Funded by Lloyd Family Clinical Scholar Fund
Some cancers grow because of an abnormality (or “mutation”) in a gene called ALK. Currently, there are FDA-approved pills that shut down this abnormal ALK protein and cause cancers to shrink down. However, over time, cancer can develop resistance to these treatments and start to regrow and spread, and once that happens, there are few effective treatment options for these cancers. We are working to develop a cancer “vaccine” to treat patients with ALK-mutated cancer. Similar to how vaccines against COVID-19 or influenza help the body fight off these viral infections, our new cancer vaccine is designed to cause a patient’s immune system to attack cancer cells and shrink down tumors. Hopefully these treatments will help our patients to feel better and live longer with their cancer.
