Delaware Ovarian Cancer Foundation
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Delaware Ovarian Cancer Foundation
701 Sweetleaf Drive
Wilmington, DE 19808
United States
ph: 302-998-6889
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DOCF has been dedicated to fullfilling our mission since its founding in 2009. Part of that mission is to support ovarian cancer research.
Visit the About DOCF page to read our
complete mission.
From left: Dr. Nicholas Petrell, Bank of America Endowed Medical Director of the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute; Dr. Mark Borowsky, Director, Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the Graham Cancer Center; Dr. Staphanie Jean, Director of Gynecologic Oncology Research; Carol Mesmer, DOCF Member, Volunteer & Survivor; Dorianne Short, DOCF President & Survivor; and Bill Short, DOCF Treasurer and husband of survivor.
Since 2016, DOCF has awarded and committed $300,000 in grants for the DOCF Research Initiatve to support ovarian cancer research at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute (HFGCC&RI).
Click HERE to read an article on ovarian cancer research at the HFGCC&RI.
In 2013, DOCF awarded a $50,000 grant to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF). This grant was awarded to OCRF for ovarian cancer research conducted by Dr. Stephanie Gaillard and Dr. Martin Matzuk (see below for their research details).
Dr. Stephanie Gaillard, MD, PhD
Duke Cancer Institute
“Evaluating ERRalpha as a Novel Therapeutic Target in Ovarian Cancer"
Grant: $25,000
Dr. Gaillard’s project focused on addressing the issue that long-term clinical outcomes for women diagnosed with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer have not significantly improved in the preceding 20 years. More than 70% of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer will relapse after initial treatment with surgery and traditional chemotherapy, and most women will ultimately die of their disease. As the disease progresses, the tumors become more resistant to multiple types of chemotherapy resulting in devastating symptoms, decreased quality of life, and poor survival.
This project hypothesized that ovarian tumors with elevated levels of ERR alpha have metabolic alterations that promote cancer formation and chemoresistance and that inactivating this receptor will reverse these effects.
The estrogen-receptor related receptor alpha, ERR alpha is a protein similar to the estrogen receptor, which has been identified as a master regulator of mitochondrial metabolism. Increased levels of ERRalpha appear to associate with more aggressive tumor characteristics and poorer clinical outcome.
The long-term objective was to translate findings into novel therapeutic strategies to be tested in early phase clinical trials for women with advanced, recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer.
Dr. Martin Matzuk, MD, PhD
Baylor College of Medicine
“Diagnostic Strategies for Detection of Ovarian Cancer”
Grant: $25,000
Because the early molecular events in the development of ovarian cancers are unknown, and there are no sensitive and specific screening tests for ovarian cancer, Dr. Martin Matzuk’s project sought to develop animal models, strategies and technologies to more precisely pedict the early occurrence of ovarian cancers when the disease is surgically treatable.
Dr. Matsuk’s research focused on deciphering the critical genes, proteins, and small RNAs that are involved in reproductive function and dysfunction including ovarian cancer, to identify early serum biomarkers and metabolic changes in women with ovarian cancer.
The goal of the team was to develop integrated screening assays based on mixed small molecule/protein biomarker panels for detecting and distinguishing ovarian cancers at early stages in their development.
From left: Vikki Bandy, DOCF member & survivor; Dorianne Short, DOCF President/Executive Director & survivor; & Jennifer Clark, Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF) & survivor
In May 2011, DOCF awarded a grant to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF) which was presented at the 2011 DOCF Teal Ribbon Run/Walk to FIght Ovarian Cancer. This grant was made to OCRF for research related to ovarian cancer diagnostic screening by Dr. Sharistha Sarkar (see below for the details of the research).
Dr. Sharmistha Sarkar, PhD
MD Anderson Cancer Center
“Finding a Marker to Detect Early Stage Ovarian Cancer”
Grant: $25,000
Dr. Sarkar’s research focused on studying the interplay between chromatin remodeling and cellular pathways that play a role in ovarian tumorigenesis. The project was a 2011 Ann Schreiber Program of Excellence Grant Recipient , which was supported by a grant from the S.L. Gimbel Foundation, the Delaware Ovarian Cancer Foundation and Ovarian Cycle.
Detection of ovarian cancer before it progresses to late stage disease has been a major challenge for ovarian cancer researchers. When ovarian cancer is detected early, it has a high cure rate. But, unfortunately, the majority of ovarian cancer is found after the disease has spread and the survival rate plummets.
In this study, Dr. Sarkar assessed whether a certain protein might be a possible marker to detect early stage ovarian cancer. The protein is expressed at high levels in both early and late stage disease. Also, reducing the level of this protein makes the cancer cells less aggressive. She also aimed to design new assays to test inhibitors of this protein as a possible treatment for later disease.
Copyright 2023 Delaware Ovarian Cancer Foundation. All rights reserved.
Delaware Ovarian Cancer Foundation
701 Sweetleaf Drive
Wilmington, DE 19808
United States
ph: 302-998-6889
docf