Project title: Novel antibody-drug conjugate for pancreatic NET targeted therapy

Renata Jaskula-Sztul, PhD University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine

Renata Jaskula-Sztul, PhD

General Description

Jaskula-Sztul will explore an antibody-drug conjugate, a novel delivery system for therapy, to increase precision and efficacy while reducing risks. She will be using a natural cytotoxic agent bound to an antibody that specifically targets the surface receptor SSTR2 on pancreatic NETs.

Published Papers

Herring BS, Whitt J, Aweda T, et al. A growth model of neuroendocrine tumor surrogates and the efficacy of a novel somatostatin-receptor-guided antibody-drug-conjugate: Perspectives on clinical response? Surgery. 2020;167, 197-203. 

Outcomes:

Based on this award, they established multiple preclinical models, such as patient-derived ex vivo models and metastatic xenograft mouse models, to evaluate the NET treatment with their antibody-drug conjugate. Additionally, this award allowed them to develop their own new SSTR2 monoclonal antibody. This novel platform can deliver small molecule drugs directly to SSTR2 expressing NET cells avoiding systemic cytotoxicity.

Additional Details

  • City: Birmingham
  • State: Alabama
  • Grant Duration: 2 years
  • Grant Partner: North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (NANETS)

DISCLAIMER

NETRF funds laboratory research to understand the development of neuroendocrine tumors and translational research to explore new concepts in treatment. Research grant descriptions and research updates from NETRF are not intended to serve as medical advice. It can take years for research discoveries to be fully validated and approved for patient care. Always consult your health care providers about your treatment options.

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