Focus: Cancer Center Featured Story 2

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The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is safe and effective – but it’s not for everyone. Michelle Ozbun, PhD, and her team at UNM Cancer Center published a research article earlier this year in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in which they describe how a drug called protamine sulfate blocks HPV infection. Like a game of musical chairs among molecules, the drug molecules bind to heparan sulfate cell receptors, preventing HPV virus particles from doing so.

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In a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Moffitt Cancer Center used mathematical and computer modeling to demonstrate the impact of skin homeostasis on driver and passenger mutations.

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The National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s Oncology Research Program is collaborating with Pfizer and Myovant to address cardiovascular risk in patients with prostate cancer being treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).

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UC Davis Health has published one of the earliest studies assessing the use of tecovirimat to treat monkeypox (MPX) symptoms and skin lesions. The antiviral drug approved for smallpox treatment appeared to be safe and effective in 25 patients with monkeypox.

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The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights provides a glimpse into recent basic, translational and clinical cancer research from MD Anderson experts. Current advances include confirmation of improving response rates in Phase I trials over the last 20 years, a novel targeted therapy combination and biomarkers of response for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy in B-cell lymphomas, a combination therapy for patients with melanoma brain metastases, and new treatment options for metastatic sarcomas, HPV-driven cancers and uterine cancer.

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In a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center physicians, along with a team of international researchers from eight other cancer centers, report on their identification of high-risk patients with stage 3A disease and microscopic lymph node metastases who would benefit from adjuvant therapy.

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MD Anderson and Erasca announced a strategic research and development collaboration to evaluate multiple agents from Erasca’s pipeline targeting the RAS/MAPK pathway in cancer.

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Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey expert shares advice on health and wellness as students transition back into the classroom.

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When a student’s parent, sibling or other key figure in their life has cancer, school attendance and performance, social relationships and behavior can all be impacted. Social workers at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey offer expert advise on helping your child cope during the upcoming school year.

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Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) today announced it has received a new grant from the National Cancer institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, under the umbrella of the Cancer Moonshot, to create the MATCHES (Making Telehealth Delivery of Cancer Care at Home Effective and Safe) Telehealth Research Center at MSK, a first of its kind.

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Cancer associated fibroblasts in the tumor environment have typically been associated with tumor progression and resistance to therapy, despite some studies suggesting that these fibroblasts may also sensitize cancer cells to therapy. In a new article published in Science Signaling, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers shed light on these conflicting studies and demonstrate that cancer associated fibroblasts can promote or inhibit drug sensitivity based on the type of tumor cell and the drug used for treatment.

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Kimberly Leslie, MD, was awarded a four-year, $1.8 million grant from the Department of Defense (DOD) to further study high-risk uterine cancer. Her research has led her to study the differences between natural progesterone and synthetic progestins – hormones often used for birth control – and the influence of progesterone on a tumor suppressor protein called p53. The hormones, drugs and proteins, she’s learned, influence each other and the body’s cells in complex ways.

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Do pediatric kidney transplant patients have better long-term outcomes when their kidney comes from living, biologically unrelated donors compared to deceased donors? A new UC Davis Health study published in the journal Pediatric Transplantation finds that they do.

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The James P. Allison Institute at MD Anderson today announced the establishment of its scientific advisory board to provide strategic guidance and evaluation of its research portfolio and programs.

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The targeted therapy pralsetinib was well-tolerated and demonstrated high response rates in patients with RET gene fusions regardless of tumor type, according to results from the Phase I/II ARROW trial.

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Social Worker at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey shares tips for both patients and caregivers on managing grief during the cancer journey.

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Individuals with blood-related cancers are more likely to experience a COVID-19 infection even after being vaccinated, a University of Kansas Cancer Center study has found.

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Gerontology researchers teamed up with hematologic-oncology investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to look at the association between older patients with blood cancers who were taking multiple medications and their corresponding frailty. They also created a new scale based on a list of Potentially Inappropriate Medications (PIMs) from the NCCN Guidelines® for Older Adult Oncology—called the Geriatric Oncology-Potentially Inappropriate Medications (GO-PIMs) Scale—and found it to be more effective at predicting frailty than conventional methods.

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The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights provides a glimpse into recent basic, translational and clinical cancer research from MD Anderson experts. Current advances include using a CRISPR screen to identify targets for improved chemotherapy responses, the potential of glutaminase inhibitors as novel treatments in renal cell carcinoma, engineered tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes to overcome immune suppression in ovarian cancer, oncolytic viruses to improve responses in glioblastoma, combination therapy options for KRAS/NRAS-mutant colorectal cancer, and a new treatment target for a subtype of myelodysplastic syndromes.

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Genetic alterations in the FGFR2 gene occur in various cancer types and represent a promising target for therapies. However, clinical responses to available therapies remained variable and unpredictable, making it difficult to select patients who would benefit from these types of treatments. An international team of researchers, including Shridar Ganesan, MD, PhD, chief of molecular oncology and associate director for translational research at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the state’s leading cancer center and only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center together with RWJBarnabas Health, have found new opportunities to improve diagnostics and targeted therapy for many cancer patients.

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MD Anderson and Empyrean announced an exclusive license and joint development agreement to advance new technologies and products in radiation oncology.

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Sexual dysfunction is highly prevalent in women with lung cancer with most survey participants reporting little to no interest in sexual activity, according to research led by Narjust Florez (Duma), MD, associate director for the Cancer Care Equity Program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The research was presented today at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) World Conference on Lung Cancer 2022.

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SEATTLE — Aug. 4, 2022 — Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center will give the 2022 honorary Hutch Award® to Dr. Anthony S. Fauci for his lifetime of service toward a healthier world.

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MD Anderson and TransCode announced a strategic alliance to advance TransCode's pipeline of RNA-targeted therapeutic and diagnostic candidates for oncology.

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MD Anderson will host the virtual Cancer Neuroscience Symposium Sept. 22-23, 2022, in collaboration with the journal Advanced Biology. The symposium is free to attend and gathers leading experts in the field to discuss a variety of topics on the relationship between cancer biology and neuroscience. Registration includes the opportunity to participate in an abstract competition and to view sessions following the event.

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A diverse and well-prepared leadership workforce in the nation’s cancer centers is vital to tackle challenges in the delivery of equitable cancer care delivery. Recognizing this, AACI examined the diversity among cancer center leaders and identified best practices to ensure a diverse pipeline of emerging leaders.

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Patients seeking to purchase chemotherapy drugs online face a confusing array of websites, over half of which potentially operate unsafely or illegally, finds a new study in the July 2022 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. A survey of online pharmacies claiming to sell the oral chemotherapy drug imatinib found that only three of the 44 identified English-language sites that shipped within the United States were certified through the LegitScript online pharmacy monitoring service.

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Clinical advances include treating hematologic cancers with effective targeted therapies, circulating tumor DNA as a biomarker for recurrence with colorectal liver metastases, and using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to guide surgical decisions for patients with lateral pelvic lymph node metastases in rectal cancer. Laboratory findings offer new understanding of the pancreatic cancer immune microenvironment, melanoma cell states, TP53 mutation status in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and potential targets for metastatic prostate cancer and GNAS-mutant colorectal cancer.

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The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has published new NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnosis to help people understand their personal risk for breast cancer, when they should begin screening, and how often to screen—in order to detect cancer earlier, for more treatment options and better outcomes.

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In a new article published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers demonstrate how mathematical modeling can be used to analyze the impact of different cancer treatments on tumor and immune cell dynamics and help predict outcomes to therapy and personalize cancer treatment.

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Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) has been recognized as the number two hospital for cancer care in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in its annual Best Hospitals listing. Since these prestigious rankings were established more than 30 years ago, MSK has consistently ranked among the top two cancer hospitals in the country.

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The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today was named number one in the nation for cancer care in U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-23 “Best Hospitals” rankings.

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Cheryl Sampson has close to 25 years in health care research administration experience at both a university cancer center and in the health system setting. It gives her a unique combination of experience that suits the unique nature of the job in New Mexico.

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AACI commends the Biden administration on its decision to appoint surgical oncologist Monica Bertagnolli, MD, as the next director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Dr. Bertagnolli is the first woman to serve as NCI director.

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Cancer cells produce small amounts of their own form of collagen, creating a unique extracellular matrix that affects the tumor microbiome and protects against immune responses, according to a new study by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. This abnormal collagen structure is fundamentally different from normal collagen made in the human body, providing a highly specific target for therapeutic strategies.

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Imaging of tissue specimens is an important aspect of translational research that bridges the gap between basic laboratory science and clinical science to improve the understanding of cancer and aid in the development of new therapies. To analyze images to their fullest potential, scientists ideally need an application that enables multiple images to be viewed simultaneously. In an article published in the journal Patterns, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers describe a new open-source software program they developed that allows users to view many multiplexed images simultaneously.

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MD Anderson and Obsidian Therapeutics announce FDA clearance of an Investigational New Drug Application for the novel TIL therapy OBX-115, developed under a strategic collaboration. The first-in-human Phase I study will be led at MD Anderson.

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“I think for me, what I find most interesting about rectal cancer is the multidisciplinary and individualized care and a new trend in treatment to offer organ preservation instead of surgery in selected patients,” she said. “I love surgery, but I also know the consequences of doing surgery. I saw UNM was also interested in this treatment strategy that might be more beneficial for some patients and I wanted to be in a cancer center where I could offer that approach.”

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People with neurodevelopmental disabilities are often not given the tools to create romantic relationships in a meaningful, safe way. This puts them at risk for sexual abuse. A new educational program, tested in partnership with the UC Davis MIND Institute, may help foster healthy, romantic relationships.

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The UC Davis MIND Institute’s annual Summer Institute on Neurodevelopmental Disabilities is focused on strategies to support individuals with ADHD, Down syndrome, autism and more as they prepare for life after high school. The free, virtual event will take place Aug. 3 from 9:00 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. and is open to all.

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Coral Omene, MD, PhD, medical oncologist in the Stacy Goldstein Breast Cancer Center at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the state’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center together with RWJBarnabas Health, has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the V Foundation for Cancer Research in partnership with ESPN to increase clinical trial awareness and enrollment of Black women with breast cancer.

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Although there has been a significant increase in the number of U.S. residents insured through Medicaid since the expansion of the Patient Protection and Afforadble Care Act (ACA) in March 2010, the ability of Medicaid-insured patients to access cancer care services has not been well understood. In a study published today in the journal JAMA Network Open, researchers at Yale Cancer Center assessed the acceptance of Medicaid insurance among patients diagnosed with common cancers.

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In a study of patients with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer, combination chemotherapy with modified FOLFIRINOX before surgery increased survival relative to historical data and compared favorably to FOLFIRINOX plus hypofractionated radiotherapy, according to research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center published today in JAMA Oncology.

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Most cancer research and available anticancer drugs focus on the impact of DNA and protein alterations that contribute to cancer; however, it is now understood that RNA molecules can also both positively and negatively impact the development of cancer. In a new article published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers describe how RNA molecules promote the development of melanoma metastasis by impacting anti-tumor microRNA.

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The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today announced that Donna Hansel, M.D., Ph.D., has been named Division Head of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. A distinguished pathologist, researcher and leader, Hansel will join MD Anderson Sept. 12.

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Michael Cecchini, MD, recently received a K08 grant from the NCI to conduct research aimed at investigating multiple clinical trials for patients with colorectal cancer. The first trial is a Phase II study in which patients will be treated with a combination not normally used against colorectal cancer: temozolomide (TMZ), a well-known drug, and olaparib, from the relatively new class of drugs of PARP inhibitors.

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The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights provides a glimpse into recent basic, translational and clinical cancer research from MD Anderson experts. Current advances include new targets involved in protecting DNA replication forks and preventing inflammatory responses, a new treatment option for elderly patients with late-stage acute myeloid leukemia, insights into the breast cancer tumor microenvironment, biomarkers of response to targeted and immune therapies, a novel cellular therapy option for osteosarcoma and a new target for inducing ferroptosis in cancer cells.