Keith Knutson, PhDMayo Clinic Jacksonville2020 Cookie Laughlin Pilot Study Award Combination Th17-inducing vaccination and immune checkpoint blockade for ovarian cancer treatment Several types of immunotherapies that use the person’s own immune system to attack foreign “cancer” cells while leaving normal cells alone are being tested in ovarian cancer. Using immunotherapy to activate an immune pathway […]
Read More
Ilana Chefetz, PhDUniversity of Minnesota – Twin Cities2020 Lynda’s Fund Pilot Study Award AMPK-alpha-like proteins in a high grade serous ovarian cancer Although epithelial ovarian cancer responds well to initial treatment, the cancer recurs in a significant number of women. Once ovarian cancer recurs it is generally lethal, with fewer than 10% of patients surviving […]
Read More
Joe Delaney, PhDMedical University of South Carolina2020 Pilot Study Award Slowing ovarian cancer evolution by LINE-1 inhibition High grade serous ovarian cancer is unique from other cancer types in that it has high levels of a type of DNA called LINE-1 elements. LINE-1 elements are known as selfish DNA because they can make copies of […]
Read More
Hua E Yu, PhDBeckman Research Institute of the City of Hope2020 Karla Mooers Pilot Study Award Targeting dePARylation activates anti-ovarian cancer immune responses The FDA has approved several types of PARP inhibitors for treating ovarian cancer. These drugs are especially effective at killing tumor cells that cannot repair damage that occurs to their DNA. One […]
Read More
Matthew Wakefield, PhDThe Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research2020 Rosser Family Pilot Study Award Identifying all mutations in the PARP1 catalytic domain that impact PARP inhibitor action PARP inhibitors are a class of drugs that are becoming a major part of treatment for high grade ovarian cancer. These drugs kill cancer cells by […]
Read More
Cassian Yee, MDFred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Cellular Adoptive Immunotherapy in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Ovarian Cancer Using NY-ESO-1, a previously discovered antigen, Dr. Cassian Yee and Dr. Naomi Hunder, both of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, are using a new technique to treat patients with late stage ovarian cancer. T […]
Read More
Elizabeth Smith, PhDFox Chase Cancer Center Suppression of cyclooxygenase in prevention of menopausal gonadotropin-stimulated ovarian cancer risk The risk of developing ovarian cancer increases rapidly in the peri- and post-menopausal periods, when ovulation ceases but the reproductive gonadotropin hormones are elevated. These gonadotropins can induce expression of certain enzymes which stimulate an inflammation-like condition that […]
Read MoreDaniela Matei, MDIndiana University Atransglutaminase 2 Modulates Sensitivity to Chemotherapy in Ovarian Cancer The most significant cause of death and illness related to ovarian cancer is its propensity to spread in the abdomen. However, the mechanisms responsible for spread are not known. We discovered that an enzyme called transglutaminase 2 (TG2) is present at high […]
Read More
Robert Jaffe, MDUniversity of California San Francisco Inhibition of Telomerase to Treat Advanced Ovarian Cancer Telomerase is an enzyme that maintains and protects the ends of chromosomes, the telomeres. While telomerase is constrained in many normal adult cells, a majority of cancers appear to depend on active telomerase for their growth, making this enzyme an […]
Read More
Daniela Dinulescu, PhDEugene Braunwald Research Center, Harvard Medical Center Targeted therapeutic strategies and early detection biomarkers in ovarian cancer Epithelial ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death among gynecological cancers. We will actively discover, identify and validate disease biomarkers associated with early disease. The data collected from these key preclinical studies will be instrumental […]
Read More