Today, the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (Meso Foundation) announced the award recipients of its 2018 grant cycle funding for promising mesothelioma research.
About the Mesothelioma Research Program
The Meso Foundation’s peer-reviewed grant program provides a competitive and un-biased process for selecting, awarding and overseeing mesothelioma research projects. Each year the Meso Foundation calls for proposals to be examined and critiqued by its Science Advisory Board. Those determined to be the most promising and impactful are submitted to the Foundation’s Board of Directors for funding.
The chair of the Science Advisory Board, Dr. Tobias Peikert of the Mayo Clinic, oversaw and guided the process. “I want to thank my colleagues on this board who do this work on a volunteer basis for the sole purpose of moving mesothelioma science forward. I also wish to thank Jordan Fingerhut on the Foundation’s staff, who made the entire process flow without a hitch,” he said.
The number of grants awarded is based solely on the amount of donations fundraised from donors. The 2018 grants were funded by The Anderson Family Research Grant and The Lance S. Ruble, Donald E. Smitley, Craig S. Kozicki, and Ferraro Law Firm Research Grant.
The grants are funded in their entirety by families affected by mesothelioma through personal donations and through fundraising events in their communities.
“These families have dedicated an incredible amount of time and effort into ensuring the availability of this funding for mesothelioma research,” said Mary Hesdorffer, nurse practitioner and executive director of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.
“They are regular people – some currently fighting mesothelioma, others honoring loved ones they lost – with one goal in mind: ending the extreme suffering caused by mesothelioma for the patients of today and those of tomorrow. I am humbled by their generosity,” added Ms. Hesdorffer.
To date, the Meso Foundation has funded over $10.2 million in cutting-edge mesothelioma research. More information about the program and past projects funded can be found on the website for the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.
“Using gene expression to predict successful responses to chemoimmunotherapy” (The Lance S. Ruble, Donald E. Smitley, Craig S. Kozicki, and Ferraro Law Firm Research Grant)
The first of the two projects funded will look into gene expression to predict successful responses to combination treatment of chemotherapy with immunotherapy in pleural mesothelioma. The study, led by medical oncologist and researcher, Anna Nowak, MD, PhD, from the University of Western Australia, will seek to identify biomarkers that will help differentiate responders from non-responders prior to the administration of treatment. This study is an extension of the DREAM trial (study overview; phase 2 final results) which enrolled 54 patients treated with Alimta/cisplatin (standard chemotherapy for mesothelioma) and Durvalumab (a PD-L1 inhibitor).
“More than half of the study participants’ tumors shrunk significantly, and in two thirds, the tumors were well controlled for at least six months after taking the new drug combination – which is better than we would expect with chemotherapy alone. But not everyone responds to this treatment,” said Dr. Nowak about the DREAM trial.
“The main goal of the study funded through the Foundation is to help us understand if the treatment combination used in the DREAM trial will work for someone before they undertake it, therefore preventing unnecessary toxicities and waste of precious treatment time. Importantly, by understanding why treatment doesn’t work for some people, we may be able to develop some insights into how to improve the response to treatment,” Dr. Nowak added.
“Genetic variants, pathways, and drug targets of peritoneal mesothelioma” (The Anderson Family Grant)
The second study selected for funding, led by Waqas Amin, MD, of the University of Pittsburgh, will analyze three histological subtypes (epithelioid, biphasic, and sarcomatoid) in peritoneal mesothelioma to find the most significant gene mutations, thus allowing for better characterization of the genes involved, and identification of genetic variants associated with this particular type of mesothelioma.
“The detection of mutations for which specific therapies are already available may provide valuable clinical trial options for patients and help with development of new screening tools,” said Dr. Amin.
Peritoneal mesothelioma is the second most common type of mesothelioma (pleural being the most common). Currently, there is no one standard of treatment but some experts specializing in peritoneal mesothelioma have seen success with HIPEC (Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy). As with all mesotheliomas, outstanding questions about why certain treatments work for some peritoneal patients but not others have to be answered in order to see advances that can dramatically prolong life.
The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation is the only 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working to eradicate mesothelioma and end this national tragedy. Its programs include the funding of promising and peer-reviewed research, education, support and advocacy. The organization strives to bring together thought-leaders in the field to identify the most direct path to a cure.
