Moffitt researchers used a new technique to identify a previously unknown mechanism of midostaurin in lung cancer. Combining functional proteomics with deep network analysis led to the discovery of TBK1, PDPK1, and AURKA as protein targets for midostaurin, resulting in a more effective combination therapy.
A new clinical trial has found that durvalumab improved progression-free survival by 17.2 months compared to placebo in patients with stage 3 non-small cell lung cancer. Overall survival rates also increased, with 66.3% of patients surviving at two years, compared to 55.6% on placebo.
Dr. Robert Gillies, chair of Cancer Physiology and Radiology Research at Moffitt Cancer Center, receives the World Molecular Imaging Society's Gold Medal Award for his lifetime research in molecular imaging. His work focuses on understanding cancers as complex systems, leading to new cancer treatment options.
A Moffitt Cancer Center research team compared chemotherapy regimens and found that a combination called ddMVAC was associated with higher complete response rates and improved survival rates compared to standard care. The study analyzed data from over 800 surgical patients with advanced bladder cancer.
Researchers at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center suggest that lowering pH inside cancer cells can slow down the growth and spread of the disease. By analyzing how variations in pH affect metabolic enzymes, they identified potential therapeutic targets for breast cancer treatment.
A new study suggests that cancer treatment should be viewed as a game where physicians can exploit their knowledge of the cancer's evolutionary dynamics to develop flexible strategic treatment plans. By continuously adjusting drugs and doses, physicians can delay or prevent cancer progression caused by resistance.
Lutathera therapy has been shown to provide significantly longer time to deterioration of quality of life compared to hormone therapy alone, with median times of 28.8 months vs 6.1 months for global health status and 25.2 months vs 11.5 months for physical functioning.
A new phase 1 trial has shown that CAR T therapy CYAD-01 can induce a complete remission in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia, lasting nine months. This breakthrough is significant as it is the first time CAR T therapy has been effective without preconditioning chemotherapy.
A team of melanoma experts at Moffitt's Center of Excellence will investigate the causes and drivers of acral melanoma, a rare form of skin cancer affecting African-Americans. The three-year grant aims to develop better prevention and treatment strategies for this aggressive disease.
Pancreatic cancer researchers and clinicians will work together to build a state-wide biobank, collecting data from diverse patient groups to minimize disparities and personalize care. The goal is to develop more effective therapeutic strategies tailored to individual needs, improving survival rates and quality of life.
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center used mathematical modeling to show that adaptive drug treatments based on tumor responses are more effective than maximum-tolerated dose approaches. The approach can be tailored to specific tumor types, such as melanoma and breast cancer, and may lead to better patient outcomes.
A combination of XL888, a HSP90 inhibitor, and vemurafenib, a BRAF inhibitor, was found to be safe and effective in treating advanced melanoma patients, with 75% experiencing a response. The treatment resulted in manageable toxicities and durable responses.
Researchers used a unique approach combining cell culture studies with mathematical modeling to determine how heterogeneity within a tumor and surrounding environment affect responses to targeted therapies. The study suggests that using a combination of drug inhibitors may be necessary to target diverse tumor cells.
Researchers found that screening individuals with a high lifetime risk of developing precursor conditions like MGUS can reduce the prevalence and specific mortality of symptomatic multiple myeloma. By implementing regular screening and preventative measures, mortality rates can be lowered by up to 19% in certain groups.
Moffitt researchers used single-cell imaging and mathematical modeling to determine the most important drug characteristics for efficient uptake by tumor cells. They found that drugs with different diffusion rates and concentrations bind effectively to cells based on their distance from blood vessels and density of drug receptors.
Researchers at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center identified a new target to reduce the risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in stem cell transplants. The JAK2 inhibitor pacritinib has been shown to minimize GVHD while maintaining antitumor response.
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center have discovered a new way to stimulate the immune system to target cancer cells. The study found that activating dendritic cells with a TIM-3 antibody indirectly stimulates T cell anti-cancer activity, leading to reduced tumor growth in mice.
A study found that desmoplastic melanoma patients respond significantly to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapies, with a 70% response rate. The tumors have high levels of DNA mutations and pre-existing immune cells necessary for an immune response.
Researchers found that ceritinib, an FDA-approved drug for ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer, also inhibits previously unknown targets. The study shows promise for repurposing the drug to target other cancers with networked alterations.
The new 9vHPV vaccine targets nine high-risk HPV types, significantly reducing the risk of cervical cancer, genital warts, and HPV-related vulvar and vaginal cancers. The study found that the vaccine is highly effective in preventing HPV infection and disease, with a 97.7% reduction in risk.
Researchers found that neoadjuvant radiation therapy significantly lowers the risk of developing a second primary tumor in early-stage breast cancer patients. The study also suggests that delaying surgery due to neoadjuvant radiation therapy is not detrimental to survival.
A new study suggests that the experimental drug GGTI-2418 can block a specific protein from degrading another protein that helps kill cancer cells. This discovery has important implications for treating cancers with defective PTEN, as it may allow for a combination of inhibitors to target multiple pathways involved in tumor growth.
A large analysis of five major testicular cancer studies has uncovered eight new genetic markers associated with an increased risk of developing testicular germ cell tumors. The findings, published in Nature Genetics, substantially increase the number of known susceptibility genes linked to testicular cancer.
Researchers at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center identify novel inhibitor (R)-9bMS that targets epigenetic modification of the androgen receptor gene, blocking growth in resistant prostate cancer cells. The discovery offers a new therapeutic option for castration-resistant prostate cancer patients who do not respond to enzalutamide.
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center have developed a test called the radiosensitivity index to determine how sensitive a patient's tumor is to radiation therapy. This allows them to select the optimum radiotherapy dose for each patient based on their individual tumor biology.
Moffitt researchers demonstrate that mathematical models can be used to predict how different tumor cell populations interact with each other and respond to environmental changes. By applying small biological forces, they show that complex systems like cancer can be steered into a less invasive growth pattern.
Lutetium-177-Dotatate has shown improved progression-free survival and response rates compared to octreotide alone in patients with advanced disease. The treatment also experienced higher risk of adverse events, but these were manageable and reversible.
A novel treatment targets Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GVHD) by inhibiting Aurora kinase A and JAK2, preserving immune system function. The study shows promising results in mice, potentially offering a more effective and selective prevention strategy.
The phase I trial of CAR-T therapy with axicabtagene ciloleucel resulted in a durable complete remission rate of 43% among highly refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients. The treatment showed promising clinical activity, with an overall response rate of 71%, and manageable toxicity.
A team of researchers used mathematical models to study the emergence of treatment-resistant populations in bacteria and cancer cells. They found that biological redundancy can lead to bet-hedging, a mechanism that allows cells to survive even when faced with catastrophic environmental changes. The study suggests that traditional strat...
The phase 2 portion of the ZUMA-1 study using KTE-C19 CAR-T therapy achieved complete remission in all 6 patients with refractory primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma or transformed follicular lymphoma, with manageable toxicities. The treatment was well-tolerated, with grade 3 adverse events occurring in 17% of patients.
The phase 3 ECOG-ACRIN E2905 Intergroup Study found that lenalidomide plus epoetin alpha resulted in improved major erythroid response rates and a similar toxicity profile compared to lenalidomide alone. This combination therapy showed significant benefits for patients with lower-risk, erythropoietin-refractory MDS.
CPX-351 significantly improved 100-day mortality rates and overall survival in older untreated secondary AML patients receiving hematopoietic cell transplants. The treatment also demonstrated better median overall survival compared to standard 7+3 cytarabine and daunorubicin therapy.
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center have developed a novel approach using mathematical modeling to accurately predict patient responses to cancer drugs in virtual clinical trials. This approach enables the identification of optimal treatment schedules that improve outcomes and reduce toxicities for melanoma patients.
Patients who initially screened negative for lung cancer but developed the disease one to two years later had more aggressive disease, according to a new study by researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center. The study highlights the importance of continued lung cancer screening in high-risk patients.
The Moffitt Imaging Biomarker Validation Center will discover, develop and validate biomarkers for risk assessment, detection and molecular diagnosis of early cancer. The center is part of the National Cancer Institute's Early Detection Research Network.
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center will investigate prostate cancer metastasis using a multi-disciplinary approach that integrates molecular, cellular and clinical information into mathematical models. The goal is to better understand the key factors driving disease progression and identify new therapeutic targets for prevention.
The Moffitt Cancer Center is conducting a nationwide study on e-cigarette use, tracking 2,500 adult smokers who use both cigarettes and e-cigarettes. The study aims to understand the long-term impact of e-cigarettes on traditional cigarette use.
Researchers at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center discovered a novel way to control SETDB1 protein activity through monoubiquitination, which inhibits target gene expression and could lead to new cancer therapeutics. This breakthrough suggests E2 enzymes as attractive targets for cancer treatment.
Researchers at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute used a mathematical model to show that tumor cells on the edge and interior develop distinct characteristics, investing resources in survival or invasion, respectively.
Preliminary results suggest that the selinexor combination regimen is active in relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. Of 10 evaluable patients, two each achieved a very good partial response, a partial response, and a minimal response.
Researchers at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center report a safe and effective treatment regimen for recurrent high-grade glioma brain tumors, with durable disease control in three patients. The combination of pembrolizumab, bevacizumab, and radiation therapy shows promise as a potential new approach to treating these patients.
In a phase 3 study, Lutathera treatment results in improved progression-free survival and higher objective radiographic response rates compared to Octreotide LAR. The safety profile of Lutathera was also favorable with low-grade adverse events.
A Moffitt Cancer Center study found that combining nivolumab and ipilimumab is an active treatment option for small cell lung cancer patients who have failed initial therapy. The two-drug immunotherapy regimen resulted in responses that lasted longer than many other investigational agents, with 20% of patients showing a response.
A genetic variation in the VAC14 gene is highly associated with docetaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy in prostate cancer patients. This finding could lead to more personalized treatment approaches and reduced side effects.
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center discovered that liver metastases derived from colorectal tumors are more resistant to radiation therapy. The study found that gastrointestinal stromal tumors were the most resistant, while those from breast and lung cancers were more sensitive.
Researchers identified a class of drugs called histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors that stimulate T cell movement into tumors and enhance their activity. HDAC inhibitor romidepsin combined with PD-1-targeting antibody leads to lung tumor regression.
A study presented at the 2016 USCAP Conference found that HER4 expression is associated with chemotherapy resistance and a lower survival rate in ovarian serous cancer patients. The research, led by Moffitt Cancer Center pathologists, suggests that HER4 may be a prognostic and potentially predictive marker for this type of cancer.
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center found that neutralizing the acidic tumor environment increases the efficacy of several immune-targeting cancer therapies. Sodium bicarbonate, combined with PD-1 or CTLA-4 inhibitors, reduced melanoma and pancreatic tumor growth in mice.
Glioblastoma patients with high BIRC3 expression have shorter overall survival rates, while those with low expression live longer. Analyzing BIRC3 tissue levels could help detect treatment resistance earlier.