Research
2020 Discovery of the Year Awarded to Ricardo Aguiar, MD, PhD
July 20, 2021
The Mays Cancer Center presented the 2020 Discovery of the Year award to Ricardo Aguiar, MD, PhD, for his team’s breakthrough discovery in their basic biological research on diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). a common and often fatal hematological malignancy.
Researchers Battle Therapy-Resistant Cancer Cells by Identifying Aggressive Gene Enhancers
July 20, 2021
New research at the Mays Cancer Center has revealed one reason breast cancer tumor cells are so notoriously resistant to treatment. The finding has important implications in the prospect of developing first-in-class therapies that target the mechanisms in which DNA is ready by the cancer cell.
San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium Goes Virtual
July 20, 2021
For the first time in its 43-year history, the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium was held virtually in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A record crowd from 92 countries participated in the world’s leading scientific conference on breast cancer research and treatment.
Employing Research, Recommendations to Battle Expected 142 Percent Rise in Cancer
July 20, 2021
After gathering international cancer experts, Mays Cancer Center leaders published a book with innovative research and recommendations to reduce Latino cancer, the leading cause of death for this diverse population.
Conference Tackles Rising Disparities in Cancer Rates Among Latinos
July 20, 2021
The 2020 “Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos” conference brought together more than 300 researchers, clinicians and community policy makers to find ways to battle the predicted 142 percent rise in cancer rates in Latinos.
CPRIT Awards $2 Million for Recruitment
July 20, 2021
A $2 million award from CPRIT funded the recruitment of a second scientist studying nonalcoholic liver disease (NASH). Xiaoli Sun, PhD, came from UC-San Diego where she developed unique mouse models to study NASH.
Mary Kay Foundation Awards $100,000 Grant
July 20, 2021
The Mary Kay Foundation awarded $100,000 to Zhijie “Jason” Liu, PhD, who will leverage the grant to study estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), a biomarker of breast cancer.
International Grant Funds Pediatric Cancer Research
July 20, 2021
Alexander Bishop, DPhil, and a colleague in Scotland were awarded a grant from the Stand Up To Cancer and Cancer Research UK’s Pediatric Cancer New Discoveries Challenge, which funds international teams studying hard-to-treat pediatric cancer. The scientists are teaming up to investigate a unique biological hallmark of Ewing sarcoma.
Breast Cancer/Radiation Researcher Recruited
July 20, 2021
David Gius, MD, PhD, a breast cancer and radiation researcher, joined the Mays Cancer Center. He was recruited with a $6 million senior investigator recruitment grant awarded in 2020 by CPRIT.
Childhood Chemo Alters Heart’s Caretaker Cells
July 20, 2021
Senior author Gregory Aune, MD, PhD, released findings by his team showing that cancer chemotherapy changes the function of cells that repair heart injury. Twenty percent of children treated with anthracyclines suffer heart failure later in life.
CPRIT Awards $10.3 Million for Five Grants
July 20, 2021
A $10.3 million CPRIT award to the Mays Cancer Center included $6 million to recruit David Gius, MD, PhD, a breast cancer and radiation oncology researcher, and $2 million to recruit Peng Zhao, PhD, a liver cancer researcher. This award also included three grants to individual cancer researchers: Dmitri Ivanov, PhD; Mingjiang Xu, MD, PhD, and Luiz Penalva, PhD.
Research Reveals Role of Protein in Kidney Cancer
July 20, 2021
Dharam Kaushik, MD, and his research team confirmed the role of a certain protein in the development of high-grade kidney cancer. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase-4 (Nox4) — often referred to as Nox4 — was found to concentrate in the nucleus of human kidney cancer cells.