Foundation-Funded Lab at MD Anderson Advances Discoveries in Peritoneal Carcinomatosis
About 45% of gastric cancer patients experience peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC), the spread of the cancer to the abdominal lining—a development that’s associated with poor outcomes. Last year, the Gastric Cancer Foundation awarded a $75,000 research grant to Jaffer A. Ajani, MD, Professor of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The funding fueled new discoveries in Ajani’s lab that he hopes will aid the development of therapies for PC.

In a study published in April in the journal Gut, Ajani’s lab reported that a gene called YAP1 is upregulated in PC tumor cells and appears to drive metastasis. And if other cancer-driving genes are inhibited with drugs, Yap1 takes over, allowing tumors to grow even as they are treated. “It’s like the ultimate method of resisting stress caused by treatment,” Ajani said.

Ajani and his colleagues are also studying emerging gene targets in gastric cancer, including GTX4. “We believe it’s not just a bystander—it’s a driver for gastric cancer cells. So we are planning more studies to understand this particular target,” said Ajani, who is working with four other labs to conduct the research.
Jaffer A Ajani MD
“We are really grateful for the support from the foundation. It has been tremendous for us.”
- Jaffer A. Ajani, M.D.
New Episode: Combining Calcium Rich Ingredients

Following our nutrition episode in which Hans and Ellen discussed ways to manage and help prevent osteoporosis, Hans is back in the Gesundheit Kitchen with a vibrant meal that celebrates the season and is filled with easy to digest calcium rich foods.

Have you tried one of Hans's recipes? Share it with us! Want more tips and meals? Find more episodes at the Gesundheit Kitchen on gastriccancer.org.
Join us for a special pre-holiday event:
LIVESTREAM from The Gesundheit Kitchen
Tuesday, November 24th, at noon PST
Streaming at gastriccancer.org and Facebook.
Research Roundup
As our 2020 fundraising campaign “Choose Hope” continues to advance toward its goal, we’re celebrating these recent research advances:

CARsgen Therapeutics was granted orphan drug designation by the US FDA for CAR-T cells for the treatment of gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancers. The cells target tumors with claudin18.2, a protein that drives some gastric cancers. In animal studies CARsgen has demonstrated that a CAR-T approach can eliminate gastric tumor tissue. 

Columbia University Researchers showed in a preclinical study that combining immunotherapy with chemotherapy in the early stages of gastric cancer slowed down the progression of the cancer. The early combination approach worked by preventing the accumulation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells that can dampen the effectiveness of immuno-oncology drugs.

Researchers in Singapore have developed a blood test that they believe could be used for early detection of gastric cancer. In a trial published in the journal Gut, they showed that the test detected 87% of gastric cancers, some of which were stage 1 tumors.
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