CANCER RESEARCH

A major focus at LIMR is cancer research, representing a long-standing commitment from the founding of the Institute in 1927. Our outstanding cancer researchers, who have come from the finest universities and research organizations in the world, choose to work at LIMR because of our unique environment for turning basic discoveries into meaningful advances in health care.

Gene Therapy
Gene therapy has received a lot of fanfare but has also been besieged by many technical difficulties, perhaps the most important of which has been safe and efficient methods of delivery. In collaboration with MIT scientists, LIMR researchers have moved toward solving this problem with the use of nanotechnology. We are currently applying nanotechnology to create new treatments for advanced prostate and ovarian cancers.

Cancer Diagnostics
Why certain people respond favorably to certain therapies while others do not is a major problem for oncologists. LIMR scientists have developed a simple test that may go a long way to help physicians and patients select the best treatment for women with breast cancer. Once validated, our hope is that LIMR’s test will be used at the patient’s initial diagnosis to distinguish early stage cancers that will respond to specific treatments from those that do not.

Immune Activation
Too few people are cured by chemotherapy. For example, less than 15% of patients whose cancer has spread beyond the colon and who receive chemotherapy will go on to survive more than 5 years. LIMR scientists have developed a drug therapy that in preclinical tests greatly increases the immune response mounted against tumors while chemotherapy is being delivered. A combination of our approach along with cancer chemotherapy should lead to a great improvement in long-term survival rates.

Cancer Genetics
Scientists often talk about the role genes have in cancer development. But many questions remain regarding exactly how genetic changes actually contribute to cancer development. LIMR researchers have found that it is not just the increasing growth properties of the tumor cells themselves, but also the environment in which the cells start growing, that allows them to survive. Our scientists are focusing on particular changes in a person’s genetic makeup that appear to create a permissive environment for cancer development. Reversing this change may help us prevent cancer or treat it more effectively.

Barrier Function
Esophageal cancer is increasingly common in the U.S. and lethal when not diagnosed in its earliest stage. The basic job of the esophagus is to act as a barrier to keep the foods we ingest inside the tube heading to the stomach. Developing cancer cells don’t do this job very well, creating a “leaky” zone in the esophageal lining. LIMR is developing a simple sugar drink test to determine the degree of “leakiness” that will tell doctors whether a patient with frequent heartburn is at risk for cancer of the esophagus. In related work, LIMR is also developing another test to better enable a doctor to directly detect esophageal cancer cells at a very early stage when they can be effectively removed.

 

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Another focus of LIMR research is cardiovascular disease. After cancer, cardiovascular disease ranks as the second most prominent killer in the U.S. Laboratories at LIMR benefit from close interactions with the outstanding cardiologists of the Lankenau and Bryn Mawr Hospitals and with the Main Line Health Heart Center.

Irregular Heart Beat
Arrhythmia, also known as irregular heart beat, can lead to strokes. Investigators at LIMR who are affiliated with the Main Line Health Heart Center study how changes in electrical signals lead to arrhythmias. Their research has contributed to a brand new understanding that men and women differ in how their heart beat is regulated. This research is changing the clinical approach to managing this disorder depending upon the sex of the individual. New medications that alter electrical signals are being explored.

Coagulation
Presently prescribed blood thinners such as Coumadin® are difficult for doctors to use safely. Clinical investigators at LIMR are exploring better options to prevent blood clots from forming in patients with certain types of irregular heart beat known as atrial fibrillation, which can cause strokes. A clinical study, led by investigators right here at LIMR, is testing a brand new drug to prevent clots that are likely to be much easier and safer to use.

Cardiac Stem-Cell Research
The heart muscle is damaged by heart attack. LIMR investigators who are experts in muscle cell biology are currently studying stem cells that have the potential to rebuild heart tissue after a heart attack. Using eggs from chickens, our research is discovering optimal ways to convert stem cells into healthy heart muscle cells. This should provide an opportunity for a practical application of stem cell therapy in the future.

Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is an invisible killer with few symptoms but devastating consequences such as stroke and heart disease. LIMR investigators study how blood pressure is regulated and how cardiovascular muscle function is maintained. The promise of this research is to put the patient on the right medication for their condition to optimize their treatment while reducing side-effects.