A combined team of Hirshberg Foundation-affiliated researchers from UCLA has been awarded a grant for $5.75 million to study the effects of obesity on pancreatic cancer formation. This grant will build upon work that the Hirshberg Foundation has been funding since it began in 1997. “We know that the biological mechanisms of obesity, such as […]
Key Protein for Pancreatic Cancer Cell Growth Discovered, May Provide Therapeutic Target
Pancreatic cancer is particularly deadly because it is often found in advanced stages when the tumor has grown too large and spread from the pancreas making removal impossible. In order to grow, cancer cells require molecular food – Dr. Wantong Yao’s Seed Grant research investigated mechanisms to starve those cells as a therapeutic intervention for […]
Research Into The Pancreatic Cancer Microenvironment May Provide Novel Treatment Avenues
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to treat in part because of the poorly understood and complex mechanisms of disease progression. Pancreatic cancer is characterized by the infiltration of multiple inflammatory cell types that surround the tumor, known as the tumor microenvironment. This microenvironment is harsh and nutrient-poor yet cancer cells continue […]
New research illuminates complex architecture of pancreatic cancer tumors
Recently published research from Seed Grant recipient, Matteo Ligorio, MD, PhD, of Harvard Medical School has expanded our understanding of how the stromal microenvironment shapes a pancreas tumor and can impact clinical outcomes. Dr. Ligorio and his team discovered that cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) profoundly alter the tumor microenvironment promoting an aggressive cancer phenotype with […]
New Publication by Seed Grant Awardees from UCLA
We are pleased to share that the January 2019 issue of Pancreas features an article titled “Emerging Evidence for the Clinical Relevance of Pancreatic Cancer Exosome,” written by the Director of the UCLA Agi Hirshberg Center for Pancreatic Diseases O. Joe Hines, MD; Hirshberg Seed Grant Awardees Jonathan C. King, MD and Guido Eibl, MD; […]
Global Research Collaboration for Early Diagnosis
Currently, pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers with 74% of all patients losing their battle within the first year of diagnosis. There is clear evidence that earlier diagnosis leads to improved outcomes. In a global collaboration, two Seed Grant Awardees are working towards methods to detect pancreatic cancer in its […]