Research Matters

Research Matters 2021

CLINICAL TRIALS: MOVING RESEARCH FROM THE LAB TO THE CLINIC

NEW CLINICAL ACCELERATOR INITIATIVE TRIALS

$5.1 m to fund three new clinical studies Approved

In early 2021, the Foundation approved $5.1 million to fund three new clinical studies. Two studies led by the team at Johns Hopkins will build on work coming from principal investigators Dr. Dung Le and Dr. Lei Zheng exploring the use of vaccines to treat pancreatic cancer. Both newly funded studies will look at novel combinations of vaccines and drugs targeting the immune system to determine if they can overcome pancreatic tumors’ resistance to immune therapies. The two studies expand on clinical data

generated in ongoing clinical trials at Johns Hopkins and will target specific immune barriers identified as part of those studies. One study will enroll metastatic patients, while the other will enroll patients eligible for surgery. The third study, being led by the team at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, will look to “re-awaken” T cells (an immune system cell) that penetrate the pancreatic tumors but are rendered “exhausted” and ineffective by signals from the tumor. The clinical study will test a

new combination of drugs designed to simultaneously activate the T cells and block the inhibitory signals from the tumor.

DR. ROBERT F. VIZZA LUSTGARTEN CLINICAL ACCELERATOR INITIATIVE (CAI)

The CAI will shorten the time from clinical trial concept to launch and will allow researchers to develop new clinical trials based on the best available science employing cutting-edge biomarkers. These “smarter” clinical trials will generate large volumes of data scientists can use now and in the future. Even if a trial fails, the data will inform these new concepts, improve future clinical trials, and expedite new treatments. The CAI is guided by our prestigious Translational Advisory Group (TAG), under the leadership of Lustgarten’s Chief Medical Advisor, Elizabeth Jaffee, MD. The TAG is identifying and developing the most promising projects.