Cancer Center researchers win funding to advance cancer detection, patient care
Three projects involving University of Arizona Cancer Center members won funding through the Big Idea Challenge: U of A and Banner Health Joint Translational Research Accelerator.
Cancer Center member Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz is leading development of a noninvasive test for endometrial cancer.
Leslie Hawthorne Klingler, U of A Office of Research and Partnerships
University of Arizona Cancer Center researchers are leading three of four projects selected for up to $250,000 each through a new U of A and Banner Health initiative designed to move promising health discoveries closer to patients.
Cancer Center member Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz is leading development of a noninvasive test for endometrial cancer. Members Dr. Geoffrey Gurtner and Kellen Chen are part of a team developing an artificial intelligence powered smart bandage for wound infections. Member Dr. Lisa Rimsza is leading a project to improve diagnosis of aggressive B cell lymphomas. Herbst-Kralovetz, Gurtner, Chen and Rumsza are all members of BIO5.
The projects were selected through the inaugural Big Idea Challenge: U of A and Banner Health Joint Translational Research Accelerator via the U of A Office of Research and Partnerships. The competition featured 53 proposals from researchers and clinicians across the university and Banner Health. Ten finalist teams presented their projects during a public pitch event Sept. 16. Each of the four winning projects can receive up to $250,000 over two years.
Detecting endometrial cancer
Herbst-Kralovetz and her collaborators are developing ENDOguard, a noninvasive vaginal swab test that combines biomarkers with machine learning to assess endometrial cancer risk.
(From left) Principal investigator Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz, a professor in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences, and Dr. Andrea Molina had their proposal on endometrial cancer detection selected at the pitch event.
Matthew Matusak
Women experiencing abnormal uterine bleeding may undergo an endometrial biopsy to determine whether cancer is present, even though most are benign. The team aims to provide a less invasive way to identify patients who may be at risk for cancer while potentially reducing unnecessary and painful biopsies.
With support from the accelerator, researchers will validate the ENDOguard biomarker panel using patient samples and develop workflows for implementing the test in primary care settings.
Herbst-Kralovetz is a professor of basic medical sciences at the U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix and a member of the Cancer Center’s Cancer Prevention and Control Program. She directs the Translational Women’s Health Research Program and Women’s Health Microbiome Initiative. Her research focuses on gynecologic cancers, particularly cervical and endometrial cancer, and the role of the microbiome and microenvironment in cancer risk and progression.
Co-investigators/physicians include Dr. Freya Spielberg, clinical professor and vice chair for research in the Department of Family, Community and Preventive Medicine at the College of Medicine – Phoenix and Drs. Andrea Molina and Katie Zeng, who are both assistant professors of obstetrics and gynecology at the College of Medicine – Phoenix.
“Endometrial cancer rates are rising at a time when many other cancers are declining. This is a problem that is not going away — it is getting worse. More women will face abnormal uterine bleeding, the number one symptom of endometrial cancer, and more will potentially face painful, invasive endometrial biopsies to determine whether cancer is present,” Herbst-Kralovetz said. “The BIC Accelerator Award allows us to move our research toward clinical validation of a noninvasive approach to endometrial cancer detection. We want to transform the diagnostic experience for women with abnormal uterine bleeding and ultimately provide a simpler, less painful path to answers.”
Bringing AI to wound care
Gurtner and Chen are part of a team developing a closed loop, AI powered smart bandage designed to detect wound infections early and respond with targeted electrical stimulation.
The team's principal investigator is Dr. Geoffrey C. Gurtner, (not pictured), professor and chair of the Department of Surgery at the College of Medicine – Tucson. The team members who presented were (from left) Abdel Alsharif, Philipp Gutruf, Kellen Chen, Maria G. Mora Dinos and Fleur Maturo.
Matthew Matusak
Instead of waiting until an infection has progressed enough to produce clinical signs, the technology is intended to monitor a wound for signs of infection and autonomously treat it. The accelerator funding will help researchers collect sensor data from human wounds, test electrical stimulation therapy and prepare materials for an FDA 510(k) submission.
Gurtner, chair of the Department of Surgery at the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson and a member of the Cancer Center’s Cancer Biology Graduate Interdisciplinary Program, has built a career around translating laboratory discoveries into technologies that can improve patient care. He holds more than 50 patents and has founded three life sciences companies.
Chen, an associate professor of surgery at the College of Medicine – Tucson and joint appointment in the department of biomedical engineering, co-directs Gurtner’s laboratory. His research includes therapies to improve outcomes after surgery through healing and regeneration. His cancer research examines molecular drivers of disease and how mechanical forces influence cancer cells, and he also serves as the Director of the Cancer Center Biospecimen Core, Director of the Cancer Center Tissue Acquisition and Cellular/Molecular Analysis Shared Resource and Director of the Office of Research and Partnerships Biobank.
“Wearables hold the potential to decentralize medical care and provide access for patients in underserved environments. Using artificial intelligence and machine learning on massive amounts of date we should be able to predict health outcomes from sensor data,” Gurtner said. Chen added: “To promote healing of chronic wounds and prevent infection, we have created a smart bandage that can both sense the wound environment and also deliver therapeutic electrical stimulation. This technology can also be used for other skin conditions such as monitoring melanoma or other skin cancers.”
The team also includes Dr. Marc Matthews, clinical professor of surgery at the College of Medicine – Tucson, Dr. Lourdes Castañón, associate clinical professor of surgery at the College of Medicine – Tucson, and Philipp Gutruf, associate professor of biomedical engineering.
Improving diagnosis of aggressive lymphomas
Rimsza is leading a team developing the Dark Zone signature, or DZsig, a rapid digital gene expression profiling test designed to improve diagnosis of aggressive Dark Zone, or DZ, B cell lymphomas.
The team is led by principal investigator Dr. Lisa M. Rimsza, (center in plaid blazer), chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the College of Medicine – Tucson and medical director of the Arizona Molecular Clinical Core.
Matthew Matusak
DZ is a proposed new class of lymphomas for the next edition of the WHO classification that includes MYC and BCL2 FISH “double hit” as well as additional FISH-negative cases with aggressive biology. The DZsig assay utilizes 30 genes and algorithmic analysis to capture DZ biology that FISH can miss. The team plans to use its accelerator funding to complete clinical validation of DZsig and work toward deploying the test across the Banner Health system.
Rimsza is chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the College of Medicine – Tucson and a member of the Cancer Center’s Developmental Therapeutics Program. Her laboratory studies lymphoid malignancies, including gene expression profiling, mutational analysis and development of clinical biomarker assays.
Her work builds on a long history of lymphoma research at the Cancer Center. Rimsza previously helped advance molecular characterization of diffuse large B cell lymphoma, work that contributed to the commercialization of a method for molecular subtyping of the disease.
"We are looking forward to advancing precision medicine for patients seeking lymphoma care through the UACC and across the hospital system. The Dark Zone Signature assay will provide decision support via a test that is better at identifying tumor genetics with a faster turn-around time than FISH; helping oncologists precisely match individuals to their best treatment option."
Moving discoveries toward patients
The accelerator was created to help early stage translational projects generate critical data, validate technologies and therapeutic strategies and position research teams for larger external funding opportunities.
Projects were evaluated for their potential impact on patient care, scientific feasibility, collaborative strength, prospects for future funding or commercialization and ability to progress toward human clinical trials. Cancer was one of five priority areas for the inaugural competition, along with cardiovascular disease, immunological diseases and immune mediated therapies, artificial intelligence in health and neurovascular diseases and treatments.
In addition to funding, the teams will receive assistance identifying federal, philanthropic and industry opportunities, with Tech Launch Arizona and Tech Parks Arizona available to provide expertise in commercialization, intellectual property and industry partnerships.