Five teams of UF Health Cancer Institute researchers have received Florida Cancer Innovation Fund grants for innovative cancer research projects.
The new projects aim to improve monitoring of prostate cancer; uncover promising new treatments for hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer; harness the power of natural products for new cancer treatments; test whether kava reduces tobacco-associated lung cancer risk; and support a mobile health intervention to reduce fatigue in cancer survivors.
The Florida Legislature created the Florida Cancer Innovation Fund in 2024 within the Casey DeSantis Cancer Research Program, with oversight by the Florida Cancer Connect Collaborative. The goal of the statewide program is to support innovative cancer research and treatment models, including emerging trends that may serve as catalysts for further research and treatments.
Learn more about the research projects below.
“Seeing and Sensing Cancer: PSMA-PET and ctDNA for Smarter Monitoring of Metastatic Prostate Cancer”
Kethandapatti Balaji, M.D., FRCS, MRCS, LRCP
Professor and Chair, Department of Urology
UF College of Medicine – Jacksonville
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men. When it spreads beyond the prostate, known as metastatic prostate cancer, it becomes much harder to treat. Doctors have several therapies available, but it is still difficult to know which treatment will work best for each patient or when a treatment has stopped working. As a result, some men may stay on ineffective therapies longer than needed, while others might switch too early.
This project aims to solve this problem by combining two powerful technologies: advanced imaging and a blood test for tumor DNA. The imaging test, called PSMA PET, uses a special tracer that lights up cancer spots in the body, while the blood test (known as a liquid biopsy) looks for tiny pieces of tumor DNA floating in the bloodstream. By tracking both the images and the tumor DNA before and during treatment, the researchers hope to detect whether the cancer is responding or becoming resistant much earlier.
Balaji will use a highly sensitive, personalized test that can detect even the smallest traces of a patient’s unique tumor DNA. These results will be compared to PSMA PET scans to see which test — or combination — best predicts how a patient is responding to treatment. To analyze the data, the team will use artificial intelligence and advanced computer modeling techniques to simulate patient outcomes and improve treatment planning.
The study is being conducted through the University of Florida’s Integrated Cancer Care model, which allows patients to be monitored continuously from diagnosis through all stages of care.
The project could help doctors make faster and more precise treatment decisions for men with advanced prostate cancer— reducing unnecessary side effects, saving time and ultimately helping more men live longer, healthier lives.
“Drug Repurposing and Synthetic-Lethal Discovery for Precision Therapy in FH-Deficient Cancer”
Aik Seng Ooi, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Hematology/Oncology
The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology
Hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer is a rare but extremely aggressive form of kidney cancer. It is caused by the loss of a gene called fumarate hydratase, which normally helps cells process energy. When the gene is missing, harmful chemicals build up inside cells and disrupt many normal functions, allowing cancer to grow quickly and spread early. There are no treatments that specifically target this type of cancer, and patients often have poor outcomes.
This project aims to discover new treatment options by identifying drugs that kill fumarate hydratase-deficient cancer cells while sparing healthy cells. To do this, the researchers created a laboratory system that grows cancer cells and normal kidney cells together. It labels them with different fluorescent colors, so researchers can easily see how each drug affects them. The researchers also engineered cancer cells so they can turn the gene on and off, allowing them to precisely test whether a drug works because of fumarate hydratase loss.
The researchers will first test all FDA-approved drugs to find any that might be repurposed for this cancer, which could speed their path to patients. They will then expand screening to a much larger collection of drug-like compounds. Promising candidates will be studied further to understand how they work and tested in animal models.
In parallel, the researchers will use genetic tools to identify weak points in fumarate hydratase-deficient cancer cells that could serve as new treatment targets. By combining drug testing with genetic mapping, this project will create a comprehensive picture of what makes fumarate hydratase-deficient cancer cells vulnerable.
This work is designed to rapidly uncover the most promising new treatments for patients with hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer and may also provide new strategies for other cancers.
“Preclinical development of mensacarcin as lead structure against melanoma and pediatrics brain cancers”
Sandra Loesgen, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry
Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience
The American Cancer Society estimates that 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will develop cancer in their lifetime. While the deadliest cancer types in Florida are lung and colorectal cancers, melanoma skin cancer and pediatric brain tumors are prevalent, with high rates of metastasis, limited treatment options and high mortality rates.
Many therapeutics in clinical use today are molecules found in nature. These so-called natural products have dominated drug development over the last century. Over 60% of all antibiotics, anti-infectives and cancer drugs have been inspired by natural products. Examples are the clinically used chemotherapeutics doxorubicin (produced by bacterial) and taxol (plant origin).
Previously, Loesgen’s lab discovered that mensacarcin, a bacterial natural that can be harvested in high yields by fermentation, has a unique effect on cancer cells. Her lab has conducted extensive preliminary studies and found selective activity against melanoma skin cell lines and inhibition of the spread of cancer cells, or metastasis.
Most recently, her lab found that mensacarcin also has activity against aggressive brain cancers, including glioblastoma and neuroblastoma.
This project lays the foundation to translate mensacarcin’s bioactivity into a new cancer therapeutic. New approaches are needed to combat cancer and natural products, found in nature, may hold the key for better treatments.
“Reducing tobacco-associated lung cancer risk: a randomized clinical trial of AB-free kava”
Ramzi Salloum, Ph.D.
Professor and Associate Chair for Research; Division Chief for Implementation Science
Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics
Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement, UF Health Cancer Institute
In Florida, nearly $10 billion is spent on healthcare costs due to smoking each year, while there are still around 32,000 adults who die from smoking-related illness each year. Nearly 12,000 of them are due to lung cancer.
Tobacco cessation is critically important to mitigate this devastating health issue. Quitting, however, is challenging, largely due to abstinence-associated stress, anxiety and insomnia that current cessation strategies don’t address. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new interventions to facilitate tobacco cessation.
Kava is a beverage and dietary supplement on the U.S. market that reduces stress, promotes relaxation and improves sleep. These properties all support kava’s potential to facilitate tobacco cessation, but they have not been previously evaluated. Epidemiological data and lab animal data from Salloum’s team also suggest kava’s potential to reduce cancer risk, particularly for tobacco-related lung cancer.
Built upon these data, his team has completed a pilot kava trial and demonstrated that even short-term kava use reduced tobacco use and tobacco dependence and reduced the risk of lung disease. The trial had a high kava compliance rate with no signs of adverse effects.
The team hypothesizes that kava is a novel, safe and effective food candidate to facilitate tobacco cessation and reduce tobacco-associated diseases, including lung cancer risk. To test this hypothesis, the researchers will perform a double-blinded, randomized placebo-controlled four-week clinical trial. The trial aims to validate the effect of kava on reducing tobacco use and dependence and explore its sustainable effects; demonstrate the effect of kava in reducing lung cancer risk; analyze the mechanisms of action; explore potential groups most likely to benefit from kava intervention; and rigorously monitor safety and compliance of kava use.
The team hopes the findings lay the groundwork for a statewide clinical trial to pave the way for real-world implementation to effectively reduce tobacco-associated illness and financial burdens.
Salloum is collaborating on the project with Chengguo Xing, Ph.D., Adriaan Bruijnzeel, Ph.D., whose team contributed foundational lab animal data to the work, and Weizhou Zhang, Ph.D.
“Mobile Health Exercise Intervention for Fatigue Reduction Tailored to Cancer Survivors (MOTIVE)”
Saun-Joo Yoon, Ph.D., R.N.
Associate Professor, College of Nursing
Cancer-related fatigue is one of the most common and burdensome symptoms people experience while undergoing and recovering from cancer treatment. Unlike typical tiredness, cancer-related fatigue is a persistent, overwhelming exhaustion that does not respond to rest, often persisting for months or years. This fatigue can impair mobility, reduce muscle strength and diminish quality of life, particularly among adult survivors.
Despite growing evidence that exercise can effectively reduce cancer-related fatigue, access to structured exercise programs and professional guidance remains limited for many cancer survivors. There is no standardized, easily accessible exercise intervention tailored to the needs of this population.
To address this gap, Yoon’s research team has developed Cancer Exercise (CaEx), the first-of-its-kind mobile application designed specifically to help cancer survivors manage their fatigue through a personalized exercise program. The app provides an individualized, self-paced exercise program tailored to the survivor’s cancer type, treatment history, fatigue level and prior activity experience. CaEx adheres to national physical activity guidelines for cancer survivors and can be conveniently used at home. In earlier pilot studies, participants using the CaEx program experienced significantly reduced fatigue compared with those receiving usual care, with no negative effects, demonstrating its safety and promise.
Yoon’s team has a pending grant at the National Cancer Institute to conduct a randomized clinical trial of CaEx for older cancer survivors with advanced or metastatic solid tumors. Supported by the Florida Cancer Innovation Fund, this project aims to develop and evaluate a study orientation website and patient training materials to support the upcoming trial.
The team will create multimedia resources, including a patient‑friendly website with videos and animations and printable materials, to introduce cancer survivors to details of the study and participation over the 18-week study. Cancer survivors in Florida will provide input to guide the creation and refinement of the materials.
By improving access to personalized, evidence-based exercise guidance, the project aims to significantly reduce cancer-related fatigue, enhance recovery and promote healthier survivorship among adult Floridians, ultimately benefiting cancer survivors nationwide.
