Moffitt Cancer Center Taps W. Gregory Sawyer, Ph.D., as Inaugural Chair of the Department of Bioengineering

Moffitt Cancer Center has launched the Department of Bioengineering. The new academic research department will be housed within the Division of Basic Science and led by W. Gregory Sawyer, Ph.D. Bioengineering integrates the disciplines of engineering and cancer biology.

Moffitt Receives $3.7 Million Grant to Increase Minority Accrual to Cancer Treatment Trials

Moffitt Cancer Center’s efforts to increase minority accrual to cancer treatment trials got a boost from the National Cancer Institute’s Connecting Underrepresented Populations to Clinical Trials U01 Grants Program. The five-year, $3.7 million grant will help the cancer center develop new digital tools and community outreach strategies to reach Black and Hispanic cancer patients and physicians in the Tampa Bay community.

Genomic Testing Can Identify African American Prostate Cancer Patients Who Have High-Risk Disease

Moffitt Cancer Center has conducted the first prospective study to investigate genomic biomarkers associated with aggressive disease in African American men with prostate cancer. The study results were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Dual Checkpoint Inhibitor Blockade Shows Promise as First-Line and Salvage Therapy for Merkel Cell Carcinoma Patients

Moffitt Cancer Center is one of two institutions in the U.S. investigating a new dual checkpoint inhibitor therapy with or without stereotactic body radiation therapy for patients with Merkel cell carinoma. Results from the phase 2 clinical trial were published in The Lancet, in conjunction with a presentation at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress.

Moffitt Physicians Lead International Study to Identify Melanoma Patients with High-Risk Disease

In a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center physicians, along with a team of international researchers from eight other cancer centers, report on their identification of high-risk patients with stage 3A disease and microscopic lymph node metastases who would benefit from adjuvant therapy.

Moffitt Researchers Use Mathematical Modeling to Explain Immunotherapy Responses

In a new article published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers demonstrate how mathematical modeling can be used to analyze the impact of different cancer treatments on tumor and immune cell dynamics and help predict outcomes to therapy and personalize cancer treatment.

Moffitt Researchers Create Software Program that Allows Simultaneous Viewing of Tissue Images Through Dimensionality Reduction

Imaging of tissue specimens is an important aspect of translational research that bridges the gap between basic laboratory science and clinical science to improve the understanding of cancer and aid in the development of new therapies. To analyze images to their fullest potential, scientists ideally need an application that enables multiple images to be viewed simultaneously. In an article published in the journal Patterns, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers describe a new open-source software program they developed that allows users to view many multiplexed images simultaneously.

Moffitt Researchers Identify Splice Variant Biomarkers in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Scientists are trying to improve their understanding of the development of clear cell renal cell carcinoma to develop new targeted therapeutics. In a new study published in European Urology, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers identify biomarkers for this disease type and develop a tool to indicate which patients are at high risk of poor outcomes based on their biomarker expression.

Moffitt Study Shows Adaptive Therapy Improves Outcomes, Reduces Care Costs for Prostate Cancer Patients

Researchers in Center of Excellence for Evolutionary Therapy at Moffitt Cancer Center are thinking outside the box and studying an alternative approach called adaptive therapy that is based on evolutionary principles and mathematical modeling. In a new article in eLife, the researchers report updated results from a pilot clinical trial evaluating an adaptive therapy approach using the drug abiraterone to treat patients with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer.

Moffitt Researchers Contribute to Discovery of Mechanism Leading to Drug Resistance in Prostate Cancer

In a new article published in Science Translational Medicine, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers reveal a mechanism by which prostate cancer cells become resistant through molecular modification of the androgen receptor protein and identify a potential treatment approach that could overcome this resistance.

Moffitt Researchers Identify Pathway that Regulates Lipid Synthesis and Contributes to Tumor Survival

In a new study published in the journal Cell Reports, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers show that cancer cells in an acidic environment undergo lipid synthesis and accumulation. The team identified the key signaling molecules responsible for these changes and discovered that these alterations are associated with poor outcomes and disease progression among breast cancer patients.

Moffitt Researchers Develop Model to Predict Patients with Poor Lung Cancer Outcomes

Moffitt Cancer Center researchers are working to improve the ability to identify patients who are at a higher risk of poor survival through radiomics, an area of science that uses imaging, such as CT scans and MRIs, to uncover tumoral patterns and characteristics that may not be easy to spot by the naked eye. Results of their newest study was published today in Cancer Biomarkers.

Moffitt Participating in National Pilot Project to Increase Diversity in Clinical Trials

Moffitt Cancer Center is participating in a national pilot project being conducted by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC). The pilot project is testing a research site self-assessment tool and an implicit bias training program focused on increasing racial and ethnic diversity among cancer treatment trial participants.

Patients Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Have Better Quality of Life, Moffitt Analysis Shows

In a new article published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers report that patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors have a higher self-reported quality of life than patients treated with other types of therapy.

Moffitt Cancer Center Joins Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to Help Stop Blood Cancer

Moffitt Cancer Center has joined Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to provide free screenings to eligible adults who are at a higher risk for having or developing multiple myeloma or other related conditions. This initiative is through the PROMISE Study, a national cancer screening/cohort program to help researchers understand who is at risk based on a number of factors. The goal is to detect multiple myeloma before it becomes symptomatic and to monitor those who are at increased risk in order to study and hopefully prevent the development of the disease.

Moffitt Researchers Develop Model to Predict Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patient Outcomes to Immunotherapy

In a new article published in JNCI Cancer Spectrum, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers describe a prediction model they have created that includes information calculated from computed tomography images that can identify non-small cell lung cancer patients who are not likely to respond to immunotherapy.

Adoptive Cell Therapy Plus Checkpoint Inhibitors Show Promise in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Researchers in Moffitt Cancer Center’s Lung Cancer Center of Excellence believe a combination of checkpoint inhibitors with adoptive cell therapy could be the answer for non-small cell lung cancer patients. Results of their investigator-initiated phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab in combination with tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy was published today in Nature Medicine.

Moffitt Researchers Show Beta-Cutaneous HPV May Be Predictor of Squamous Cell Carcinoma

In a new article published online ahead of print in the journal Cancer Research, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers demonstrate a link between the presence of cutaneous human papillomavirus and the incidence of squamous cell carcinomas and identify key characteristics of infection that may contribute to development of the disease.

An Educational Intervention Can Help Vapers Use Their E-Cigarettes to Quit Smoking, Moffitt Study Finds

In a new article published in The Lancet Public Health, they report results from a first-of-its kind nationwide study evaluating a targeted intervention aimed at transforming dual users’ e-cigarettes from a product that might maintain smoking into a tool that can be used to aid smoking cessation.

Moffitt Researchers Develop Non-invasive Approach to Measure Biomarker Levels, Predict Outcomes in Lung Cancer Patients

In a new article published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers show that PET/CT images can be used to measure levels of the PD-L1 biomarker of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients in a non-invasive manner and, in turn, predict a patient’s response to therapy.

Analyzing the Tumor Microenvironment at the Single Cell Level Sheds Light on Metastatic Melanoma Outcomes, Moffitt Study Shows

In a new article published in Clinical Cancer Research, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers reveal how different therapies impact the surrounding immune environment of metastatic melanoma tumors according to location and identify a rare population of immune cells that is associated with improved overall survival.

Moffitt Cancer Center Experts to Present New Clinical Research Data

Moffitt Cancer Center, a national leader in cancer care and research and the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center based in Florida, is presenting new data from dozens of clinical research studies at this year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, the world’s largest clinical cancer research meeting. Moffitt investigators will lead 25 abstract presentations, five education sessions, two cancer-based panels and two clinical science symposia. The virtual meeting is June 4-8.

A World without Cervical Cancer: Preventive Medicine publishes special issue to further global efforts to eliminate deadly disease

Cervical cancer is a serious global health threat which kills more than 300,000 women every year. Recognizing this urgent public health issue, the editorial team of Preventive Medicine is publishing a special issue titled “From Science to Action to Impact: Eliminating Cervical Cancer,” which outlines the required courses of action to eliminate cervical cancer. Dr. Anna Giuliano and Dr. Linda Niccolai, two giants in the field of cervical cancer prevention research, served as guest editors for the issue.

Moffitt Researchers Show Sequential Treatment with Immunotherapy and Checkpoint Inhibitors Prolongs Anti-Tumor Activity

In a new article published in Cancer Immunology Research, the Moffitt team shows that sequential administration of immunotherapy followed by targeted therapy prolongs anti-tumor responses in preclinical models and may be a potential treatment option for patients with advanced melanoma.

Lung Cancer Cells Have Differential Signaling Responses to KRAS Inhibitor Treatment with Important Implications for Emerging Clinical Trials

In a new article published in Clinical Cancer Research, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers show that various subtypes of lung cancer cells activate different signaling pathways in response to KRASG12C inhibitor treatment. These results may help identify potential combination therapy approaches and guide treatment decisions for lung cancer patients in the future.

Moffitt Researchers Use Mathematical Modeling to Identify Factors that Determine Adaptive Therapy Success

In a new article featured on this month’s cover of Cancer Research, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers, in collaboration with Oxford University, report results from their study using mathematical modeling to show that cell turnover impacts drug resistance and is an important factor that governs the success of adaptive therapy.

Investigational Combo Therapy Shows Benefit for TP53 Mutant MDS and Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients

Moffitt Cancer Center is leading a national, multicenter clinical trial investigating a new therapy option for this group of patients. It builds upon the standard of care therapy, combining eprenetapopt (APR-246) with the chemotherapy azacitidine. Results of the phase 1b/2 trial to determine the safety, recommended dose and efficacy of the combination therapy were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Spontaneous Cell Fusions Amplify Genetic Diversity Within Tumors, Moffitt Researchers Say

mechanism available to pathogenic microbes – the ability to exchange and recombine genetic material between different cells. However, in a new article published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers demonstrate that this belief is wrong and that cancer cells are capable of exchanging and recombining their genetic material with each other through a mechanism mediated by cell fusions.

Moffitt Researchers Identify How Cancer Cells Adapt to Survive Harsh Tumor Microenvironments

To better understand the conditions that select for the Warburg Effect and the mechanisms where cells can express this metabolic adaptation, Moffitt researchers subjected nonmalignant cells to the harsh tumor microenvironment that is present during early carcinogenesis, known as ductal carcinoma in situ. In a new research article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the Moffitt team shows that these conditions select for cells to express a Warburg Effect.

Study Identifies Exposure to Common Food-Borne Pathogen Linked to Rare Brain Cancer

A new study suggests a link between toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection and the risk of glioma, a type of brain cancer, in adults. The report, appearing in the International Journal of Cancer, finds that people who have glioma are more likely to have antibodies to T. gondii (indicating that they have had a previous infection) than a similar group that was cancer free.

Moffitt Researchers Discover Potential New Drug Target to Treat Cutaneous T Cell Lymphoma

In order to improve their understanding of how CTCL develops in hopes of developing new therapies, a team of Moffitt immunologists and hematologists conducted a series of studies. In an article published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, they demonstrate that decreased expression of the protein SATB1 contributes to CTCL development and that drugs that cause SATB1 to become re-expressed may be potential treatment options for this disease.

Moffitt Researchers Identify Genomic and Immune Indicators That Predict Lethal Outcomes in High-Grade Prostate Cancer

Moffitt Cancer Center researchers conducted studies to determine if genomic heterogeneity in tumors from grade 4/5 prostate cancer patients can be exploited to identify patient subsets that are at higher risk for lethal outcomes and that may benefit from targeted treatment strategies. Their results were published in the journal European Urology.

Moffitt Program Bringing Patients, Scientists Together Infuses New Meaning into Research

Because they spend most of their time in their labs, basic science researchers rarely get to meet the patients who benefit most from their work. A group at Moffitt Cancer Center decided to change that, and with the creation of the Patient Researcher Forum, the cancer center has found a way for researchers and patients to engage with each other.

Moffitt Researchers Create Chimeric Antigen Receptor Mutations to Enhance CAR T Cell Activity and Survival

Moffitt Cancer Center researchers are working to improve CAR T responses and make those responses more long-lasting for patients. In a new article published in Cancer Immunology Research, the team shares its findings, which show alterations to a specific domain of the chimeric antigen receptor enhances CAR T-cell activity and survival.