UNMC receives $650,000 for research in cancer, smoking diseases

Thirteen scientists at UNMC have received a cumulative $650,000 in grant funding to further their research in cancer and diseases related to smoking.

Each research project is supported by a $50,000 grant from the Nebraska Cancer and Smoking Disease Research Program through the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). In addition, two University of Nebraska-Lincoln scientists also received $50,000 each in grants.

The Nebraska Legislature created the program in 1981 by implementing a one cent tax on each pack of cigarettes sold in the state. In 1993, the tax was increased by an additional two cents per pack.

The revenue goes to the Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases at UNMC, and the Cancer Registry at DHSS and other cancer research programs. Researchers at the University of Nebraska and Creighton University compete annually for the funds.

The researchers listed below received funding for the following projects:

UNMC

• Tadayoshi Bessho, Ph.D., Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, “MUC1-induced Imbalance in DSB Repair as a Therapeutic Target in Pancreatic Cancer”;
• Kishore Challagundla, Ph.D., Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, “Exosomic PD-L1 protein and therapy resistance in neuroblastoma”;
• Pi-Wan Cheng, Ph.D., Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, “Altered O-glycans on prostate-specific antigen in advanced prostate cancer”;
• Sarah Holstein, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Internal Medicine, “Geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase inhibitor therapy for multiple myeloma”;
• R. Katherine Hyde, Ph.D., Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, “Investigation of mechanisms regulating leukemia cell survival”;
• Robert Lewis, Ph.D., Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, “Molecular Regulation of Tumor Propagating Cells in Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma”;
• Ram Mahato, Ph.D., Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, “Targeted polymeric micelles for the treatment of metastatic melanoma”;
• Naava Naslavsky, Ph.D., Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, “Repurposing screens for drugs to enhance antibody-dependent cancer treatment”;
• David Oupicky, Ph.D., Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, “Development of inhalation therapy to treat lung cancer”;
• Gurudutt Pendyala, Ph.D., Department of Anesthesiology, “Nicotine addiction and sex differences: Role of extracellular vesicles”;
• Angie Rizzino, Ph.D., Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, “SOX2 Regulation of Prostate Cancer Cell Proliferation”;
• Polina Shcherbakova, Ph.D., Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, “Recurrent Cancer-predisposing Mutations in the Human Germline”;
• Saraswathi Viswanathan, Ph.D., Department of Internal Medicine, “Altered Amino Acid Metabolism: A Novel Therapeutic Target for Pancreatic Cancer”;

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

• Donald Becker, Ph.D., Department of Biochemistry, “Novel metabolic inhibitors for cancer drug therapy and research”; and
• Jaekwon Lee, D.V.M., Ph.D., Department of Biochemistry, “Copper ions in cell proliferation and colorectal cancer.”