Lilie Lin, MDUniversity of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Pilot study of a novel PARP inhibitor PET tracer in patients with ovarian carcinoma Targeted agents such as poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors are actively being tested alone or in combination with chemotherapy or radiotherapy as promising treatments for ovarian cancer. However, not all patients will respond […]
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Gokul Das, PhD, MPhil, MSRoswell Park Cancer Institute Functional analysis of mutant p53-estrogen receptor beta signaling crosstalk in high-grade serous ovarian cancer High-grade serous ovarian cancer is strikingly similar to triple negative breast cancer as both can be particularly aggressive cancers and are likely to recur. Dr. Das has found that these two diseases are […]
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Denise Connolly, PhDFox Chase Cancer Center2015 Pape Family Pilot Award Sensitizing ovarian cancer to PARP inhibition PARP inhibitors are among the most promising class of targeted therapeutics for the treatment of ovarian cancer. Patients with mutations in BRCA genes and some patients with sporadic cancers are particularly sensitive to this class of drugs, presumably because […]
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Andrew Wilson, PhDVanderbilt University Prognostic Significance of TR3/NR4A1 Expression in Ovarian Cancer A key clinical problem in the management of advanced ovarian cancer is tumor resistance to traditional platinum drugs and to newer drugs that inhibit the PARP protein (PARPi). Dr. Wilson will investigate an innovative approach to improve the effects of platinum drugs and […]
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Varatharasa Thiviyanathan, PhDUniversity of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Multi-functional RNA Nanoparticles for targeted Delivery of Therapeutics for Ovarian Cancer Since majority of the ovarian cancer cases are detected at later stages, novel therapeutic approaches are critically needed to improve the overall survival rates. Targeted delivery of therapeutics where drugs can be delivered specifically […]
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Jill Slack-Davis, PhDUniversity of Virginia Detailed characterization of tumor initiation in a novel mouse model of high-grade serous ovarian cancer Early detection remains the best approach for successful treatment of cancer, including ovarian cancer, as patients with early stage cancer have the best chance of survival. There is an urgent need to identify specific biomarkers […]
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Erinn Rankin, PhDStanford University2016 Pape Family Pilot Study Award Targeting the hypoxic secretome in omental metastasis Mesothelial cells line the abdominal cavity and play an important role in ovarian cancer metastasis. These mesothelial cells in the presence of ovarian cancer tumors are deprived of oxygen (hypoxic) and, as a result, produce components of the hypoxia […]
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Natasa Obermajer, PhDUniversity of Pittsburgh Taming MDSC-controlled Th17-to-Treg cell conversion in ovarian cancer Regulatory T (Treg) cells are part of the immune system and have been shown in ovarian cancer to suppresses immune cell activity and prevent the immune system from fighting ovarian cancer cells. Dr. Obermajer has shown that another type of immune system […]
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Iain McNeish, MD, PhD, FRCPUniversity of Glasgow Improved models of high grade serous ovarian cancer To understand how cancers grow and spread within patients, it is essential that researchers have realistic and simple animal models that accurately recreate the mutations seen in the DNA of human cancers. Dr. McNeish will use a new technique, called […]
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Weei-Chin Lin, MD, PhDBaylor College of Medicine Target a new mechanism of checkpoint defect in ovarian cancer Normal cellular growth is regulated by a process called replication checkpoint. Most ovarian cancers contain the tumor suppressor p53 that is mutated and therefore interferes with proper replication checkpoint function. Dr. Lin’s preliminary data uncovered a novel activity […]
Read MoreStarting April 1, 2025, the Rivkin Center’s ovarian cancer research funding, global symposium and fundraising activities will continue under the leadership of Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA).
