Xiaohong (Mary) Zhang, PhDUniversity of South Florida, College of Medicine Mechanisms by which HDAC inhibitors sensitize cisplatin resistant ovarian cells Overcoming platinum-resistance in ovarian cancer patients remains a great challenge. Recently, histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are being used to minimize resistance. HDAC6 may confer the cisplatin-resistance by down-regulating a DNA repair complex. Dr. Zhang will […]
Read MoreAndrew Wilson, PhDVanderbilt University Medical Center The Role of the Nuclear Orphan Receptor TR3/Nur77 in Ovarian Cancer Preliminary results have led to the hypothesis that TR3 is a marker of chemotherapy-induced apoptosis and a potential therapeutic target in ovarian cancer. In this study, three aims will be investigated by Dr. Wilson and his team. First, […]
Read MoreSandra Orsulic, PhDCedars-Sinai Medical Center Determinants of Drug Sensitivity in BRCA Deficient Cells: The Role of TUBB4 in Resistance to Paclitaxel Currently, post-operative chemotherapy for patients with sporadic and BRCA-associated ovarian cancers includes treatment with taxanes and platinum. However, there is an indication that patients with BRCA-associated cancers respond less favorably to taxanes. Dr. Orsulic […]
Read MoreIdentification of drugs that increase cisplatin uptake by inhibiting CTR2 CTR2 has shown to be a particularly attractive target against which to develop a drug that both inhibits tumor growth and sensitizes to platinum drugs. In this project, Dr. Howell will establish a robust assay to evaluate the function of CTR2 that can be used […]
Read MoreDaniela Dinulescu, PhDBrigham and Women’s Hospital Nanotechology-based Therapy Targeting Platinum Resistant Disease An exciting new hypothesis in ovarian cancer biology is that tumor development is driven by cancer stem cells, which are resistant to standard chemotherapies and consequently responsible for the high rate of tumor relapse seen in patients. Animal models, which accurately recapitulate the […]
Read MoreJanet Sawicki, PhDLankenau Institute for Medical Research Utilizing HuR to Combat Chemotherapeutic Resistance in Ovarian Cancer The molecular basis underlying the range of ovarian cancer patient responses to chemotherapeutic agents is poorly understood. This project will address the urgent need to stratify ovarian cancer patients for therapy and enhance currently available treatment strategies. Recently, Dr. […]
Read MoreLupe Salazar, MDUniversity of Washington Adoptive Transfer of Tumor Specific Th1 Cells Derived from Vaccine-Primed Patients Achieved Clinical Benefits Adoptive immunotherapy can induce cancer regression but rarely results in cure. We have infused HER2-specific Th1 cells in breast cancer patients, and 50% of patients had a partial or complete response to the treatment. Dr. Salazar […]
Read MoreDaniel Powell, PhDUniversity of Pennsylvania Preclinical Evaluation of Costimulated CIR Therapy for Ovarian Cancer Adoptive immunotherapy is extremely effective for triggering tumor regression in patients with malignant melanoma. To develop adoptive T-cell therapy for epithelial ovarian cancer, we have created a chimeric immune receptor (CIR) that redirects the immune system against alpha-folate receptor, a protein […]
Read MoreThuy-Vy Do, PhDFox Chase Cancer Center Preclinical Evaluation of Aurora A Kinase and PARP Inhibitor Combination Therapy Women carrying mutations in the breast-cancer associated 1 or 2 (BRCA1/2) genes are at higher risk for developing epithelial ovarian cancer. BRCA1/2 play critical roles in repairing DNA and helping genes avoid mutation. Interestingly, BRCA1/2 is not functioning […]
Read MoreKaren Cowden Dahl, PhDIndiana University The Role of ARID3B isoforms in Ovarian Cancer and Chemoresistance Around 70% of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer have advanced disease and the prognosis is very poor. Treatment for ovarian cancer consists of surgery followed by chemotherapy. One of the contributing factors to the poor prognosis for advanced ovarian cancer […]
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