Research by primary investigator Lauren Cobb, MD, (former Duke Ob/Gyn Fellow) and mentor Angeles Alvarez Secord, MD, MHSc (pictured), has been accepted for Scientific Plenary abstract presentation at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology 49th Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer on March 25, 2018. The abstract to be presented is titled “Targeting the TIE2 Pathway with a Novel Small Molecule Vascular Endothelial Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase (VE-PTP) Inhibitor in High-grade Serous Ovarian Cancer.” Findings will be presented, and authors will participate in a panel discussion, at the end of the session. The Annual Meeting takes place March 24 through March 27, 2018, in New Orleans, LA.
The research focuses on a new therapeutic agent, AKB-9785, that inhibits vascular endothelial-protein tyrosine phosphatase, an important target in the TIE 2 pathway. The rationale for evaluating this agent in ovarian cancer is based on a study supported by the Charles B. Hammond Fund (PI: Dr. Joseph Dottino, former Duke Ob/Gyn Fellow; Mentor: Dr. Secord). The goal of that research was to confirm RNA expression of angiogenic genes differentially expressed in long- vs short-term high-grade serous ovarian cancer survivors, to identify therapeutic targets and biomarkers. Dr. Secord credits the Hammond Fund with providing the needed support to continue the research and creating the momentum to pursue the next critical step and evaluate these agents in preclinical models. She and her team are actively evaluating two novel drugs targeting genes they identified in their initial study.