Dec. 21, 2015 – Kelly’s Heroes has presented its first awards of $1,000 each to three Johns Hopkins physicians who are leading promising research into improved screening and treatment for pancreatic cancer:
Bert Vogelstein, MD, is co-director of the Ludwig Center at Johns Hopkins, Clayton Professor of Oncology at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. His landmark work on the genetic basis of cancer tumors has opened new avenues in fighting pancreatic cancer, most notably through a “vaccine” to prime the body’s own immune system to fend off cancer cells. His research also includes the quest for a simple, accessible test for early detection of pancreatic cancer.
Lei Zhang, MD, and Dung Le, MD, were Steve’s physicians at Johns Hopkins, and both are leading clinical trials to explore new treatments that will give pancreatic cancer patients both longer lives and higher quality lives. Among his work, Dr. Zhang is the lead investigator in a clinical trial to test the effectiveness of GTX plus cisplatin as a new chemotherapy combination in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Dr. Le’s clinical trials include an immunotherapy treatment using two different anticancer vaccines: GVAX Pancreas followed by CRS-207. GVAX is composed of pancreatic cancer cells that have been genetically modified to generate activity to stimulate the immune system. The second vaccine, CRS-207, uses genetically altered Listeria to spark an immune response against the protein mesothelin on pancreatic tumor cells. The combination essentially trains the body to recognize and attack pancreatic tumors.