Drs. Yao and Chen Funded Over $1M in VA Merit Award

Jan. 29, 2019

Qizhi Cathy Yao, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Surgery and of Molecular Virology & Microbiology, Pathology & Immunology, Pharmacology at Baylor College of Medicine received a $1,026,264 Merit Award by the Department of Veterans Affairs for her project, “Stratification of Pancreatic Cancer Subpopulations for Effective Immunotherapy.” Changyi Johnny Chen, M.D., Ph.D., professor of surgery and Molecular and Cellular Biology and director of Basic Science and Translational Labs in the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery is co-investigator on the study.

The major goal of this project is to determine and characterize pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) subtypes that are sensitive to combination immunotherapy using a mesothelin (MSLN) Virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine combined with an immune checkpoint inhibitor in preclinical animal models.

Dr. Yao’s lab currently focuses on the study of key molecules in pancreatic cancer, including mesothelin, microRNAs (miR-198), and semaphorin 3E, and their mechanisms of regulation. Her lab also studies the chimeric virus-like particles vaccine and other combination immunotherapeutic approaches in pancreatic cancer pre-clinical models.

Dr. Chen’s laboratory is actively conducting several basic science and translational research projects that are highly relevant to clinical cardiovascular disease and pancreatic cancer.