An NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Research
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer death in the United States and worldwide. While common oncogenic mutations in CRC have been identified, attempts to target these pathways have had limited success. Jian Yu, PhD, Professor of Pathology…
Tumors do not grow in isolation, but are surrounded by a rich microenvironment that contains blood vessels, fibroblasts, immune cells, and a multitude of other components. Cancer cells can influence their microenvironment through extracellular signaling mechanisms to enable and/or enhance…
While novel immunotherapies are revolutionizing the way some cancers are treated, not all patients will respond to treatment, underlining the need for biomarkers that can predict potential clinical benefit and monitor a patient’s response. Until recently, immune activity within and…
It is estimated that 40% of melanomas contain BRAF mutations that promote cancer cell growth. While previous studies have shown that treatment with the combination of inhibitors targeting BRAF (dabrafenib) and MEK (trametinib) improved survival in patients with advanced, unresectable…
Through Hillman Foundation and Henry L. Hillman Foundation, the late Henry and Elsie Hillman made generous contributions throughout the Pittsburgh region, especially in science and medicine. Their vision of making Pittsburgh a renowned leader in cancer care became a reality…
Last August, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center became one of only two academic centers in the nation to secure a competitive contract from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to perform preclinical and clinical pharmacology research critical to the development of new…
Medicaid is the largest insurance program in the United States and provides health care coverage for many low-income individuals. Medicaid is administered at the state level, and therefore, the structure and extent of coverage provided in each state varies across…
Immunotherapy drugs that utilize the immune system to detect and kill cancer cells have been successful against several cancers, yet they are still only effective in approximately 10 to 30 percent of patients with certain tumor types. UPMC Hillman Cancer…
A novel gene therapy using CRISPR genome editing technology effectively targets cancer-causing “fusion genes” and improves survival in mouse models of aggressive liver and prostate cancers, UPCI researchers reported in a study published this month in Nature Biotechnology. Fusion genes,…
Oncolytic viruses can selectively kill cancer cells and cancer-promoting cells, either directly by binding and infecting them, or indirectly by eliciting a targeted immune response against them. UPCI investigators have been examining the anti-cancer efficacy of an immune-stimulating vaccinia virus,…
