2021 New Treatment Accelerator Grant - Prof Paul Timpson & Dr Brooke Pereira
Repurposing FDA/TGA-approved PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab to enhance immunotherapy outcomes in pancreatic cancer
Grant
Repurposing FDA/TGA-approved PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab to enhance immunotherapy outcomes in pancreatic cancer
Award
2021 New Treatment Accelerator Grant
Institution
Garvan Institute of Medical Research
Principal Investigator
Prof Paul Timpson & Dr Brooke Pereira
Time required to complete project
2 years
Project Summary
During pancreatic cancer development, cancer cells undergo changes in how they rewire metabolic signalling in order to survive and grow. The project team identified that changes in the metabolic signalling were significantly increased in highly aggressive, metastatic pancreatic cancer cells. Previously, others have shown that reducing metabolic signalling significantly improved immunotherapy outcomes in melanoma, breast and colon cancer. The project team then discovered that pancreatic cancer patients with high metabolic activity had a worse prognosis in historical patient cohorts. Furthermore, the project team found that reducing metabolic signalling can reduce pancreatic cancer aggressiveness. Considering these exciting results, the project team now aim to explore combining metabolic targeting with immunotherapy, as others have done for other cancer types, to overcome the poor treatment response currently seen in pancreatic cancer.
Co-Investigators:
Prof Lisa Hovarth, Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney
Dr Deborah Burnett, Garvan Institute of Medical Research
Dr Emma Gordon, University of Queensland
Prof Herbert Herzog, Garvan Institute of Medical Research
