Tulane Surgeon Provides New Robotic Option to Help Combat Pancreatic Cancer |
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Adarsh Vijay, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, has introduced several advanced robotic surgeries since joining Tulane in 2020, including major robotic liver resections, robotic kidney transplants, robotic donor nephrectomies, robotic distal pancreatectomies, and the robotic Whipple procedure. (Story by Carolyn Scofield) |
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Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States because the disease is difficult to detect and hard to treat. A team of Tulane Doctors offers advanced care for pancreatic cancer patients, with treatments that include a cutting-edge robotic Whipple procedure. This minimally invasive surgery reduces blood loss and shortens hospital stays and recovery time compared to open surgery for pancreatic cancer.
Adarsh Vijay, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, has introduced several advanced robotic surgeries since joining Tulane in 2020, including major robotic liver resections, robotic kidney transplants, robotic donor nephrectomies, robotic distal pancreatectomies, and the robotic Whipple procedure.
The Whipple procedure is an extensive and challenging surgical procedure in which the surgeon initially removes the head of the pancreas, part of the stomach, part of the small intestine, a portion of the bile duct, the gallbladder, and associated lymph nodes. The surgeon then reconnects the bile duct, stomach, and pancreatic stump to the small intestine.
“The robotic console, with its high-definition cameras and increased sensitivity to the slightest movements of the surgeon’s wrist, hand, and fingers, aids to improve the surgical precision,” said Vijay. “A robotic Whipple procedure requires only four 8 mm incisions for the surgical arms and camera. Once the surgery is completed, the pancreatic tumor can then be removed through a small 5 cm incision across the bikini line.”
Patients who undergo robotic Whipple surgery spend less time recovering from the procedure and experience less pain and minimal scarring. They can also begin adjuvant chemo/immunotherapy sooner, aiding recurrence-free survival.
Pancreatic cancer is highly aggressive, and patients often need a team of doctors working together to address medical and surgical concerns. At Tulane, specialists in surgery and oncology routinely work together to give patients the best outcomes.
“Tulane Doctors offer the latest robotic approach to this complex surgery,” said Vijay. “It’s a new ray of hope for patients who previously had to travel out of state to find a surgeon or hospital with this expertise.”
The Department of Surgery at Tulane University School of Medicine recently welcomed Kristen Limbach, MD, and Kiara Tulla, MD, to the team. Dr. Limbach has extensive training in cancers of the liver, pancreas, and gastrointestinal tract, with a particular focus on metastatic neuroendocrine tumors. Dr. Tulla’s clinical and research interests include the role of robotics in abdominal transplantation, living donation and its broader utilization, and improving access to transplantation among marginalized populations.
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New Study Has Found a Way to
Stop Key Lung Cancer Protein
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The study found that a known tumor suppressor protein called RBM10 can inhibit lung cancer growth by suppressing the function of another protein that drives cancer cell growth and proliferation when overexpressed. (Story by Andrew Yawn, photo by iStock) |
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A new study by Tulane University has uncovered a previously unknown molecular pathway that could be instrumental to halting lung cancer in its tracks.
Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. The research, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could lead to the development of a new anti-cancer drug and more personalized lung cancer treatment, said senior study author Dr. Hua Lu, the Reynolds and Ryan Families Chair in Translational Cancer Research at the Tulane University School of Medicine.
The study found that a known tumor suppressor protein called RBM10 can inhibit lung cancer growth by suppressing the function of c-Myc, a protein that drives cancer cell growth and proliferation when overexpressed. Researchers discovered that RBM10 partners with two ribosomal proteins (RPL5 and RPL11) to destabilize c-Myc and impede the spread of lung cancer.
These findings are the first to identify a cancer-inhibiting relationship between the proteins.
“We found that RBM10 can directly target c-Myc for degradation and reduce its cancer-causing effects by binding with RPL5 and RPL11,” Lu said. “We know a lot about cancer, but the molecules involved are still a black box. Piece by piece, we are gaining a better understanding.”
To understand how the process may work to halt the progression of lung cancer, imagine two factories in a cell, each manufacturing parts for assembly into new protein machineries; c-Myc plays a regular part in this protein production process — and cellular growth in general — and humans could not live without it.
Occasionally, this manufacturing is disrupted, and the factories begin producing incorrect parts. When cancer begins forming, it uses c-Myc to continue production, allowing these “spare parts” to accumulate and form tumors. RBM10, with the help of RPL5 and RPL11, can destabilize c-Myc and shut down tumor growth.
Importantly, the research also discovered that a mutant form of RBM10 often found in lung cancers loses the ability to suppress c-Myc, fails to bind to the RPL5 and RPL11 ribosomal proteins, and eventually promotes tumor growth instead of suppressing it.
“RBM10 is an important protein that can suppress cancer cells, but when a cancer wants to develop, it will mutate RBM10 and block that function,” Lu said.
Lu hopes to further study how the RBM10 mutant functions in the hope of developing an anti-cancer drug to target it.
“Hopefully we can design a molecule to specifically target the mutant since that’s a special structure not existing in the normal tissue,” Lu said. “If we can convert this mutant, we can hopefully make it suppress c-Myc’s cancer-causing activity.”
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Two Tulane Research Pioneers Named
National Academy of Inventors Fellows
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Tulane University researchers Dr. Tony Hu (left) and Dr. David Coy (right) have been named National Academy of Inventors Fellows. (Story by Andrew Yawn) |
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Tulane University researchers Tony Hu, PhD, and David Coy, PhD, have been named Fellows by the National Academy of Inventors, a prestigious distinction honoring the nation’s brightest and most impactful innovators.
The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) elected 162 academic inventors to its 2023 Class of Fellows. Of the 118 research universities and institutions represented, only six had more Fellow selections than Tulane, affirming the university’s standing as a research powerhouse where cutting-edge ideas meet real world implementation.
Hu, the Weatherhead Presidential Chair in Biotechnology Innovation at Tulane, is a pioneer in developing advanced diagnostics for personalized medicine. His research focuses on creating and validating highly sensitive blood tests that rely on nanotechnology-based strategies to find previously undetectable biomarkers of diseases.
Coy, the director of the Peptide Research Lab at Tulane University School of Medicine, is a leader in developing new drugs based on peptides, which are chains of amino acids that are biological mediators of cellular functions. Coy has approximately 100 patents and has brought three drugs to the market, including a peptide-based drug that lowers testosterone to help treat men with prostate cancer and another used in therapies for gastrointestinal cancers. He is also a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
“Using knowledge for good is a core value of Tulane University and is exemplified by these two remarkable researchers,” Tulane President Michael A. Fitts said. “Through hard work and innovation, Dr. Hu and Dr. Coy are improving the lives of patients around the world and helping to ensure a more healthful future for all of us.”
“Since our founding, Tulane faculty have brought an ambitious and creative approach to their commitment to addressing our community's greatest challenges,” said Robin Forman, Tulane senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “The extraordinary discoveries and inventions of Professors Hu and Coy provide wonderful examples of the power of this commitment, and I am very proud and pleased to see them receive this prestigious recognition.”
Coy, whose work also includes development of a peptide-based precursor to the weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic, said his NAI Fellow election affirmed the impact of more than 50 years of research.
“I’d say they don’t get an applicant with as many patents as I have,” Coy said with a laugh. “I filed my first patent in 1978 and have been filing new patents ever since, but it’s translating those patents into something valuable to society that is most important and also the most difficult. It’s tremendously satisfying.”
Hu leads the Center for Cellular and Molecular Diagnostics at the School of Medicine, a multi-disciplinary biomarker lab focused on developing novel nanomedicine solutions. Most recently, the lab developed an antigen-screening method that can, for the first time, detect active tuberculosis, as well as a portable blood-screening device.
The lab currently has three products entering clinical trials, including the tuberculosis antigen-screening test and a new method of cancer detection in which a liquid biopsy is performed on extracellular vesicles. The procedure could be less expensive and invasive than traditional tumor biopsies, making it easier for patients.
Hu credited his NAI Fellow election to his lab’s success rate of translating research into products and its focus on unmet medical needs. Hu holds 25 patents, 14 of which are licensed.
“I think my contribution to this Academy is we know how to file useful patents,” Hu said. “We have a high success rate in grant and patent applications, because we don’t file any idea without validated data and without knowing that the idea will work for patients. This helps us quickly attract investors and industry partners and creates an incredible environment in our research lab.”
Since its inception in 2012, the NAI Fellows program has grown to include 1,898 exceptional researchers and innovators, who hold over 63,000 U.S. patents and 13,000 licensed technologies. NAI Fellows are known for the societal and economic impact of their inventions, contributing to major advancements in science and consumer technologies. Their innovations have generated more than $3 trillion in revenue and generated one million jobs.
The 2023 Class of Fellows will be presented with their medals by a senior official of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) at the NAI 13th Annual Meeting on June 18th, 2024, in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The complete list of NAI Fellows is available here. |
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Looking for a Way to Make a Meaningful Difference This Holiday Season? |
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Consider a Tax-Deductible Donation to the Tulane Cancer Center Patient Relief Fund as an Alternative to Gift-Giving!
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Tulane Cancer Center's Patient Relief Fund was established in 1998 to help patients meet unexpected expenses associated with their care at Tulane. The fund also provides an alternative to gift giving during the Holiday Season. Instead of a tangible gift, your recipient receives an acknowledgement card stating that you have made a donation to the fund in his/her honor to spread solace to those in need throughout the year.
The Patient Relief Fund is often the only source available to Tulane Cancer Center’s social worker to solve urgent problems for cancer patients. Over the years, this fund has helped with everything from transportation, meals, and short-term housing to rental assistance for patients facing eviction.
A donation to the Tulane Cancer Center Patient Relief Fund is a wonderfully easy way to have your gift make a truly meaningful difference this Holiday Season and all year long. The Cancer Center staff does all the work! We will send out acknowledgement cards in your name to your list of recipients for gifts of $5.00 or more per recipient.
How Do I Make My Gift?
To make your tax-deductible donation online via credit card, please visit our "Giving" page here, select "Patient Relief Fund" from the options listed and then follow the prompts.
Once the transaction is complete, please email a list of your honorees and their addresses to mcross@tulane.edu, and our team will get your acknowledgement cards in the mail right away.
If you prefer to make your donation via check (made payable to Tulane Cancer Center), please send to:
Tulane Cancer Center
ATTN: K. Green
1430 Tulane Ave., Box 8668
New Orleans, LA 70112-2699
Don't forget to include your list of honorees and their addresses.
Questions?
Happy Holidays from all of us at the Tulane Cancer Center!
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or visit
To make a tax-deductible donation to Tulane Cancer Center
(Federal Tax ID# 72-0423889) please click here.
Thank you for your generosity and support!
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