Research & Impact
Pioneering Progress in Pancreatic Cancer Research Since 1999
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most complex, challenging diseases to treat—but we believe complexity breeds innovation. For over 20 years we’ve committed to funding researchers willing to tackle these obstacles head-on, transforming setbacks into stepping stones toward new solutions.
Robert L. Fine Cancer Research Foundation Funded Research
Blise KE, Sivagnanam S, Betts CB, Betre K, Kirchberger N, Tate BJ, Furth EE, Dias Costa A, Nowak JA, Wolpin BM, Vonderheide RH, Goecks J, Coussens LM, Byrne KT. Machine learning links T-cell function and spatial localization to neoadjuvant immunotherapy and clinical outcome in pancreatic cancer. Cancer Immunol Res. 2024;12(5):544–558. https://doi.org/10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-23-0873
Baydogan S, Mohindroo C, Hasanov M, Montiel MF, Quesada P, Cazacu IM, Luzuriaga Chavez AA, Mork ME, Dong W, Feng L, You YN, Arun B, Vilar E, Brown P, Katz MHG, Chari ST, Maitra A, Tamm EP, Kim MP, Bhutani MS, McAllister F.
New-onset diabetes is a predictive risk factor for pancreatic lesions in high-risk individuals: An observational cohort study. Endosc Ultrasound. 2024;13(2):83–88. https://doi.org/10.1097/EUS.0000000000000057
Wright RD, Bartelli TF, Baydogan S, White JR, Kim MP, Bhutani MS, McAllister F. Bacterial and fungal characterization of pancreatic adenocarcinoma from Endoscopic Ultrasound-guided biopsies. Front Immunol. 2023;14:1268376. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1268376
Jeong YJ, Knutsdottir H, Shojaeian F, Lerner MG, Wissler MF, Henriet E, Ng T, Datta S, Navarro-Serer B, Chianchiano P, Kinny-Köster B, Zimmerman JW, Stein-O’Brien G, Gaida MM, Eshleman JR, Lin MT, Fertig EJ, Ewald AJ, Bader JS, Wood LD.
Morphology-guided transcriptomic analysis of human pancreatic cancer organoids reveals microenvironmental signals that enhance invasion. J Clin Invest. 2023;133(8):e162054. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI162054
You E, Danaher P, Lu C, Sun S, Zou L, Phillips IE, Rojas AS, Ho NI, Song Y, Raabe MJ, Xu KH, Richieri PM, Li H, Aston N, Porter RL, Patel BK, Nieman LT, Schurman N, Hudson BM, North K, Church SE, Deshpande V, Liss AS, Kim TK, Cui Y, Kim Y, Greenbaum BD, Aryee MJ, Ting DT. Disruption of cellular plasticity by repeat RNA's in human pancreatic cancer. Cell. 2024 Dec 12;187(25):7232–7247.e23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2024.09.024
Stone ML, Lee J, Lee JW, Coho H, Tariveranmoshabad M, Wattenberg MM, Choi H, Herrera VM, Xue Y, Choi-Bose S, Zingone SK, Patel D, Markowitz K, Delman D, Balachandran VP, Beatty GL. Hepatocytes coordinate immune evasion in cancer via release of serum amyloid A proteins. Nature Immunology. 2024;25:755–763. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-024-01820-1
Koide E, Mohardt ML, Doctor ZM, Yang A, Hao M, Donovan KA, Kuismi CC, Nelson AJ, Abell K, Aguiar M, Che J, Stokes MP, Zhang T, Aguirre AJ, Fischer ES, Gray NS, Jiang B, Nabet B. Development and Characterization of Selective FAK Inhibitors and PROTACs with In Vivo Activity. ChemBioChem. 2023;24(19):e202300141. https://doi.org/10.1002/cbic.202300141
Parikh AR, Szabolcs A, Allen JN, Clark JW, Wo JY, Raabe M, Thel H, Hoyos D, Mehta A, Arshad S, Lieb DJ, Drapek LC, Blaszkowsky L, Giantonio BJ, Weekes CD, Zhu AX, Goyal L, Nipp RD, Dubois JS, Van Seventer EE, Foreman BE, Matlack LE, Ly L, Meurer JA, Hacohen N, Ryan DP, Yeap BY, Corcoran RB, Greenbaum BD, Ting DT, Hong TS. Radiation therapy enhances immunotherapy response in microsatellite stable colorectal and pancreatic adenocarcinoma in a phase II trial. Nature Cancer. 2021;2(11):1124–1135.
Stone ML, Lee J, Herrera VM, Graham K, Lee JW, Huffman A, Coho H, Tooker E, Myers MI, Giannone M, Li Y, Buckingham TH, Long KB, Beatty GL. TNF blockade uncouples toxicity from antitumor efficacy induced with CD40 chemoimmunotherapy. J Clinical Insight. 2021 Jul 22;6(14):e146314. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.146314
Lee J, Beatty GL. Serum Amyloid A Proteins and Their Impact on Metastasis and Immune Biology in Cancer. Cancers (Basel). 2021 Jun 25;13(13):3179. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13133179
Wattenberg MM, Herrera VM, Giannone MA, Gladney WL, Carpenter EL, Beatty GL. Systemic inflammation is a determinant of outcomes of CD40 agonist-based therapy in pancreatic cancer patients. J Clinical Insight. 2021 Mar 8;6(5):e145389. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.145389
Wattenberg MM, Beatty GL. Overcoming immunotherapeutic resistance by targeting the cancer inflammation cycle. Semin Cancer Biol. 2020 Oct;65:38–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semcancer.2020.01.002
Chang RB, Beatty GL. The interplay between innate and adaptive immunity in cancer shapes the productivity of cancer immunosurveillance. J Leukoc Biol. 2020 Jul;108(1):363–376. https://doi.org/10.1002/JLB.3MIR0320-475R
Thomas SK, Lee J, Beatty GL. Paracrine and cell autonomous signalling in pancreatic cancer progression and metastasis. EBioMedicine. 2020 Mar;53:102662. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2020.102662
Stone ML, Beatty GL. Cellular determinants and therapeutic implications of inflammation in pancreatic cancer. Pharmacol Ther. 2019 Sep;201:202–213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pharmthera.2019.05.012
Key Findings & Impact
MILESTONE MOMENT
We recently donated a transformative gift to Yale Cancer Center, creating the Robert L. Fine Fund for Cancer Research and Care—a dedicated initiative to fuel life-saving breakthroughs in pancreatic cancer.
Impact Highlights
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Awarded over $2 million in research grants over the past eight years to drive innovation in pancreatic cancer treatment.
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Supported the development of GTX chemotherapy for metastatic pancreatic cancer through research funded in Dr. Fine’s laboratory.
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Contributed to advancements in immunotherapy strategies, including insights into immune evasion and inflammatory pathways.
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Supported research leading to the identification of new therapeutic targets in pancreatic cancer.
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Published findings in leading journals such as Nature Immunology, Cell, and Journal of Clinical Investigation.
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Funded awardees whose work has advanced understanding of pancreatic cancer progression and treatment resistance.