Center for Health Sciences at the University of Texas in San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) received $ 3,190,420 in new university research prizes as part of the last $ 68 million finance round announced on February 19 by the Research Institute of Texas (CPrit) cancer. The state agency, which focuses on the fight against cancer, has now awarded $ 163.6 million to Ut Health San Antonio since 2010.
Understand the role of obesity in liver cancer
Masahiro Morita, PhdAssociate professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine and Researcher Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies At UT Health, San Antonio, has received an individual investigator price of $ 900,000 from the CPRIT to study how obesity increases the risk of liver cancer by studying the mechanisms by which excessive nutrients lead to fatty liver and subsequently liver cancer.
“This understanding could lead to new strategies for early detection, prevention and treatment of liver cancer, which ultimately reduces the burden of cancer associated with obesity and improves patient results,” said Morita. “Our team, which includes co-researchers Sakie Katsumura, DDS, PHDassistant professor of molecular medicine, and Francisco Cigarroa, MDMain executive vice-president of health affairs and health system of the UT Health San Antonio, believes that our results will be particularly important in regions like South Texas, where the incidence of liver cancer in obese people is significantly high and could provide a basis for targeted therapeutic interventions. »»
Advance the fight against leukemia
An individual $ 900,000 investigator price from CPrit to Mingjiang Xu, Phdprofessor in the Molecular Medicine Department In the long school of medicine at the Health Sciences Center and Teresa Lozano, and distinguished president in oncology in Mays Cancer Center At the UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, will support his research on the identification of the role of TET2 genic changes to develop future therapies targeting myeloid malignant tumors transferred by TET2.
“During our survey, we will identify specific therapeutic targets for the eradication of cells killed by TET2,” said XU. “The success of the proposed studies will fill an essential knowledge lake on the way in which TET2 mutation leads to malignant myeloid tumors and clonal hematopoiesis and throws a solid base for future precision therapy developments targeting the malignant myeloid tumors transferred by TET2 and normal elderly people.”
Clinical trial to offer hope to patients with breast cancer
David Gius, MD, PHDprofessor in the ONCOLOGY RADIATION DEPARTMENTreceived the research prize for individual CPrites researchers for clinical trials amounting to $ 1,390,420 to finance a phase 2 clinical trial of four years for women with positive breast cancer (ER +).
GIUS, an assistant dean of research in the long medical school of the university, is a note breast cancer and radito oncologist And an investigator of Mays Cancer Center, the only cancer center designated by the National Cancer Institute in the center and southern Texas, and the SAM and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and aging studies.
“Our goal is to study a new therapeutic option for women with ER +tumors, chemically replacing manganese superoxide, an enzyme of mitochondrial superoxide, an activity by a new therapy,” said Gius. “Finally, we will use PET-FE, a very sensitive and specific imaging modality, to determine the response of the treatment. In this way, each woman in this trial acts as their own control by taking analyzes before therapy and again after four months. This clinical trial is of significant clinical importance because this population of women has limited treatment options. »»
Serving southern Texas, having a global impact
“To advance research to find remedies for cancers, in particular those who disproportionately affect the populations of San Antonio and South Texas, is not only our mission, it is passion that feeds our daily work to improve life,” said Robert A. Hromas, MD, FACPDean of the Long School of Medicine at Ut Health San Antonio.
“I am delighted that CPrit continues to invest in cancer research in South Texas. This investment will allow us to continue to rely on the inheritance of excellence of Mays Cancer Center and to explore new approaches to cancer care that will benefit in San Antonio and beyond, “said Lei Zheng, MD, PHDExecutive director of Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio and a world renowned expert in pancreatic cancer.
Manzoor Bhat, PHD, MS, The vice-dean of research and the distinguished presidency in neuroscience of the long school of medical school of the university, added: “Our investigators make revolutionary discoveries which extend beyond southern Texas and have a global impact on progressive scientific knowledge, which will lead to developing new solutions for human diseases which currently have no remedy. These new CPRIT prices will undoubtedly make therapy against cancer lead to remedies in the future. »»
The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio is a world class research university that recently received the prestigious Research 1 (R1) Designation By the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the progress of education in their Carnegie 2025 classifications of higher education establishments. This designation firmly establishes the health of the UT San Antonio among the country’s elite research universities, classifying it in the 4.7% of American institutions and underlines its leading role in revolutionary biomedical research and advances medical education.