The overarching hypothesis of our project is that clinical meaningful improvements in survival for PDA will require targeting multiple compartments within the pancreas cancer neo-organ, including hematopoietic cells, mesenchymal cells and the extracellular matrix, in addition to the tumor epithelial cell. We propose to test specific regimens combining matrix disruption, myeloid cell inhibition or maturation, mesenchymal cell inhibition, and cytotoxic chemotherapy across four distinct experimental platforms that provide complementary strengths and mitigate limitations: 1) genetically engineered mouse models (GEMM) of autochthonous PDA; 2) syngeneic allografts; 3) patient-derived xenograft (PDX) systems; and 4) patient-derived organoids (PDO). For more information click here
Goals / Scope
MEET OUR TEAM
Sunil R. Hingorani, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Hingorani is the Director for the Center for Accelerated Translation in
Pancreas Cancer (CATPAC) and the Raisbeck Endowed Chair for Pancreatic Research
at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. His laboratory investigates the
molecular and cellular mechanisms that drive the pathogenesis of pancreas
cancer. Their goal is to identify the most compelling strategies to translate
to the clinic in order to cure this disease.
Contact:
srh@fredhutch.org
Manuel Hidalgo, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Hidalgo is Director of the Rosenberg Clinical Cancer Center, Co-Director of
the Pancreatic Cancer Research Program, and Chief of the Division of
Hematology-Oncology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He is also
Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. His research interests have
centered on translational and clinical research in anticancer drug development
with a particular emphasis in pancreatic cancer. A significant contribution has
been the pioneering of patient derived xenograft models for drug screening,
biomarker development and personalized medicine. Their immediate goal now is to
incorporate immune treatment approaches both in preclinical models and in
clinical studies in pancreas cancer.
Contact:
mhidalgo@bidmc.harvard.edu
Senthil K Muthuswamy Ph.D.
Dr. Muthuswamy is the Director of cell biology and Deputy Director of
translational research at the Cancer Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical
Center, Harvard Medical School. His laboratory generates and uses patient
derived organoid models to understand mechanisms of cancer initiation and
progression and to discover new therapeutic options for pancreatic cancer. In
addition, they use patient derived organoid models to perform phenotypic
screens in a co-clinical setting to personalize cancer treatment.
Contact:
smuthusw@bidmc.harvard.edu
Gregory L. Beatty M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Beatty is Director of Translational Research in the Penn Pancreatic Cancer
Research Center at the University of Pennsylvania. His laboratory uses
preclinical mouse models and patient tissue samples to advance our
understanding of the role of the immune system in regulating tumor biology in
pancreas cancer. The primary goal is to inform the development of novel
immunotherapeutics, including strategies to combine and sequence therapies, for
translation to the clinical setting
Contact:
gregory.beatty@uphs.upenn.edu