In 2015, researchers at the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine are launching five exciting cancer research projects thanks to generous support from our community. These projects hold promise to find better treatments for ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer and leukemia as well as to develop new techniques to provide more individualized treatment for breast cancer and brain tumors.
This research is possible through funding from The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital’s annual illumination Gala and the Foundation’s community partner in cancer research fundraising, Pedal the Cause. These events support the Foundation’s Cancer Frontier Fund, an initiative to speed cancer research to improve cancer prevention, find better treatments and accelerate the potential for cures.
The research projects supported by the Foundation’s Cancer Frontier Fund in 2015 include:
Functional Genomics of Ovarian Cancer Metastasis
Principal investigator: Katherine Fuh, MD, PhD
Goal: Identify which cell mechanisms are responsible for the spread of ovarian cancer so these pathways can be targeted with new therapies.
Designing Novel Therapeutic Approaches to Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC)
Principal investigator: William Hawkins, MD
Goal: Advance four new potentially transformative treatments to improve survival for patients with pancreatic cancer.
Assessment of Functional Status of Estrogen Receptors in Breast Cancer by PET
Principal investigator: Farrokh Dehdashti, MD
Goal: Determine if a non-invasive imaging test can provide specific information about the functional status of estrogen receptors in breast cancer cells so patients can receive individualized treatment based on the test results.
FDOPA-PET/MRI for the Pre-operative Evaluation of Gliomas
Principal investigator: Jonathan McConathy, MD, PhD
Goal: Combine molecular and structural imaging techniques to better define brain tumor borders, improve surgical outcomes and identify patients with aggressive brain tumors needing more urgent treatment.
Immune-Based Therapies for AML
Principal investigator: John DiPersio, MD, PhD
Goal: Find new avenues to treat leukemia by activating the patient’s own immune cells.
Since 2010, The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital has supported 40 research projects at Siteman through the Cancer Frontier Fund. Project results have leveraged an additional $13.5 million in federal and other private funding, which further accelerates cancer research.
###
Donor gifts to The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital support lifesaving research, breakthrough treatments, help for patients in financial need, care-enhancing programs and services, nursing scholarships and community outreach to improve the health of St. Louis and beyond.
The Foundation supports Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital, the Siteman Cancer Center, Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College and Washington University School of Medicine.