Dr. Gamze Bildik Elcik, postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Experimental Therapeutics at MD Anderson Cancer Center, is a 2022 recipient of OCRA’s Mentored Investigator Grant. With her project, “DIRAS3 Inhibits KRAS and Sensitizes LGSOC Cells to Anti-autophagic Therapy,” Dr. Bildik Elcik aims to address the issue of chemotherapy resistance in a large subset of … Continued
Recent research published in JNCCN–Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network has shown that there are clear disparities when it comes to which ovarian cancer patients are receiving treatment in accordance with expert clinical guidelines that can significantly impact survival outcomes. And these racial disparities persist even when accounting for other factors that affect healthcare access. The … Continued
Dr. Erin Wesley, of University of Minnesota Twin Cities, is a 2022 recipient of OCRA’s Mentored Investigator Grant. With her project, “Impact of Cytomegalovirus and Inflammation on NK Cells in Ovarian Cancer,” Dr. Wesley is working to better understand why a group of patients who were previously infected with a particular virus and had low … Continued
In exciting treatment news, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted accelerated approval to mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx (trade name Elahere, made by Immunogen, Inc.), for adults with folate receptor alpha (FRa) positive, platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer, who have undergone one to three earlier systemic treatment regimens. The FDA also approved … Continued
“I don’t believe we can maximize our impact on ovarian cancer without embracing opportunities in other gynecologic cancers.” Dr. David Huntsman David Huntsman, MD, FRCPC, FCCMG, understands the field of ovarian cancer research. He is the Scientific Director and Co-Founder of OVCARE, which is now part of British Columbia’s Gynecologic Cancer Initiative. He works with … Continued
Ie-Ming Shih, MD, PhD is on a quest to better understand the human condition. He is a pathologist who studies human tissue to learn more about the origins of ovarian cancer; a Distinguished Professor (Endowed Chair) of Gynecologic Pathology who directs that research program at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; the co-director of … Continued
OCRA is now accepting nominations for the Rosalind Franklin Prize for Excellence in Ovarian Cancer Research. The deadline to submit a nomination is 5:00pm ET on October 31, 2022. About the Rosalind Franklin Prize The Rosalind Franklin Prize for Excellence in Ovarian Cancer Research is a $10,000 annual prize awarded to an individual in recognition of their … Continued
A recent study partly funded by OCRA, and published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, has shown that frequent aspirin use (defined as more than six times per week for more than six months) is associated with a reduction in ovarian cancer risk. Three members of OCRA’s Scientific Advisory Committee – Dr. Andrew Berchuck (also … Continued
A recent study published in Nature Cancer talks about harnessing the power of machine learning to help predict prognosis and response to treatment for those with high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). The study is co-authored by OCRA grantees Sohrab Shah, PhD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center – a two-time OCRA grant recipient, most recently … Continued
Targeting a specific oncogene associated with the most common type of ovarian cancer may help increase a patient’s immune response to tumors, according to recent findings from researchers at The Wistar Institute and their colleagues at University of Pennsylvania and The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. An oncogene is a mutated version of a … Continued
Recent OCRA-funded research has resulted in the creation of a new bioinformatics tool that holds potential for predicting the best treatment combinations for cancer patients. Bioinformatics is a scientific discipline that enables researchers to collect, process and analyze a vast amount of biological and medical data via computers and statistical techniques. In the case of … Continued
Dr. Sandra Cascio of Magee-Womens Research Institute is a 2021 recipient of OCRA’s Early Career Investigative Grant. With her project, “EGFL6 as a New Regulator of Myeloid Cell Expansion and Function in HGSOC,” Dr. Cascio seeks to better understand ovarian tumors’ microenvironments and, ultimately, to overcome ovarian cancer resistance to immunotherapy, opening up a new … Continued
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