The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation announced its latest research grant recipients, awarding a total of $300,000 at the International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma in Philadelphia on October 25th. This brings the Foundation’s total funding for mesothelioma research to $12.1 million, thanks to generous donations. If you’d like to support this vital research, please visit https://curemeso.org/donate.
Our grant program involves a rigorous double peer review process. Each proposal is evaluated by leading mesothelioma experts on our Science Advisory Board. The review process also includes feedback from a panel of mesothelioma community reviewers.
Professor Judy Coulson from the University of Liverpool received funding for her project titled “USP42 and TEAD Inhibitor Drugs“. This study is looking at better understanding a protein called USP42, which may help mesothelioma cells grow and resist treatment. Mesothelioma often activates a pathway in the cell called YAP/TAZ-TEAD, which drives tumor growth. There are drugs that block this pathway, called TEAD inhibitors being tested in clinical trials currently. Recently it was discovered that USP42 can keep this growth pathway switched on. This study will test whether blocking USP42 makes mesothelioma cells more sensitive to TEAD-blocking drugs and whether USP42 levels could help predict which patients may benefit most from these new treatments. This study will explore whether tumors with higher levels of USP42 respond differently to these drugs and whether USP42 could help predict who is most likely to benefit. Researchers will study mesothelioma cells in the lab and also in a special egg-based model that allows tiny tumors to form and grow, closely mimicking how the cancer behaves in people. The goal is to help guide more personalized treatment strategies for mesothelioma and support the development of new targeted therapies.
Dr. Robert Arthur Kratzke from University of Minnesota received funding for his study titled “Hydrogel Medicated Therapy“. This study is examining a treatment that will use a surgical approach to directly apply a water-based gel (hydrogel) to the surfaces of the chest or abdominal cavity for the direct treatment of pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma. This hydrogel treatment is specially designed to carrier small pieces of genetic material that block ADAR1, a protein that helps mesothelioma cancer cells survive and resist treatment. ADAR1 acts like a shield for cancer cells, helping them hide from the immune system. When ADAR1 is turned off cancer cells become vulnerable, the immune system can now recognize and attack them more effectively, making immunotherapy work better. Some tumors may shrink or die on their own. Successful completion of this project will introduce a new treatment modality for mesothelioma and allow development of a phase 1 study.
Dr. Scott M. Langevin from the University of Vermont received funding for his study titled “circRNA Biological Molecules and Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM)“. This research study is looking at a new way to detect mesothelioma, and guide treatment. Circular RNAs(circRNA) are a type of RNA molecule that tumors release into the blood. They are very stable and do not break down, making them great for cancer detection. Different cancers have different circRNAs, so they can act like a “fingerprint” for mesothelioma. The main goals of the study are to 1. apply a cutting-edge sequencing technique to tumor and blood samples from the National Mesothelioma Virtual Biobank to comprehensively identify circRNA in MPM; and 2. develop highly sensitive blood tests that can distinguish MPM patients from those without cancer. By doing this the study team anticipates they will make important advances to contributions to our understanding of the science of MPM, with a strong potential to uncover a new avenue for discovery of therapeutic targets and/or biomarker development.
We are so excited to see what these three studies will produce over the next two years. Congratulations to all our award recipients, we are so grateful for the life-changing research that you do!
