To highlight the importance of lifesaving cancer research, National Cancer Research Month, led by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), is recognized during May. Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey prevails, as the state’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, together with RWJBarnabas Health, to address the cancer research demands of one of the most diverse and densely populated states in the nation. From genetic implications to exploring the impact of self-cannibalization of cancer cells, experts at Rutgers Cancer Institute are always working to translate cancer discoveries into today’s treatments. Learn more about Research at Rutgers Cancer Institute.
Research Highlights and News
Expert Commentary: Insights into Cancer Mutation Patterns
Researchers at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey provided expert commentary on a study exploring how changes in the structure and packaging of DNA, known as chromatin remodeling, influence the mutation patterns seen in cancer. Learn more.
Exploring Reproductive Factors and Gut Microbiome in Benign Breast Disease
Tengteng Wang, PhD, MSPH, MBBS, cancer epidemiologist in the Section of Cancer Epidemiology and Health Outcomes at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, has received more than $700,000 from the National Cancer Institute (R00CA267557) to support her research on examining the association between reproductive factors, gut microbiome, and benign breast disease (BBD). Learn more.
Awards Totaling $2.6 Million Support Exploration of Therapeutic Strategy for Adult and Pediatric T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Daniel Herranz Benito, PhD, PharmD, resident researcher at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and associate professor of pharmacology and pediatrics at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, has received a total of $2.6M to support his research on acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), an aggressive type of leukemia that affects both children and adults. Learn more.
$1.1M Grant Supports Research in Breast Cancer Survivorship Among Black Women
Bo (Bonnie) Qin, PhD, researcher and cancer epidemiologist in the Section of Cancer Epidemiology and Health Outcomes at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, has received $1.1M from the American Cancer Society to support her research on the impact of lifestyle patterns, social determinants of health, and inflammatory mechanisms on breast cancer survivorship among Black women. Learn more.
Exploring Genetic Changes in Aggressive Pancreatic Cancer
In almost every case of pancreatic cancer, one of those changes is a mutation in the gene KRAS, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), a highly aggressive type of pancreatic cancer. The genetic landscape of PDA based on KRAS status is not well studied. Investigators from Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and RWJBarnabas Health investigated genomic alterations based on KRAS status to identify mutations in patients with KRAS wild type (WT). Learn more.