Matthew Waitkus, PhD, a member of the Duke Neurosurgery faculty and a researcher in the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke, has been awarded a Research Scholar Grant from the American Cancer Society.
The grant will fund research to better understand and develop treatments for a type of cancer mechanism called alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT). ALT is a way that some cancers, including certain brain cancers like gliomas, maintain their ability to keep growing. This mechanism is often linked to mutations in a gene called ATRX.
The goal of this research is to develop new, more effective treatments for patients with gliomas using the ALT mechanism, which are currently very difficult to treat with existing therapies.
Specific Aims of the Research
1. Investigate Sensitivity to Topoisomerase 1 (TOP1) Inhibition: The researchers aim to determine how sensitive ALT+ gliomas (gliomas using the ALT mechanism) are to a type of drug that inhibits an enzyme called TOP1. They will test two new drugs, LMP400 and LMP744, which are designed to overcome the limitations of an older drug, irinotecan. These new drugs have shown promise in early studies and are under commercial development.
2. Evaluate Efficacy and Biomarkers in Animal Models: The second aim is to test these drugs in animal models to see how effective they are at extending survival and to identify biomarkers that can predict response to the treatment. They will also explore whether combining these drugs with radiation therapy improves outcomes.