New NIH R01 Award to Advance Pancreatic Cancer Research
Researchers in the Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics at the University of Utah have been awarded a $3.1 million R01 grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to investigate new therapeutic strategies for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)—one of the deadliest cancers, with a five-year survival rate of only 12%.
Led by Taslim Al-Hilal, PhD, the project will investigate how cross-linked fibrin within the tumor stroma shapes the immune microenvironment and promotes pancreatic cancer progression. By uncovering how coagulation pathways drive immune suppression, the team aims to develop strategies that simultaneously block pathological fibrin formation and restore anti-tumor immunity, opening new avenues for PDAC treatment.
The research will be led by Dr. Shivaniben Dhadhal from the Al-Hilal Lab in collaboration with Dr. Faraz Bishehsari (University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston) and Dr. Paul Grippo (University of Chicago).
Congratulations to Dr. Al-Hilal and the entire collaborative team on this significant NIH-funded effort to advance innovative therapies for pancreatic cancer.
