Today, the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation announced that it will fund three research projects in the field of mesothelioma for a total investment of $300,000 into mesothelioma research. This brings the total research funded by the Meso Foundation to $10.5 million.
This funding comes at an uncertain time, during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has greatly disrupted the work of companies and nonprofit organizations alike. During this time, the Meso Foundation has continued providing services to the mesothelioma community uninterrupted and has expanded some of its service offerings to address new needs.
“We are keenly aware that mesothelioma patients still need effective treatments, first and foremost. We are deeply grateful to all of our donors and supporters who made this funding possible with their financial contributions.”
Mary Hesdorffer, nurse practitioner and executive director of the Meso Foundation
The Meso Foundation began funding mesothelioma research in 2000, when it created an unbiased, peer-review process to ensure the advancement of most promising research in this under-funded cancer. Over the years, 111 projects have been funded. The Foundation’s Science Advisory Board – comprised of a rotating group of renowned experts in the field of mesothelioma research and chaired by Dr. Tobias Peikert of the Mayo Clinic – is tasked with reviewing all grants applications and selecting and ranking the ones recommended for funding. The Board of Directors at that point determines how many of the recommended projects the Foundation is capable of funding, depending on the year’s finances.
“I am very glad to see that the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation’s peer-reviewed research program continues to thrive and attract the worldwide interest of excellent junior and senior scientists, who want to contribute to change the trajectory of this aggressive disease.”
“Once again, we evaluated almost 50 letters of intent and invited eight very strong finalists to submit their full applications. From these finalists, we selected the most promising applications for funding, and I am glad to see that these outstanding and clinically relevant proposals will be able to go forward with the support of the Foundation during these most challenging times.”
Dr. Tobias Peikert of the Mayo Clinic, chair of the Science Advisory Board
For the 2019 grant cycle, the projects funded will be looking at immunotherapy, each from a very different perspective. Immunotherapy in mesothelioma has shown much promise with impressive responses – however, those responses occur in approximately 20% of patients only. These research studies seek to understand why immunotherapy works for some but not others, and which patients will benefit from it.
Listed below are brief summaries of the funded projects. More detailed information can be found on the Meso Foundation’s website.
- Neoadjuvant immune checkpoint blockade in resectable pleural mesothelioma
This project led by Dr. Joshua Reuss of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine seeks to learn about the impact of immunotherapy on patients with resectable mesothelioma. Within the context of a clinical trial, the safety and feasibility of giving immunotherapy to patients with stage 1-3 mesothelioma prior to surgery will be studied. The research project will examine samples of the cancer obtained before starting immunotherapy and samples from the cancer removed at the time of surgery following initiation of immunotherapy. It will also examine blood obtained before, during and following immunotherapy.
- NK cell immunotherapy for mesothelioma (The Anderson Family Grant)
Dr. Manish Patel of the University of Minnesota leads this study into Natural Killer (NK) cells, an important part of the immune response known to be suppressed by malignant mesothelioma. Dr. Patel and his team hypothesize that this suppression is a reason for limited success with immunotherapy. Therefore, they will test the hypothesis that activation of suppressed NK cells in the tumor microenvironment will lead to enhanced killing of malignant mesothelioma in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors (such as PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA-4). They will do so by testing two agents known to stimulate NK cells in vitro in donor cells and in mice.
- Enhancing oncolytic viral immunotherapy with ADAR1 silencing
Dr. Robert Kratzke of the University of Minnesota will test the hypothesis that a protein called ADAR1 causes resistance to immunotherapy. In other studies the presence of this protein has shown to promote mesothelioma growth. Dr. Kratzke and his team will first evaluate the process of inactivating ADAR1 in vitro in human and mice cells. They will then combine this inactivation process with immunotherapy to test whether it makes immunotherapy treatment more effective against mesothelioma.
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.
