Pancreatic cancer collective comments on promising new pancreatic cancer

Lustgarten Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer, strategic partners in the Pancreatic Cancer Collective, offer comments on research published today in the journal Nature Medicine which describes a new therapeutic approach with promise for patients with pancreatic cancer. These researchers discovered a combination drug therapy that may effectively combat the disease. Based on this research, Martin McMahon, PhD, a cancer researcher at Huntsman Cancer Institute and professor of Dermatology at the University of Utah has received a Pancreatic Cancer Collective New Therapies Challenge Grant.

VIDEO: The Pancreatic Cancer Collective offers this video of Dr. McMahon and David Tuveson, MD, PhD, Lustgarten’s Chief Scientist, Director of the Cancer Center at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Co-Scientific Leader of the Collective commenting on the potential of this new treatment leading to the Collective grant to Dr. McMahon. The video may be downloaded at https://vimeo.com/320025457 ; Password: sunset.

“In publishing how this new approach of mixing two medicines typically associated with malaria and melanoma can treat pancreatic tumors with KRAS mutations, we are hoping the clinical trial supported by the Pancreatic Cancer Collective’s New Therapies Challenge Grant will help us learn how to best administer these medicines, so that we can maximize the benefit for as many patients as possible,” said Dr. Tuveson

“Dr. McMahon’s research shows promise as an important advance and was selected in the Pancreatic Cancer Collective as part of the “New Therapies Challenge” for support for further validation as therapy. In this Challenge program, a second round of funding, up to $4 million, is possible to support additional clinical studies to bring new treatments to patients faster,” added Phillip A. Sharp, PhD, the Nobel laureate who is chair of SU2C Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and scientific co-leader of the Collective.

Dr. McMahon’s project, “Pancreatic Cancer Collective Research Team: Combined Targeting of MEK1/MEK2 and Autophagy for Pancreatic Cancer” will work toward two goals: 1) elucidating the mechanism(s) by which autophagy is regulated by the RAS pathway, in order to identify predictive biomarkers and new autophagy inhibitors that might be tested in clinical trials; and 2) performing a clinical trial of the T/HCQ combination therapy. For more information about the project visit: https://standuptocancer.org/research/research-portfolio/dream-teams/combined-targeting-and-autophagy-for-pancreatic-cancer/

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ABOUT THE PANCREATIC CANCER COLLECTIVE

The Pancreatic Cancer Collective is an initiative of Lustgarten Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer to improve pancreatic cancer patient outcomes. Together, these leading cancer research organizations will attract new collaborators; improve diagnosis of pancreatic cancer using big data; find new treatments for pancreatic cancer; and support the next generation of pancreatic cancer investigators. Engaging thought leaders, researchers, institutions, and companies, the Collective will innovate and accelerate research on the edge of science. For more information, visit http://www.PancreaticCancerCollective.org

ABOUT LUSTGARTEN FOUNDATION

Lustgarten Foundation is America’s largest private funder of pancreatic cancer research. Based in Woodbury, N.Y., the Foundation supports research to find a cure for pancreatic cancer, facilitates dialogue within the medical and scientific community, and educates the public about the disease through awareness campaigns and fundraising events. Since its inception, Lustgarten Foundation has directed $165 million to research and assembled the best scientific minds with the hope that one day, a cure can be found. Thanks to separate funding to support administrative expenses, 100% of your donation goes directly to pancreatic cancer research. For more information, visit http://www.Lustgarten.org.

About Stand Up To Cancer

Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) raises funds to accelerate the pace of research to get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now. SU2C, a division of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, was established in 2008 by film and media leaders who utilize the industry’s resources to engage the public in supporting a new, collaborative model of cancer research, and to increase awareness about cancer prevention as well as progress being made in the fight against the disease. A Scientific Advisory Committee led by Nobel laureate Phillip A. Sharp, PhD, with the SU2C Science Strategy and Management Department, conduct rigorous, competitive review processes to identify the best research proposals to recommend for funding, oversee grants administration, and provide expert review of research progress.

Current members of the SU2C Council of Founders and Advisors (CFA) include Katie Couric, Sherry Lansing, Lisa Paulsen, Rusty Robertson, Sue Schwartz, Pamela Oas Williams, Ellen Ziffren, and Kathleen Lobb. The late Laura Ziskin and the late Noreen Fraser are also co-founders. Sung Poblete, PhD, RN, has served as SU2C’s president and CEO since 2011.

For more information on Stand Up To Cancer, please visit StandUpToCancer.org.