Erinn Rankin, PhD
Targeting EPOR Positive Tumor-Associated Macrophages in High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer
2026 Collaborative Research Development Grant
Stanford University
Project Summary
Despite current treatments, most patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer develop recurrent disease, with only a fraction surviving beyond five years. There’s an urgent need for more effective therapies in the treatment of ovarian cancer. This innovation focuses on a new immunotherapy for ovarian cancer, aiming to overcome a major hurdle: cancer cells’ evasion of the immune system. Here we propose a novel strategy to specifically target prometastatic and immunosuppressive tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), which play a role in suppressing the immune response within the tumor. Our research identifies the erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) as a novel therapeutic target on TAMs. By using macrophage-specific EPOR targeted therapies with immune checkpoint inhibitors, we hope to achieve lasting responses in ovarian cancer patients. In hepatocellular carcinoma, we found that blocking EPOR signaling in TAMs can reverse their suppressive effects, leading to tumor shrinkage and improved survival (Chiu et al., Science 2025). Our study seeks to validate this approach specifically in ovarian cancer. If successful, this research could pave the way for clinical trials combining macrophage specific EPOR inhibitors with immune checkpoint therapy for ovarian cancer patients. This funding will also support further exploration of this promising strategy, potentially bringing us closer to better outcomes for those affected by this challenging disease.
Bio
Dr. Erinn B. Rankin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Stanford University School of Medicine. With a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Rankin’s research focuses on the cellular and molecular mechanisms driving ovarian cancer progression, particularly the role of hypoxic signaling in tumor metastasis and treatment resistance. She has been awarded numerous prestigious grants, including the DoD Ovarian Cancer Academy Award, Mary Kay Foundation, and a Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research grant for her work on targeted therapies in ovarian cancer.