Four UF Health Cancer Center researchers have received funding from the Ocala Royal Dames for Cancer Research for projects ranging from improving the effectiveness of immunotherapy treatment for ovarian cancer to personalizing therapeutic strategies in patients with brain tumors.
The Ocala Royal Dames is a nonprofit that raises money for cancer research. Most of the money it provides to researchers is seed money that allows them to apply for larger grants that they may not otherwise obtain. With the help of its generous donors, the Ocala Royal Dames has provided more than $4 million to date for cancer research.
Each research team received $25,000 per year for their two-year research projects. Learn more about the funded projects below.
Improving Immunotherapy Effectiveness in Ovarian Cancer by Mitigating Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment
Shuang Huang, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, UF College of Medicine
UF Health Cancer Center Research Program: Mechanisms of Oncogenesis
This project aims to develop a therapeutic strategy that can increase the responsiveness of ovarian tumors to immune checkpoint blockade-based immunotherapies. The team will test the hypothesis that docosahexaenoic acid, a commonly used dietary supplement, enhances responses to immunotherapy treatment in preclinical mouse models.
Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation Utilizing Alpha/Beta T-cell and B-cell Depletion for Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adults with Underlying Malignancies
Jordan Milner, M.D.
Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of Pediatric Hematology Oncology, UF College of Medicine
UF Health Cancer Center Research Program: Immuno-Oncology and Microbiome
This project will test stem cell stability and viability after alpha/beta T-cell and B-cell depletion of peripheral blood stem cells, with the goal of improving the accessibility of stem cells for patients in the future. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation is used for many malignant and non-malignant disorders.
The Cathy D. Perry Trust Sponsored by Ocala Royal Dames for Cancer Research Advancing Precision Medicine: Integrating Laser Ablation and High-Throughput Screening for Personalized Therapeutics in Brain Tumor Treatment
Maryam Rahman, M.D.
Associate Professor, Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery, UF College of Medicine
UF Health Cancer Center Research Program: Immuno-Oncology and Microbiome
This project will use a high-throughput screening method developed by scientists at The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology to determine which drugs are efficacious against brain tumors in samples from human patients. Next, using preclinical mouse models, the team will test the ability to concentrate these drugs in brain tumors after laser ablation, which results in a window where the blood-brain barrier is open.
Developing Innovative Therapeutic Strategies to Overcome Chemotherapy Resistance in Elderly Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients
Bowen Yan, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, UF College of Medicine
UF Health Cancer Center Research Program: Mechanisms of Oncogenesis
This projects aims to improve leukemia treatment outcomes by understanding how aging impacts hematopoietic stem cells and their environment. The team will evaluate the potential of drugs that target aging cells to improve normal hematopoietic stem cell functions and prevent chemotherapy resistance in older leukemia patients.
