, the best we can. This is my small way of doing it.”
He estimates his program of study on the effectiveness of the experimental vaccine in humans will last 10 years, with the $3 million grant covering three to four years of study. Within five years they should know if the vaccine works for humans, with human trials scheduled this year.
“In science, nothing ever happens the way you think,” he said, noting that serendipity is responsible for 80 percent of all inventions.
If the vaccine doesn't work, the study will be discontinued, he said.
The protein MUC1 is “a pretty hot topic right now,” said DeGregorio. In addition to breast cancer, MUC1 is now being studiec in relation to lung cancer.
There are many variations of cancer, and DeGregorio said at the molecular level they're all different.
Recent big breakthroughs in cancer involve leukemia in children, which DeGregorio said may be curable, according to the latest studies. There also is increased promise in curing testicular cancer.
“The idea of prevention is where we should be going,” he said, adding that, once you get cancer, it's hard to beat.
DeGregorio said he will be contacting area school principals and science teachers to find eligible students.
He also invited anyone interested in the program to contact him at
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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CLEARLAKE OAKS – A man who was being sought, along with his brother, for a Nov. 26 shooting has been arrested.
Cecil McDaniel, 37, of Clearlake Oaks was arrested at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office's booking records, posted online at www.lakesheriff.com.
McDaniel and his brother, Patrick Dewin McDaniel, 44, also of Clearlake Oaks, have been sought in connection with the shooting of another Clearlake Oaks resident, 42-year-old Patrick Joseph O’Conner.
Patrick McDaniel is alleged to have shot O'Conner in the chest last week following an argument he and his brother had with O'Conner and O'Conner's 23-year-old son. The McDaniels then fled the scene.
Cecil McDaniel's booking sheet says he is being held for being an accessory, with bail set at $500,000. He's set to be in court on Friday.
Still at large is his brother, who recently was paroled from prison.
Patrick McDaniel is described as a 44-year-old black male adult, 6 feet tall, 235 pounds, and was last seen wearing a “puffy” jacket, dark pants and yellow shoes. He has names tattooed on his left arm and a playboy bunny tattooed on his left arm.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Patrick McDaniel should call the Investigations Branch of the Lake County Sheriff’s Department at 262-4200.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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UPPER LAKE – Following a search that lasted several hours on Tuesday, law enforcement and fire personnel were able to find an injured Upper Lake man.
Austin Duncan, 18, was located around mid-afternoon after falling and injuring his back.
Sheriff's officials reported that they attempted to contact Duncan at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday at a location along Highway 20. Duncan, however, fled, running across the highway in the area of Reclamation Road.
Officials did not comment on the purpose of the initial contact with Duncan. However, an unidentified family member suggested that the family was concerned about Duncan's behavior after a family member's recent death.
Duncan managed to evade deputies for several hours before calling 911 around 11:30 a.m., according to a report at the scene. He explained to the 911 dispatcher that he had fallen and had injured his back and requested medical assistance.
As Duncan attempted to describe his surroundings to the California Highway Patrol dispatchers in Ukiah, the dispatchers communicated via radio to CHP Officers Craig Van Housen and Brian Engle, who were aiding the sheriff's office in the search, along with Northshore Fire.
A CHP helicopter from Napa joined the search at 1 p.m.
Communication with Duncan was lost several times. Officials suggested that perhaps Duncan was seeking medical help but did not want contact with law enforcement.
The search covered several acres on both sides of Reclamation Road, with terrain varying from flat open fields to deep and wide gullies lined by 10- to 12-foot-tall dense, wild berry bushes with long sharp thorns.
At around 2 p.m., Duncan made contact with 911 again. With the help of the dispatcher, Duncan described what he could see and hear, and his location was narrowed to an area just 50 feet from the side of the road.
Found in the heavy wild berry bushes Duncan was unable to move without assistance. Duncan’s mother, Helena Duncan, assisted officials in the search and was the first to make visual contact.
The terrain where he was located was nearly inaccesible from the road. The CHP helicopter was sent airborne again with a CHP flight paramedic and Sheriff's Sgt. Gary Basor on board.
Duncan was carefully extricated from the thorny grasp of the berry bushes and loaded aboard a Northshore Fire ambulance from the Upper Lake station. Medical personnel transported him to Sutter Lakeside Hospital.
No information about Duncan's condition was available late Tuesday.
E-mail Harold LaBonte at
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SACRAMENTO – The North Coast's new Assembly member was sworn in on Monday and says he's ready to get to work for the district.
Wes Chesbro (D-Arcata) took his oath of office at the State Capitol, along with other recently elected or reelected lawmakers.
Chesbro is no stranger to state government. He served in the state Senate representing District Two from 1998 to 2006, which included a stint as chairman of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee.
An Associated Press report said there were 39 new members of the state Legislature; Chesbro is among 28 new Assembly members who previously served in the state Senate.
Chesbro succeeds Patty Berg, who served three terms but could not continue in the Assembly due to term limits. Her term of office ended Nov 30.
“I welcome the opportunity to represent the people of the First Assembly District,” Chesbro said. “The state is facing significant challenges and I am ready to tackle them head-on – roll up my sleeves and get to work.”
The First Assembly District stretches from just north of Santa Rosa to the Oregon border and includes part of Sonoma and all of Mendocino, Lake, Humboldt, Trinity and Del Norte counties.
For new legislators and those who, like Chesbro, have previous experience but are coming into new positions, there won't be a honeymoon period.
No sooner were Chesbro and his fellow legislators sworn in on Monday than Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state fiscal emergency and called for an emergency legislative session, as well as a second special session to address the economy.
A previous special legislative session held late last month yielded no solution to the state's $11.2 billion revenue shortfall.
“Without immediate action our state is headed for a fiscal disaster and that is why with more than two dozen new legislators sworn in today – I am wasting no time in calling a fiscal emergency special session," said Schwarzenegger. "We must act now to address the current year revenue shortfall of $11.2 billion and we must implement an economic stimulus package to help retain and create jobs, keep Californians in their homes and fix the state's Unemployment Insurance Fund.”
Schwarzenegger added that he looks forward to working with the legislature to address the problems “head on,” which includes making what he called “difficult choices” the good of the state and its future.
Assemblyman Chesbro plans to maintain three district offices in Santa Rosa, Ukiah and Eureka. Details about the district offices will be made public as soon as possible.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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The CHP reported that 33 people died on California roadways during the four-day holiday weekend this year compared to 41 people during the same period last year.
Locally, Lake County had no traffic deaths during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend this year. In 2007, the county had one fatality during the same period, said Officer Adam Garcia of the Clear Lake CHP office.
This year the county also had the same number of reported traffic collisions – eight – as it did in 2007, Garcia said.
“While I am thankful that fewer people died during the four-day holiday weekend, I am troubled that we continue to needlessly lose lives on the state's roadways,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “These statistics aren't just numbers; they represent real people with families and friends who mourn their loss.”
During the four-day Maximum Enforcement Period, all available CHP officers were on the road.
DUI arrests by CHP officers totaled 1,530 this Thanksgiving holiday compared to 1,628 last year. Locally, Garcia said there were nine DUI arrests in 2007 and five this year.
Of the 20 vehicle occupants killed on the state’s highways and unincorporated areas that fall under CHP jurisdiction, seven weren’t wearing seat belts.
“Those seven people might still be alive today if they had simply taken the extra few seconds to buckle up,” Commissioner Farrow said.
With the Christmas and New Year’s holidays fast approaching, the CHP warns that similar Maximum Enforcement Periods will be in effect during those holiday weekends.
“If people will heed our message – don’t drink and drive, obey the speed limit and always wear seat belts – upcoming holiday memories can be happy for everyone,” Commissioner Farrow said.
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The shooting, which Lake County News first reported late last week, left one man injured and resulted in a search for the two suspects.
Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office reported Monday that 42-year-old Patrick Joseph O’Conner of Clearlake Oaks was shot in the chest.
The two men being sought in connection with the shooting are Patrick Dewin McDaniel, 44, and Cecil McDaniel, 37, both of Clearlake Oaks, said Bauman. Both McDaniels are wanted for attempted murder.
Bauman reported that deputies and rescue personnel from the Northshore Fire Protection District responded to the shooting at 8:20 p.m. Nov. 26.
Arriving at O'Conner's Second Street residence, they found him seated in front of the house with an apparent gunshot wound to the chest, said Bauman.
While O’Conner was treated at the scene, deputies learned that he allegedly had been shot by Patrick McDaniel during an argument at a neighboring residence, said Bauman. The reported argument also included O’Conner’s 23-year-old son, James O’Conner, also of Clearlake Oaks, and Cecil McDaniel.
Bauman said that James O’Conner told deputies the McDaniel brothers had walked through his father’s property to the neighboring home of 40-year-old Jill Robbins, who the McDaniels had apparently met earlier at a local bar.
The McDaniels and Patrick O’Conner had reportedly had words earlier in the day and when the McDaniels got to Robbins’ home, the two O’Conners could hear Patrick McDaniel yelling at Robbins so they went next door to her house to intervene, Bauman said.
During an argument that ensued between Patrick McDaniel and Patrick O’Conner, Cecil McDaniel reportedly swung at O’Conner but missed, said Bauman. Patrick McDaniel then allegedly pulled a handgun from beneath his clothing, struck O’Conner across the face with it and then shot O’Conner once in the chest before both McDaniels fled the area on foot.
Both O’Conners fled back to their home and remained until deputies arrived, according to Bauman.
Sheriff’s detectives were called out to investigate the scene, Bauman said, and for approximately five hours, additional deputies canvassed the Clearlake Oaks area for the McDaniel brothers but they could not be located.
The following day, on Thanksgiving morning, another resident on Second Street in Clearlake Oaks reported her 5-year-old son had found a small handgun in their front yard, a short distance from the location of the shooting, Bauman said. Deputies recovered the weapon and an analysis to determine any connection to the shooting is pending.
Both McDaniels are convicted felons, according to Bauman's report.
Patrick McDaniel is recently paroled from prison and is described as a 44-year-old black male adult, 6 feet tall, 235 pounds, and was last seen wearing a “puffy” jacket, dark pants and yellow shoes. Bauman said McDaniel has names tattooed on his left arm and a playboy bunny tattooed on his left arm.
Cecil McDaniel is described as a 37-year-old black male adult, 6 feet, two inches tall, 250 pounds, with bears tattooed on his left upper arm, said Bauman.
After being flown via air ambulance to Sutter Lakeside Hospital Wednesday night, Patrick O’Conner was transferred to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital where he was reported to be in stable condition as of Monday.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of either of the McDaniel brothers should call the Investigations Branch of the Lake County Sheriff’s Department at 262-4200.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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