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Stand Up To Cancer has awarded USC Norris a $550,000 Grant to Help Diverse Populations Access Cancer Clinical Trials

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Stand Up To Cancer has awarded USC Norris a $550,000 Grant to Help Diverse Populations Access Cancer Clinical Trials

By Hinde Kast

February 8, 2023

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To reduce health disparities and advance health equity, it is crucial that people from diverse backgrounds participate in clinical trials, so researchers can better understand the risks as well as the benefits novel treatments present to different populations.

Now, a two-year grant from Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C) will fund a new program at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center to eliminate barriers and facilitate access to early phase cancer clinical trials in traditionally underserved communities in Los Angeles County. This grant was funded as part of the SU2C Diversity in Early Development Clinical Trials Research Grants Program and is supported by a sponsorship from Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. As a part of SU2C’s Health Equity Initiative, the program aims to create unique and replicable approaches that engage medically underserved communities in Phase 1 and Phase 2 cancer clinical trials.

“We are very excited to work with SU2C to improve access to early therapeutic trials among diverse patients through an innovative collaboration with hospitals that serve underrepresented patients within the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, the Lazarex Foundation, and the Men’s Cancer Network,” said Chanita Hughes Halbert, PhD, associate director for cancer equity at USC Norris cancer center. “By working collaboratively with these stakeholders, we will be able to develop, implement, and evaluate multilevel approaches to improve referrals to early phase trials and enhance enrollment outcomes.”

Co-led by Anthony El-Khoueiry, MD, associate director for clinical research at the cancer center, and Dr. Hughes Halbert, the research team will implement a project entitled Eliminating Enrollment Barriers to Early Phase Trials in a Diverse Population in Los Angeles County. The team will first identify barriers to referral of underserved patients from the center’s diverse catchment area for early phase therapeutic trials. They will then implement and evaluate a multilevel, multi-component program for removing those barriers and improving early phase therapeutic trials referral and enrollment among underserved patients and explore the impact of remote clinical trials on enhancing the enrollment of these patients.

“Cancer clinical trial diversity in Los Angeles needs to be improved significantly to represent and serve our underserved communities,” said Dr. El-Khoueiry, who is also an associate professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “Through a more strategic, collaborative approach with oncology care providers, facilitated referral and recruitment processes involving private and public health systems collaboration, a more targeted review of our patient demographics and further exploration of remote clinical trials, we hope to advance cancer health equity by facilitating access to early phase trials among our community’s medically underserved patients.”

Additionally, as part of the project, USC Norris cancer center researchers will participate in the SU2C Community Engagement Innovation Summit, connecting with other leaders in health equity to identify common goals and approaches to overcome existing barriers through community outreach.

“The SU2C Diversity in Early Development Clinical Trials Research Grant Program offers a unique opportunity to leverage USC Norris faculty members’ extensive experience increasing access to clinical trials among individuals historically underrepresented in trials,” said Caryn Lerman PhD, director of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, H. Leslie and Elaine S. Hoffman Chair in Cancer Research, and associate dean for cancer programs in the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “Leveraging the center’s robust early phase clinical trials program, this team aims to develop scalable models to advance equity in clinical trials.”

Additional researchers on the team include Jacob Thomas, MD, Jorge Nieva, MD, Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati, PhD, Myles Cockburn, PhD and Jennifer Tsui, PhD, all members of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and faculty from the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

SU2C raises funds to accelerate the pace of groundbreaking research that provides new therapies to patients quickly and saves lives now. By galvanizing the entertainment industry, SU2C has set out to generate awareness, educate the public on cancer prevention, and help more people diagnosed with cancer become long-term survivors.

About USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center

At the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, more than 250 dedicated physicians and scientists are leading the fight to make cancer a disease of the past. As one of the eight original National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the United States, USC Norris has revolutionized cancer research, treatment, and prevention for nearly 50 years. Multidisciplinary teams provide the latest evidence-based care at USC Norris Cancer Hospital, a 60-bed hospital, as well as outpatient clinics throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties.

For more information, visit https://uscnorriscancer.usc.edu

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USC Norris receives American Cancer Society grant to enhance innovative research by new investigators

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USC Norris receives American Cancer Society grant to enhance innovative research by new investigators

December 13, 2022

By Hinde Kast 

Photo by Ricardo Carrasco

With scientists facing increasingly stiff competition for federal research dollars, Institutional Research Grants (IRG), funded by the American Cancer Society (ACS), provide a critical leg up for junior faculty seeking to launch their independent careers in cancer research. The grants help new investigators accumulate the substantial preliminary data needed to secure long-term stable research funding.

Thanks to a continuing ACS IRG, USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center will be able to further one of its key missions — fostering the career evolution of the next generation of cancer researchers. Myles Cockburn, PhD, co-leader of the USC Norris Cancer Control Research Program, and Caryn Lerman, PhD, director of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, oversee the grant, which supports cancer research by faculty at the rank of Instructor or Assistant Professor who have not yet received national funding.

“This continuing partnership between USC Norris and the American Cancer Society recognizes the critical importance of targeting resources to the best and brightest of our new scientists, ensuring that the future of innovative cancer research gets a jump start which can then be maintained across successful careers directed at tackling cancer disparities and reducing the cancer burden,” said Dr. Myles Cockburn, who is a professor of population and public health sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “This partnership puts our future in good hands!”

The grant will fund pilot work, training, mentoring, and career development focusing on addressing cancer disparities in the populations of Los Angeles and beyond. The funding recognizes the cancer center’s dedication to developing the next generation of cancer researchers, supporting their efforts to encourage junior faculty to work with local communities to enhance the impact of their research, and to provide mechanisms for communicating research success stories to cancer survivors and community members.

The growing applicant pool for junior faculty at USC represents diverse cancer research interests – ranging from basic to clinical, pharmaceutical, etiological, behavioral, and psychosocial studies of cancer – and many different departments and schools throughout the University of Southern California. To meet those interests, the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center has launched various programmatic initiatives such as personalized oncology medicine, cellular therapy, breast oncology, chemoprevention, immunology, bioinformatics, genetics and genomics among others.

“The ACS IRG is an invaluable and unique resource to provide research funding to junior faculty members who are beginning their independent research careers in the areas of cancer biology and treatment at USC Norris,” said Lerman, who is also the H. Leslie and Elaine S. Hoffman Chair in Cancer Research, and Associate Dean for cancer programs at the Keck School of Medicine. “It has a long and valued history at our university, providing support and encouragement that subsequently lead to successful national and statewide competition for peer-reviewed grant support. The ACS IRG has truly enhanced cancer-related research among junior faculty across a broad spectrum of disciplines.”

About USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center 

At the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, more than 250 dedicated physicians and scientists are leading the fight to make cancer a disease of the past. As one of the eight original National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the United States, USC Norris has revolutionized cancer research, treatment, and prevention for nearly 50 years. Multidisciplinary teams provide the latest evidence-based care at USC Norris Cancer Hospital, a 60-bed hospital, as well as outpatient clinics throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties.

For more information, visit https://uscnorriscancer.usc.edu.   

About The American Cancer Society    

The American Cancer Society is the leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision to end cancer as we know it for everyone. For more than 100 years, we have been the only organization improving the lives of people with cancer and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support, to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. To learn more, visit cancer.org or call our 24/7 helpline at 1-800-227-2345. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

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PHASE ONE Foundation has awarded Dr. Kevin Kelly at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center $150,000 to fund a phase 2 study investigating the efficacy of a novel combination of drugs to treat relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma

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PHASE ONE Foundation has awarded Dr. Kevin Kelly at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center $150,000 to fund a phase 2 study investigating the efficacy of a novel combination of drugs to treat relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma

Originally posted on PHASE ONE Foundation News

October 13, 2022 

Multiple myeloma is the second most common hematologic malignancy. It is a type of blood cancer that targets plasma cells, causing them to multiply unchecked, taking over space in the bone marrow of those affected, and producing excessive harmful proteins.  Multiple myeloma causes many secondary problems, including anemia, severe bone pain, and an inability to fight infection. The average life expectancy after diagnosis is three to five years, and 12,000 individuals lose their lives to it each year. It is seen most commonly in African American populations, and Hispanic patients have the lowest survival rate.

Multiple myeloma is considered incurable at present. There are many available therapies at initial diagnosis, but most patients experience relapse at one to three years. Treatment after relapse requires combination therapy to enhance the body’s antitumor immune response. Dr. Kelly and his team have previously combined Pelareorep (Pela) and Bortezomib (Bz) in a trial with a remarkable 55% response rate, significantly more successful than other available rescue therapies. 

“We are very excited to take our novel immunotherapy approach targeting multiple myeloma to the next phase of development,” said Dr. Kelly, member of the USC Norris Translational and Clinical Sciences Program and Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine. “Our approach of combining an oncolytic virus and an immune checkpoint therapy seeks to harness the potential of the immune system for optimal disease control.”

In the current trial, Dr. Kelly will expand to add Pembrolizumab (Keytruda®), a PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor, to allow and enhance the anti-tumor immune response of Pela and Bz. Pela has dramatic PD-L1 immune priming effects (by increasing cell expression of PD-L1) that make it an optimally precise agent to sensitize multiple myeloma cells to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. In the lab, this drug combination demonstrated a significant decrease in disease burden and increased overall survival.  

“We are very grateful to the PHASE ONE Foundation for their support which will bring new treatments to the clinic and renewed hope to patients,” said Caryn Lerman PhD, Director of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, H. Leslie and Elaine S. Hoffman Chair in Cancer Research, and Associate Dean for cancer programs in the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “These scientific discoveries would not be possible without philanthropic partners such as the PHASE ONE Foundation.”

This trial will establish the safety and efficacy of this specific combination of medications in patients with recurrent multiple myeloma.  It will also evaluate predictive biomarkers of treatment success to aid future trials in this realm.  PHASE ONE will support the operations aspect of this innovative and necessary clinical trial, ultimately accelerating the development of a new combination therapy to treat multiple myeloma.  Mieke Neumann, Co-Chair of the Granting Committee for PHASE ONE Foundation, remarked, “Dr. Kelly’s innovative use of drugs and immunotherapy gives those who have been diagnosed with multiple myeloma and those who love them new hope!”

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USC Norris shares $500,000 federal grant with Chinatown Service Center to improve equity in cervical cancer screening and treatment

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USC Norris shares $500,000 federal grant with Chinatown Service Center to improve equity in cervical cancer screening and treatment

USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center is taking part in a new program launched by the Department of Health and Human Services to improve access to cancer care by partnering NCI designated cancer centers with community health centers across the country.

By Hinde Kast 

October 19, 2022

Due to the HPV vaccine and screenings, the vast majority of cervical cancers are preventable. Yet each year 13,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 4,000 women die from the disease in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Los Angeles County, racial/ethnic minorities and other marginalized groups, including Chinese Americans and Latinas, are more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer.

To address this disparity, the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center (USC Norris) is joining forces with the Chinatown Service Center to improve access to life-saving cervical cancer screenings, referrals, and treatment for Chinese and Latina women in Central Los Angeles. This first-of-its-kind partnership is part of a new program just launched by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to promote equitable access to cancer screenings and care by bringing community health centers together with National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Cancer Centers. The Chinatown Service Center is one of 11 community health centers across the country sharing a $5 million award from HRSA to implement the new partnerships — and it is the only one in Los Angeles.

“I am extremely excited by the partnership between USC Norris and the Chinatown Service Center and the initiatives that will be developed and implemented to find ways to optimize access, shorten the time frame between diagnosis and treatment, and enhance the quality and delivery of screening and follow up to abnormal findings for cervical cancer patients in our catchment area,” said Dr. Caryn Lerman, director of USC Norris, H. Leslie Hoffman and Elaine S. Hoffman Chair in Cancer Research and associate dean for cancer programs. “We hope to become a model for the nation on how this innovative work can be done to improve cancer outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients and their families.”

USC Norris efforts will be led by Jennifer Tsui, Ph.D., MPH, a member of the USC Norris Cancer Control Research Program and associate professor at the Keck School of Medicine’s Department of Population and Public Health Sciences. The team also includes two additional USC Norris members, Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati, Ph.D., associate director for community outreach and engagement for USC Norris, and Chanita Hughes- Halbert, Ph.D.,associate director for cancer equity for USC Norris.

“Cervical cancer is a highly preventable disease, but the disproportionate burden of this cancer still rests on racial/ethnic minorities and other marginalized groups, including Chinese American and Latinx communities in Los Angeles,” said Dr. Tsui. “This HRSA-supported project with the Chinatown Service Center will play an instrumental role in facilitating improvement in access to cancer screenings and access to follow-up care while addressing social determinants of health, cultural influences, and structural health system barriers that lead to poor outcomes.”

Cervical cancer death rates within Los Angeles are nearly five times the rate of those in the county, state, and nation.  Ensuriing that vulnerable communities have access to HPV vaccines and early detection/screening strategies, which prevent 93% of cervical cancers, is vital to bringing the cervical cancer death rate down in the city.

“The partnership between the Chinatown Service Center and USC Norris supported by HRSA is truly a game changer,” said Dr. Baezconde-Garbanati, a professor in the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine. “Not only will this effort eliminate disparities, but it will help save lives. This grant will support significant systemic changes to accelerate the integration of traditionally medically underserved disadvantaged communities in Los Angeles into treatment, optimizing access, and shortening the time between screening, diagnosis, and follow-up care. We are delighted to join our Chinatown Service Center partners in this significant venture. “

To maximize equitable access to cervical cancer screening and treatment, the USC Norris cancer center and the Chinatown Service Center will work together to address barriers to equitable care by providing community outreach and patient education, training staff in cultural competency practices, especially for the female perspective; guiding patients through the treatment process; establishing referral pathways to ensure follow-up for abnormal screenings; establishing systems to assist patients in adhering to ongoing treatments; providing printed and electronic educational materials in culturally and language specific ways; and providing training in cervical cancer prevention and treatment so the support staff is equipped to provide education in the community.

“We are excited about the partnership between the Chinatown Service Center and USC Norris,” said Dr. Hughes-Halbert, vice chair for research and professor at the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences. “The investment made by HRSA to support cancer screening through collaborative partnerships between Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) and NCI-designated cancer centers leverages the resources and assets in these settings.  Working together to address key drivers of disparities at system, provider, and patient levels will bring us closer to cancer health equity.”

Founded in 1971, the Chinatown Service Center is one of the largest community-based Chinese- American organizations in Southern California. As a multi-service, non-profit community health center with FQHC designation, they care for underserved populations at their five clinic sites across Los Angeles County. At these sites, the Chinatown Service Center provides health, dental, and behavioral health services to diverse, immigrant, limited English speaking, and low-income populations. In addition to their community health centers, they also operate a youth center and social service offices, as well as provide economic development services.

“Chinatown Service Center is grateful to HRSA for the opportunity to work alongside the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center to help strengthen our tools to fight and prevent cancer,” said Jack Cheng, chief operating officer at the Chinatown Service Center. “We are so thrilled for this innovative partnership and what it will bring to the underserved patients in our community.”

This investment from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through HRSA, supports President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot Initiative and advances President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot goals, which aim to close the cancer screening gap, decrease the impact of preventable cancers, and support patients and caregivers.

About USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center

At the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, more than 250 dedicated physicians and scientists are leading the fight to make cancer a disease of the past. As one of the eight original National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the United States, USC Norris has revolutionized cancer research, treatment, and prevention for nearly 50 years. Multidisciplinary teams provide the latest evidence-based care at USC Norris Cancer Hospital, a 60-bed hospital, as well as outpatient clinics throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties.

For more information, visit https://uscnorriscancer.usc.edu

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32nd Festival of Life

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Doves are released during the annual Festival of Life. (Photo/Hinde Kast)

USC Norris Celebrates the Strength of Cancer Survivors at 32nd Annual Festival of Life

By Hinde Kast 

The spirited sounds of the USC Trojan Marching Band reverberating through Pappas Quad at the Health Sciences Campus kicked off the 32nd Festival of Life – the first one in-person since June 2019.

Hosted by USC Norris on June 4, this event celebrated the strength, resilience, and tenacity of cancer survivors. The morning was filled with uplifting words of survivorship, inspirational speeches from cancer survivors, and a breathtaking dove release.

The USC Trojan Marching Band performs to kick off the Festival of Life. (Photo/Lusine Davtyan)
Joi Torrence-Hill, Dr. Steven Grossman, Debbie Sierra Wilhelm, and Mars Robles at Festival of Life (Picture/Lusine Davtyan)

The event included opening remarks by Steven Grossman, MD, PhD, deputy director for Cancer Services at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Joi Torrence-Hill, MHA, chief of hospital operations for the USC Norris Cancer Hospital. Cancer survivors, including Mars Robles, a sarcoma cancer survivor, and Debbie Sierra Wilhelm, an acute myeloid leukemia cancer survivor, shared their experiences and talked about their hopes for the future. Moreover, Chaplain Symeon Yee led an invocation and blessing for the event.

“Never lose hope,” said Ms.Wilhelm. “Don’t let your thoughts consume you. Stay focused. There are people out there that genuinely want to help you. The doctors, nurses, and support staff at USC Norris are here for us. They are and will continue to be my guiding light. I can’t begin to thank everyone at USC Norris for being there during my darkest hours.”

Judy Stark, a 21-year cancer survivor and volunteer at USC Norris, led the tradition of inviting cancer survivors to stand amid applause during the Festival of Life in a show of celebration and support. Cancer survivors ranging from 20 years or more to those who are just beginning in their survivorship were honored and received a roaring round of applause by all in attendance.

The event concluded with the release of the doves, a tradition of this annual celebration. Doves are symbols of hope. In releasing the doves that day, we not only celebrated cancer survivors and patients who battle their cancer every day, but also remembered those we’ve lost along the way.

“Hope is not a cliché,” said Dr. Grossman. “Hope is possibly the most potent weapon we hold in our cancer treatment arsenal.”

At the event, a tree of life was available for individuals to honor loved ones that have survived, are currently battling, or have lost their lives to cancer. Additionally, a gratitude board was available for patients and caregivers to share notes of appreciation to those who have helped them or a loved one on their cancer journey. Both the tree of life and the gratitude board are currently on display in the lobby of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. 

The 33rd annual USC Norris Festival of Life will take place on Saturday, June 3, 2023.

Tree of Life and Gratitude Board displayed in USC Norris lobby (Photos/Hinde Kast)
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Swing Against Cancer 2022

8th Annual Swing Against Cancer Event

REGISTER HERE
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Register today for the 8th Annual Swing Against Cancer Event which supports lifesaving cancer research at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. This event will be held in person at the Rancho La Quinta Country Club in La Quinta, California, on Friday, November 18, 2022. To register for the event, click the button above. 

For more information or to register, please contact:

Hannah Padilla  
USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
1441 Eastlake Avenue, Suite 8302 
Los Angeles, CA 90089 
Phone: 619.820.1290
Email: Hannah.Padilla@med.usc.edu

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New Study Demonstrates Feasibility of Non-invasive Profiling of Advanced Prostate Cancer by Combining Liquid Biopsies with Radiomic Analysis of CT Scans

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New Study Demonstrates Feasibility of Non-invasive Profiling of Advanced Prostate Cancer by Combining Liquid Biopsies with Radiomic Analysis of CT Scans

By Hinde Kast

May 9, 2022

Dr. Amir Goldkorn, study author and Associate Director for Translational Research at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center

Cancer can evolve and adapt during therapy, leading to resistance and progression. New non-invasive technologies can track these changes in real-time, but to date, these approaches have been developed in isolation, which only allows physicians to obtain a partial idea of what is happening with a patient’s tumor.

Now, a new study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences has demonstrated the feasibility of using a single tube of blood and computerized tomography (CT) scans to construct a complex cellular, molecular, and image profile of metastatic prostate cancer in real-time. Such a comprehensive cancer profile may help clinicians predict treatment response, disease progression and overall survival, leading to the development of better treatments.

“Having a more comprehensive picture of tumor biology provides a better understanding of disease progression and resistance mechanisms, which can lead to better therapies,” says study author Dr. Amir Goldkorn, Associate Director for Translational Research at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. “Having developed these capabilities, we are now excited to clinically validate the feasibility of this new approach in a large, national phase III trial for men with newly diagnosed metastatic prostate cancer, where these techniques will help us to track cancer progression and predict clinical outcomes.”

The two non-invasive technologies used in this study were liquid biopsy and radiomic analysis. Liquid biopsy detects rare material shed by tumors into the bloodstream, known as circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and cell-free DNA (cfDNA). Radiomic analysis uses artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to analyze image features in a CT scan. For this study, Dr. Goldkorn and his colleagues at USC Norris, Drs. Vinay Duddalwar and Tim Triche, combined cellular and molecular analysis of CTCs and cfDNA in blood samples with radiomic analysis of CT scans from 22 men with metastatic prostate cancer. They found that the radiomic CT scan analysis correlated with the liquid biopsy analysis. For example, some CT scan features were correlated with higher numbers of CTCs and DNA in the blood. Integration of data from the two complementary tests could provide a more comprehensive, non-invasive way to profile cancer and predict how the disease will respond to treatment.

The research team is now further testing the predictive value of this combined non-invasive approach to cancer profiling by correlating the results with clinical outcomes such as disease progression and overall survival in a multi-center phase III clinical trial for patients with advanced prostate cancer. Their studies are funded by a newly-awarded NCI R01 grant.

About this study:

In addition to Drs. Amir Goldkorn, Vinay Duddalwar, and Tim Triche,  other contributors from the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Keck School of Medicine include Drs. Jonathan Buckley, Steven Cen, David Quinn, Yi-Tsung “John” Lu, and Bino Varghese. Other major contributions were made by Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and RareCyte, Inc.

The study was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health (1R01CA257610-01) and the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center (P30CA014089). Drs. Goldkorn and Triche have received in-kind reagent contributions from RareCyte and Thermo Fisher Scientific. Dr. Duddalwar received research grants from Samsung Healthcare. 

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New Data Suggests Entinostat Decreases Immune Suppression and Promotes Antitumor Responses against HER2+ Breast Tumors

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New Data Suggests Entinostat Decreases Immune Suppression and Promotes Antitumor Responses against HER2+ Breast Tumors

March 7, 2022

By Hinde Kast 

Evanthia Roussos Torres MD, PhD, member of the Tumor Microenvironment Program at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center

Therapeutic combinations to alter the immunosuppressive, solid tumor microenvironment (TME), such as in breast cancer, are essential to improve responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), a new form of cancer immunotherapy. Entinostat, an oral histone deacetylase inhibitor, has been shown to improve responses to ICIs in various tumor models with an immunosuppressive TME. However, the precise alterations to the TME induced by entinostat remained unknown.
 
Now, a new study published in Cancer Immunology Research suggests that entinostat induced changes to multiple myeloid cell types, reduced immunosuppression, increased antitumor immune responses, and improved sensitivity to ICIs.
 
“We are excited to share our paper describing our work showing breast tumor sensitization to immune checkpoint inhibition using epigenetic modulation” says Evanthia Roussos Torres, MD, PhD, member of the USC Norris Tumor Microenvironment Program and Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine. “This work will aid in the development of novel strategies to improve response rates to immunotherapy of breast cancer.”
 
For this study Dr. Roussos Torres employed single-cell RNA sequencing on HER2-overexpressing breast tumors from mice treated with entinostat and ICIs to fully characterize changes across multiple cell types within the TME. This analysis demonstrated that treatment with entinostat induced a shift from a protumor to an antitumor TME signature, characterized predominantly by changes in myeloid cells in which suppressive signaling pathways were altered. In addition, tumor- associated macrophages were epigenetically reprogrammed from a protumor phenotype towards an antitumor phenotype. The study concluded that the use of entinostat could ultimately broaden the population of breast cancer patients that could benefit from ICIs.
 
About this study:
 
In addition to Dr. Evanthia Roussos Torres, other contributors from the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Keck School of Medicine include Drs. Julie K. Jang, Sofi Castanon, Aaron G. Baugh, Edgar Gonzalez, Valerie H. Narumi, Sathish Kumar Ganesan, and Min Yu. Other major contributions were made from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Medicine and Health at the University College Cork, University of Maryland Medical Center, and the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center.

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Cancer Moonshot funds will help USC researchers reduce health disparities in cancer research

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Cancer Moonshot funds will help USC researchers reduce health disparities in cancer research

January 28, 2022 | Originally posted on: Keck Medicine of USC News

$18.5 million in funding from the Cancer Moonshot will help researchers at USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center close the gap in our understanding of colorectal cancer in Hispanic patients

By Sarah Nightingale

Latino with Doctor

iStock

Medical trials lead to important innovations that save lives. But some racial and ethnic groups are woefully underrepresented in such research studies, leaving unanswered questions about how diseases and treatments affect these populations.

“A major reason for this is that we have not done enough to understand how to engage with patients and communities to reveal the barriers and concerns and to create approaches that are sensitive and culturally appropriate,” said John Carpten, PhD, professor and chair of translational genomics at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, director of the Institute of Translational Genomics, associate director of basic sciences at USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Royce and Mary Trotter Chair in Cancer Research.

With support from a five-year, $18.5 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), as part of the Cancer Moonshot, researchers at USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center are working to address these gaps. Carpten and Heinz-Josef Lenz, MD, FACP, professor of medicine, associate director of clinical research at USC Norris cancer center and J. Terrence Lanni Chair in Gastrointestinal Cancer Research, will lead these efforts under a new center, the University of Southern California Center for Optimization of Participant Engagement for Cancer Characterization (USC COPECC).

“Each cancer patient is unique, but what we learn from one helps others,” said David Wesley Craig, PhD, professor of translational genomics and co-director of the Institute of Translational Genomics. “Studying diverse populations is the next opportunity to new therapies, new approaches, and better diagnostics across the board.”

Congress passed the 21st Century Cures Act in December 2016, authorizing $1.8 billion in funding for the Cancer Moonshot over 7 years. USC COPECC is among five Research Centers and a Coordinating Center within the Cancer Moonshot Participant Engagement and Cancer Genome Sequencing (PE-CGS) Network. The USC team will focus on improving our understanding of colorectal cancer in Hispanic patients by identifying new ways to engage patients in genomic research—the study of our genes and the role they play in diseases like cancer.

“There is a significant disparity in the knowledge that we have about the tumor landscape of colorectal cancer among Hispanics,” said Mariana Stern, PhD, professor of clinical population and public health sciences and urology, associate director of population science at USC Norris cancer center and the Ira Goodman Chair in Cancer Research. “This has implications for the development of new therapies that may specifically benefit Hispanic patients. Our study will help close this gap of knowledge in a significant way.”

Partnering with community-based health organizations, the researchers will develop and share culturally relevant educational materials that aim to empower patients and community members to make informed decisions about their health and become savvy consumers of the opportunities available to them.

Los Angeles, the source of most of the patients at USC Norris cancer center, has the largest Hispanic population of all U.S. cities. According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is both the second most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in this population group. Lenz said the study will help the researchers understand why this population is particularly at-risk.

“Hispanics develop colon cancer early which we still don’t understand,” said Lenz, who is also co-director of the USC Norris Center for Cancer Drug Development. “With this grant we will be able to show for the first time comprehensive characterization of colon cancer in Hispanics and, based on this, not only understand early onset of colon cancer but also develop more effective therapeutic options for our Hispanic patients.”

“I’m thrilled to be part of the USC Norris Moonshot team,” said Caryn Lerman, PhD, director of the USC Norris cancer center, H. Leslie Hoffman and Elaine S. Hoffman Chair in Cancer Research and associate dean for cancer programs. “This research will have a transformative impact in our diverse catchment area and beyond.”

Additional members of the USC COPECC research team include Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati, PhD, professor of population and public health sciences, associate dean for community initiatives and associate director for community outreach and engagement; Julie Culver, MS, instructor of clinical medicine and genetic counselor; Charite Ricker, MS, instructor of clinical medicine and genetic counselor; Bodour Salhia, PhD, associate professor of translational genomics and co-leader of the genomic and epigenomic program at USC Norris cancer center; Juan Pablo Lewinger, PhD. assistant professor of population and public health sciences; Jim Gauderman, PhD, professor of population and public health sciences and Chair of Biostatistics Division; Sue Ellen Martin, MD, associate professor of pathology, associate chief of anatomic pathology at Keck Medical Center of USC and USC Norris Cancer Center Hospital and associate director of AP quality and operations at LAC+USC Medical Center

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USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center launches global clinical trial testing potential therapy for aggressive type of breast cancer

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USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center launches global clinical trial testing potential therapy for aggressive type of breast cancer

October 11, 2021 | Originally posted on: Keck Medicine of USC News

The therapy combines a monoclonal antibody and anti-cancer medication to deliver targeted doses directly to the tumor cells

Photo by: Shutterstock

LOS ANGELES — USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of Keck Medicine of USC, has launched a global registration, phase 2 clinical trial investigating the efficacy of a potential new breast cancer therapy called ARX788.

The trial is currently recruiting breast cancer patients whose cancer has metastasized (spread to other areas of the body) and whose tumors show increased levels of a protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Participants must also have experienced resistance or disease progression while on treatment plans containing T-DM1, and/or T-DXd, and/or tucatinib, which are typically prescribed for HER2-positive breast cancer patients.

About 20% of breast cancers are HER2 positive. The HER2 protein promotes cancer cell growth, which can make HER2-positive breast cancer more aggressive and difficult to treat, despite the availability of therapeutic options specific to this type of cancer.

Chemotherapy may be used in combination with targeted therapies, but can cause difficult side effects because the drug is administered throughout the body rather than just to the areas affected by cancer.

“At USC Norris, we treat a large volume of patients with HER2-positive, metastatic breast cancer and we’ve found that resistance to existing therapies is a major issue,” said Janice Lu, MD, PhD, a medical oncologist with Keck Medicine, medical director of the USC comprehensive breast oncology program and global lead principal investigator of the trial. “We are excited to lead this effort in assessing a possible alternative solution for breast cancer patients, and hope to expand our ability to provide effective personalized care.”

Michael Press, MD, PhD, a pathologist with Keck Medicine, member of USC Norris and the director of the Breast Cancer Analysis Lab at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, will lead the study’s pathological evaluation.

ARX788 is an antibody drug conjugate, which is a type of therapy that combines a monoclonal antibody with a potent dose of medication, allowing for precise, targeted drug delivery that could potentially lessen side effects. ARX788 is designed with an anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody that identifies HER2-positive tumor cells to deliver a powerful dose of Amberstatin269, which destroys cancer cells and prevents new cells from forming.

Results from two phase 1 clinical trials demonstrated promising anti-tumor activity in patients who had previously received aggressive treatment plans, showing an overall response rate of 74% and a disease control rate of up to 100%, depending on dosing. ARX788 was well-tolerated, with most adverse events being mild or moderate.

“If this drug is effective, it could provide a hopeful alternative to patients with a difficult prognosis and help them maintain a quality of life in ways that chemotherapy cannot,” said Lu, who is also a member of USC Norris.

The trial is currently recruiting participants at more than 20 sites across the United States and Australia, with plans to open 150 sites worldwide, including Europe and Asia.

Those interested in enrolling at the USC Norris site can contact (323) 865-BRST (323-865-2778). To learn more about USC Norris breast cancer research, treatment and prevention please visit the USC Breast Center.

The trial is sponsored by Ambrx, which manufactures ARX788. Those wishing to learn more about the trial can email breast03trialinquiry@ambrx.com.

This study will be presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on Dec. 7-10, 2021 as an ongoing trial.