Highlights of Discovery and Innovation
Every day at Huntsman Cancer Institute, more than 275 research teams are learning more about the origins of cancer and how to better prevent and treat it. At any given time, Huntsman Cancer Institute also offers more than 300 clinical trials so patients have access to the most promising new approaches. These critical endeavors are possible with federal funding from the / and support from donors to Huntsman Cancer Foundation.
New Drug Pairing for Treating Brain Cancer
The STELLAR study, a Phase 3 clinical trial, established a promising new treatment for an aggressive form of grade 3 astrocytoma, a type of brain cancer. The trial found that combining eflornithine, a drug that inhibits purine synthesis and slows the growth of cancer cells, with the chemotherapy lomustine significantly improved survival rates and slowed the progression of the disease.
Presented by Howard Colman, MD, PhD, in a plenary session at the Society for NeuroOncology鈥檚 annual meeting in November 2024, this is the first randomized trial to demonstrate a statistically significant survival benefit for patients with these tumors.
鈥淭he positive survival rate offers hope to caregivers and patients for a new treatment option for this difficult-to-treat disease.鈥
Howard Colman, MD, PhD
Professor of Neurosurgery
人妻中出视频 of Utah
Lead author
Hematologists Discover Surprising Folic Acid Link
Through a comprehensive study conducted in mouse models, researchers discovered a surprising link between folic acid and blood cell production. The study, presented in the plenary at the annual meeting, demonstrated that blood and immune cell production in adult offspring fluctuate based on the amount of folic acid consumed by their mothers during pregnancy. This discovery opens new avenues for research into how prenatal nutrition, like folic acid supplements, affects long-term health and disease susceptibility of adults.
鈥淲e are thrilled to represent the fantastic work of the division of hematology and hematological malignancies.鈥
Anna Beaudin, PhD
Professor of Internal Medicine
人妻中出视频 of Utah
Lead author
Groundbreaking Research Reveals 人妻中出视频 Care Barriers
The Community 人妻中出视频 Assessment Survey鈥攖he first study dedicated to understanding the health care needs of rural and frontier residents in the Mountain West鈥攈ighlights significant challenges these patients face, including limited access, high costs, and provider shortages.
Of the 1,600 people surveyed, most had little to no knowledge about cancer clinical trials, which are considered the standard of care by the . This landmark study will guide Huntsman Cancer Institute鈥檚 efforts to expand and improve cancer care and education in rural and frontier communities.
鈥淭hese findings underscore the importance of access for our patients.鈥
Tracy Onega, PhD
Professor of Population 人妻中出视频 Sciences
人妻中出视频 of Utah
Principal investigator
Life-Extending Prostate Cancer Treatment
New findings from the TALAPRO-2 study, a Phase 3 clinical trial, found that a novel combination treatment for prostate cancer has a significantly higher survival rate than the current standard-of-care drug. Combining talazoparib and enzalutamide reduced the risk of death for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer by more than 20% and delayed disease progression by more than eight months, compared to enzalutamide alone. This is the first combination study of this class of medication to show a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in overall survival for these patients. The findings, presented at the in February 2025, support the drug combination as a new standard-of-care option.
鈥淲e are encouraged by the remarkable results of this treatment and hope it will make a difference in our patients鈥 lives.鈥
Neeraj Agarwal, MD
Professor of Internal Medicine
人妻中出视频 of Utah
Lead author
Bench To Bedside
Breast Cancer
A cross-disciplinary team developed a novel model for predicting triple-negative breast cancer severity. Experts from various departments worked together to develop a mechanism that allows doctors to create more personalized treatment plans for patients. The research, published in JCO Precision Oncology in July 2024, is part of the TOWARDS study. Cindy Matsen, MD, MSCI, is co-first author. ; Christos Vaklavas, MD; ; and , also contributed to the study.
鈥淲orking with a broad team has allowed us to bridge science and clinical care to save more lives.鈥
Cindy Matsen, MD, MSCI
Professor of Surgery
人妻中出视频 of Utah
Sarcoma
Another collaboration led to a breakthrough protein discovery that could transform sarcoma treatments. Kevin B. Jones, MD, who leads the at Huntsman Cancer Institute, worked closely with , whose lab is part of the 人妻中出视频 of Utah鈥檚 Department of Biochemistry. They identified a key protein called VCP/p97 that could be targeted in potential treatments for alveolar soft part sarcoma. Findings were published in Nature Communications in February 2024. , and , also contributed to the study.
The critical research happening every day at Huntsman Cancer Institute is supported by the National Institutes of 人妻中出视频/National Cancer Institute, including cancer center support grant P30 CA042014, as well as Huntsman Cancer Foundation.