​Project Title: A High-Throughput Screening Program to Discover Combinatorial Treatments Targeting Low-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer
Research Institute: The University of Chicago
Principal Investigator: Dr. Hilary A. Kenny, Ph.D
Award: $150,000 awarded over 3 years
Funded by: STAAR Low-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Foundation
 
STAAR Low-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Foundation has award $150,000 over three years to Dr. Hilary A. Kenny at the University of Chicago to conduct high-throughput screening to identify potential drugs to treat LGSOC.
 
At this time, there are no FDA-approved treatments developed specifically for LGSOC. Identifying new therapies is the greatest unmet need in treating this highly recurrent disease. 
 
Dr. Kenny’s research will use 3D models of the LGSOC tumor microenvironment to screen FDA-approved drugs for their ability to kill cancer or impede cancer cell motility. Once the efficacy of these drugs against LGSOC is confirmed in vitro, they will combine these drugs to determine whether an increased synergistic effect can be obtained. 
 
LGSOC is characterized by deep invasion, low proliferation and chemotherapy resistance, and some research has shown it to occur following a non-invasive serous borderline tumor. 
 
“When we began our research into LGSOC, we realized that it was not clear why borderline tumors developed into LGSOC and why they are so deeply invasive, fibrotic, and therapy-resistant,” Dr. Kenny said. “Our team is determined to shift current research and clinical practice paradigms for LGSOC by developing new experimental models to better understand the biology of SBT tumors and LGSOC. We will utilize novel theoretical concepts, approaches, and methodologies to find interventions for treating this therapy-refractory disease.”
 
The 3-year project initially will screen drugs using high-throughput models composed of cancer and stromal cells generated from the University of Chicago’s tissue bank that currently includes 78 patients with LGSOC and 210 with serous borderline tumors. The next stage will test combinations of drugs in 3D human LGSOC in vitro models and in mouse in vivo models of LGSOC, increasing the body of knowledge about potential therapies. 
 
STAAR Low-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer’s mission is to fund research into potential new treatments for this rare, indolent disease. As the first U.S.-based organization dedicated to LGSOC, we’re working to fill the gap in research funding and drive advancements that will lead to better diagnostic tools, novel therapies, and ultimately, a cure.