Cancer Research and Treatment Fund awards $200K grant for pancreatic cancer research
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The Cancer Research and Treatment Fund has awarded Despina Siolas, MD, PhD, a 2-year, $200,000 grant to enhance therapeutic outcomes for patients with pancreatic cancer.
The project, dubbed “Investigating the Immunogenicity of Mutant KRAS in Pancreatic Cancer,” aims to examine how tumor DNA influences the number and types of immune cells surrounding it.
Siolas, medical oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine, heads her own laboratory at Weill Cornell Medicine where she focuses on transnational research to bridge the gap between basic scientific discovery and clinical application. She will seek to uncover why pancreatic tumors are resistant to immunotherapy and how to overcome the resistance, according to a press release.
The mission of the Cancer Research and Treatment Fund is to invest in research to increase the understanding of cancer biology and treatment. Since its inception 55 years ago, the fund has awarded more than $17 million in grants for cancer research.
“Receiving the first Cancer Research and Treatment Fund Solid Tumor Cancer Research grant is an incredible honor,” Siolas told Healio. “This grant empowers my laboratory to explore innovative treatment approaches to target pancreatic cancer’s unique immune biology. I envision this research not only advancing our scientific understanding of pancreatic cancer, but also moving us closer to more effective, personalized treatments. We have the opportunity to make meaningful advancements against one of the most challenging cancers to treat, while also instilling a greater sense of hope within the cancer community at large.”
The annual Cancer Survivor Hall of Fame dinner honoring Siolas and others will be held in New York City on Nov. 21.
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