Project title: An integrated preclinical and clinical evaluation of DNA-repair mechanisms in determining response to PRRT as a guide to patient selection and for development of novel combination therapies

General Description

This four-year Accelerator Project will include both laboratory tests and clinical trials aimed at improving the clinical benefits of PRRT. While some patients respond well to PRRT, others are resistant to this type of therapy. By understanding what drives this resistance, investigators hope to improve durable response, and therefore widen the pool of patients who benefit from PRRT. Hicks and colleagues will evaluate the impact of PRRT on tumor cells’ ability to recognize and repair radiation damage. To prevent cancer cell repair, the investigators will combine PRRT with therapies that block DNA-repair mechanisms. Laboratory studies will identify which targeted therapies “turn off” cellular repair mechanisms. Then, a pilot clinical trial will test the targeted therapies in combination with PRRT in patients.