More breakthroughs are on the horizon, as OCRA has awarded grants to 22 dedicated scientists at 15 prestigious medical institutions to enable future ovarian cancer discoveries. With this funding, OCRA grantees aim to answer questions that have vexed the scientific community, building on our collective knowledge and identifying new opportunities for ovarian cancer prevention and … Continued
A randomized trial recently showed that patients with an ovarian cancer recurrence who undergo cytoreductive surgery along with chemotherapy show better survival rates than those who only receive chemotherapy. More than 400 patients were randomized into two groups: 206 were assigned to cytoreductive debulking surgery and chemotherapy, and 201 only had chemotherapy. The median survival rate in … Continued
Dr. Anne van Harten, of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, is a 2021 recipient of OCRA’s Ann and Sol Schreiber Mentored Investigator Award. With her project, “Targeted MDM2 Degradation as a Novel Treatment for Ovarian Cancer,” Dr. van Harten is designing and testing a new compound to target a … Continued
OCRA grantees Ignacio Vázquez-García, PhD and Sohrab Shah, PhD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, along with colleagues, have found that distinct mutational processes determine the different mechanisms by which certain ovarian cancer tumors are able to evade the immune system and continue to grow. These learnings may lead the way to future immunotherapeutic approaches that can more … Continued
Dr. Sammy Ferri-Borgogno, of UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, is a 2021 recipient of OCRA’s Ann and Sol Schreiber Mentored Investigator Award. With her project, “Spatially-Resolved Cellular and Transcriptome Analyses of Ovarian Cancer,” Dr. Ferri-Borgogno is working to better understand ovarian cancer microenvironments, to find ways to better combat drug resistance. What initially sparked your … Continued
Dr. Arun Kanakkanthara, of Mayo Clinic, is a 2021 recipient of OCRA’s Liz Tilberis Early Career Award. With his project, “Exploiting a Metabolic Dependency of PARPinhibitor-Resistant Ovarian Cancer,” Dr. Kanakkanthara is investigating ways to overcome tumor resistance to PARP inhibitors, a critical issue in ovarian cancer treatment. What initially sparked your interest in science? Science … Continued
Dr. Wei Zhou, of The Wistar Institute in Philadelphia, is a 2021 recipient of OCRA’s Ann & Sol Schreiber Mentored Investigator Award, mentored by Dr. Rugang Zhang. With his project, “Targeting the Mevalonate Pathway in ARID1A-Mutated Ovarian Cancer,” Dr. Zhou is investigating ARID1A mutations, in search of better therapeutic options for patients with ovarian clear … Continued
We’re pleased to report that thanks to your support, OCRA grantees made breathtaking strides toward better understanding, preventing and treating ovarian cancer this year. Read about our OCRA Grantees’ discoveries in 2020 → The results of OCRA-supported research projects have been published in some of the world’s most prestigious journals, such as: Gynecologic Oncology, Lancet Oncology, New England Journal of … Continued
This time of year always has us reflecting on what we’ve accomplished, what we hope to achieve in the future, and how we — with the support of the entire ovarian cancer community — can lean in even harder to our commitment of being a voice for all those touched by the disease, and finding better treatments and a … Continued
Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA) is proud to announce the establishment of a major new research partnership with Nicholas Firth and the Jean & Louis Dreyfus Foundation to be known as The Edmée Firth Fund for Research in Ovarian Cancer (EFFROC). Established with an initial gift of $1 million, OCRA will direct the fund toward critical areas of research, … Continued
An interdisciplinary group of researchers from around the country analyzed tumor samples from nearly 10,000 patients with 34 types of cancer to reveal unique genetic switches associated with each tumor type. The research, published in Science Advances and supported by multiple OCRA grants, turned up three potential drug targets for aggressive ovarian cancer, among other findings. Scientists … Continued
The application period has now closed. Apply today to join survivors, caregivers and activists across the country to affect change for those impacted by ovarian cancer. Advocate Leaders will learn how to educate federal and state policymakers about the disease, protect funding for lifesaving research, and fight for expanded access to treatment and care. No legislative or … Continued
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