FEBRUARY 2023 HEADLINES

Scientists at The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology have spent years developing antibody-drug conjugates, or ADCs, that combine a protective protein and a cancer-killing drug. Findings published recently in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry detail the first time a particular type of cancer-killing “payload” has been used for ADC development. The laboratory findings in leukemia cells are a key step in creating new medicinal payloads that can be altered and translated into ADCs to treat different types of cancer, the researchers said.

A team of UF researchers has advanced our understanding of protective layers on cells — a microscopic discovery with large potential for future drug design. The team, including Matthew Eddy, Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of chemistry, published its findings in the leading scientific journal Nature Communications. The findings pave the way for developing new therapeutic strategies associated with pathological conditions like inflammation, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer with the aim to advance drug design.

Research from the University of Florida Health Cancer Center sheds light on the complex interactions between cancer cells and the immune system. Gregory Takacs, a Ph.D. candidate in the biomedical sciences program at the University Florida with a cancer biology concentration, led the study under the guidance of mentor Jeffrey K. Harrison, Ph.D., a professor in the department of pharmacology and therapeutics in the UF College of Medicine.

Mei He, Ph.D., an assistant professor of pharmaceutics in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, has been named a senior member by the National Academy of Inventors, or NAI. The honor recognizes He for being an academic inventor who is a rising leader in her field.

A study led by UF Health Cancer Center researchers found that Black and Hispanic adults had less knowledge and were less likely to undergo cancer genetic testing than white adults. Young-Rock Hong, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the department of department of health services research, management and policy in the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions, led the study, which was published in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities.

Nina Powell and Kristin Tarbox, medical oncology social workers at UF Health, work tirelessly to make sure patients and their families get the help they need, from providing food during the holidays to bringing joy in difficult times.

Brian K. Law, Ph.D., an associate professor in the department of pharmacology & therapeutics in the UF College of Medicine, has been awarded two grants from the Florida Department of Health for breast cancer studies.

Aaron Franke, M.D., M.S., shared his insights on the lung cancer treatment paradigm in two episodes of OncLive’s OncChats series. In the first episode, he discussed the exploration of cellular therapies in non–small cell lung cancer. In the second, he discussed the need for additional circulating biomarkers beyond PD-L1 in non–small cell lung cancer.

With funding from a Live Like Bella® Pediatric Cancer Research Initiative grant, Steven Bruner, Ph.D., a professor in the department of chemistry in the University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, will research detrimental mutations in the human SRP54 gene that cause inherited bone marrow failure syndromes and progression of pediatric cancers.

Samsun Lampotang, Ph.D, FSSH, FAIMBE, a professor in the department of urology in the UF College of Medicine, and Thomas Stringer, M.D., FACS, an associate professor in the department of urology, have been awarded a grant from the Florida Department of Health Bankhead-Coley Cancer Research Program to build and verify a 3D perspective visualization guidance system for use with prostate biopsy equipment at the UF Urology Clinic.

Lakeshia Cousin, Ph.D., APRN, AGPCNP-BC, a research assistant professor in the UF College of Nursing, has placed her commitment to health equity above all else. She is researching ways to not only improve health outcomes for African Americans, but also inspire bright futures for a diverse nursing workforce.

Jordan Milner, M.D., a clinical assistant professor in the division of hematology & oncology in the department of pediatrics in the University of Florida College of Medicine, has been awarded a $125,000 grant from the Live Like Bella® Pediatric Cancer Research Initiative to study the use of alpha/beta T-cell and B-cell depletion in allogeneic stem cell transplantation in malignant diseases.

A group led by Dejana Braithwaite, Ph.D., associate director of cancer population sciences at the Cancer Center, created an aid that presents clinician perspectives on screening mammography. The team found that the tool helped better inform older women about breast cancer risk, as well as the potential benefits and harms of continued screening.

The University of Florida has been awarded $3.6 million of a $23.5 million multicenter grant for a four-year data-generation project aimed at building an infrastructure for artificial intelligence in critical care and advancing artificial intelligence in ways that improve patients’ ability to recover from life-threatening illnesses. Elizabeth Shenkman, Ph.D., associate director for community outreach and engagement at the Cancer Center, and Yi Guo, Ph.D., a member of the Cancer Center, are part of the UF multidisciplinary team.

Florida’s vaccination rate for a virus that can take hold early and cause cancer later in life is among the nation’s lowest, and its rate of those cancers is among the nation’s highest. Stephanie Staras, Ph.D., associate professor in the department of health outcomes and biomedical informatics in the UF College of Medicine, aims to reduce this risk by addressing multiple barriers to vaccination in rural areas with the help of a $4 million, five-year National Institutes of Health grant. 

Brent Reynolds, Ph.D., a professor in the Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery in the University of Florida College of Medicine, has received a $250,000 grant from the Florida Department of Health Live Like Bella® Pediatric Cancer Research Initiative to research a new method of treatment for glioblastoma.

The Ocala Royal Dames raises funds that are donated to cancer research through the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa and the UF Health Cancer Center. Since its founding, the nonprofit has donated more than $4 million to cancer research.