P50CA278595

Head and Neck Cancer SPORE at the University of Wisconsin - Project Summary

The Wisconsin Head and Neck SPORE is designed to promote translational laboratory and clinical research to improve overall outcome for patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). This highly collaborative research links basic scientists with HNC clinicians to advance novel treatment strategies for this complex cancer population.

These patients bear a disproportionate burden from their cancers based on the critical anatomic location of the disease for which treatment can compromise speech, swallow, and breathing function, in addition to creating significant alterations in physical appearance and capacity for social interaction. Efforts to improve cure rates must be carefully balanced with efforts to reduce treatment toxicity to enable enhanced overall quality of life for patients.

The broad objectives of this SPORE are to:
1) Promote multidisciplinary translational research in HNC.
2) Improve overall survival and quality of life for patients with HNC.
3) Incorporate new predictive models to test novel HNC treatment strategies.
4) Improve understanding of how immune modulation can augment conventional and experimental treatment responses in HNC.
5) Translate promising new molecules developed at the University of Wisconsin and from industry through preclinical testing and into HNC clinical trials.

The Wisconsin HN SPORE has designed three primary research projects. Project 1 will combine targeted radionuclide therapies (TRT) with immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) to stimulate enhanced HNC response profiles culminating in a phase I clinical trial.

Project 2 builds a powerful patient-specific bioengineered HNC model system from patient cells that incorporates components of the tumor microenvironment to more accurately predict HNC patient treatment response. The feasibility of using treatment response data from the model to inform postoperative radiation therapy will be tested in a clinical pilot study.

Project 3 examines dual targeting of critical receptor tyrosine kinases AXL and MERTK to mediate changes in the immune microenvironment and thereby augment tumor response in HNC patients.

The Wisconsin SPORE will support this research with three cores (administrative, pathology, and biostatistics), a career enhancement program, and a developmental research program.

University Of Wisconsin System

TO PROVIDE AN ORGANIZATIONAL FOCUS AND STIMULUS FOR THE HIGHEST QUALITY CANCER RESEARCH THAT EFFECTIVELY PROMOTES INTERDISCIPLINARY CANCER RESEARCH AIMED TOWARD THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF REDUCING CANCER INCIDENCE, MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY. THE CANCER CENTER SUPPORT GRANT (CCSG) PROVIDES THE RESOURCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE TO FACILITATE THE COORDINATION OF INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAMS ACROSS A BROAD SPECTRUM OF RESEARCH FROM BASIC LABORATORY RESEARCH TO CLINICAL INVESTIGATION TO POPULATION SCIENCE. THE CCSG SUPPORTS SALARIES FOR SCIENTIFIC LEADERSHIP OF THE CENTER, SHARED RESOURCES FOR FUNDED CENTER INVESTIGATORS, CERTAIN ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS, PLANNING AND EVALUATION, AND DEVELOPMENTAL FUNDS FOR NEW RECRUITMENTS AND FEASIBILITY STUDIES.

93.397 - Cancer Centers Support Grants

National Cancer Institute (NCI) [HHS - NIH]

Madison, Wisconsin 53715 United States

Single Zip Code

Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs) in Human Cancers for Years 2021, 2022, and 2023 (P50 Clinical Trial Required) (PAR-20-305)

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 315% from $1,985,020 to $8,232,480.