As with any inquiry in academic medicine, and in order to advance the science toward better outcomes, there are always other questions to be answered that arise from the results of earlier studies. The national Stand Up 2 Cancer Initiative funded a translationally focused clinical trial testing a immunotherapy+ with a drug that was a PI3 kinase-targeted therapy. The regimen was tested in two arms, those with a PI3K mutation (15% of colon cancer patients) vs those without a PI3K mutation. Johns Hopkins and Dana Farber Cancer Institute (Harvard) collaborated on the trial, with Johns Hopkins being the lead site. The trial found that approximately 1/3 of the patients had some clinical benefit, in a heavily pretreated group of metastatic (stage IV) colorectal cancer patients, far surpassing what would be expected; multiple patients are still alive years after starting the trial.
Dr. Azad is now doing a deep dive into the tumor biopsies and blood specimens from patients prior to versus on therapy to identify biomarkers of response vs. resistance in this SU2C-funded trial; this is work that is being done here at Johns Hopkins and also at Harvard with our collaborators. The biopsy and blood samples that have been collected are now being interrogated for analysis. They can help answer important questions about exactly who will benefit, hopefully uncovering new therapeutic options for that subset of patients. The correlative study will include robust profiling on the tumor immune microenvironment as well as circulating immune cells. We plan to open a new and even more focused clinical trial next year after this analysis.
This year, we continue to build on the theme of personalized immunotherapy, now moving forward on a clinical trial of a KRAS vaccine in combination with two exciting new immunotherapy drugs in metastatic colon cancer patients. This vaccine has already been piloted in a clinical trial that Dr. Azad has been leading in very advanced stage disease and we are seeing patients respond to the treatment. We now plan to run a larger trial, earlier in the disease journey – still in metastatic cancer but right after the first chemotherapy – as a maintenance strategy rather than relegating patients to chemotherapy for life. We are pairing the vaccine with two new immunotherapy drugs that have shown exciting benefit in colon cancer patients already, to really supercharge the approach. This trial is approved and the Cycling to End Cancer Effort will allow us to fund it so it can open this winter.
Matching gifts
Many employers offer a matching gift program to their employees. For every dollar you donate to the Kimmel Cancer Center, your employer will match it either dollar for dollar, two dollars to one dollar, or, in more generous cases, three dollars to one dollar. All you need is a Matching Gift Form from your employer’s Public Affairs Department. Complete the section designated for employees and mail the form to us at the address below. We will take care of all the other details and paperwork.
The Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center
Development Office
c/o Ellen Roberts
750 E Pratt St
Suite 1700
Baltimore, MD 21202
Giving by check or Donor Advised Fund (DAF)
Please click the button below for instructions for donating via check.
The tax ID for the Johns Hopkins Colorectal Cancer Center of Excellence is 52-0595110.
Offline Payment Instructions
To make a gift by check, please make your check payable to The Johns Hopkins University and indicate "Cycling to End Cancer" and the name of the individual fundraiser you are supporting in the memo line (ex. "Cycling to End Cancer - John Doe"). Please print and complete a charitable giving form and mail to:
The Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center
c/o Ellen Roberts
750 E Pratt St
Suite 1700
Baltimore, MD 21202
