Ronald S. Hirshberg Translational Pancreatic Cancer Research Laboratory

Opened in February of 1998 at the University of California, Los Angeles' School of Medicine, the Lab engages in scientific research designed to:

• Identify the cause(s) of pancreatic cancer;
• Facilitate the early detection of pancreatic cancer;
• Extend the lives of those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer;
• Find a cure for pancreatic cancer.

Current Projects:

• Eicosanoids in pancreatic cancer biology
• COX enzymes and PPAR receptors
• Fish oil in pancreatic cancer invasion
• Neurotrophic factors in pancreatic cancer invasion
• Chemokines and angiogenesis
• Lymphangiogenesis
• Estrogen receptors in pancreatic cancer growth
• Orthotopic and transgenic animal models

Past and present laboratory fellows and staff:

1) Hubert Hotz (01/98-12/99)
2) Peter Buechler (02/98-06/00)
3) Nova Rider (1999-2000)
4) Diana Yoon 2000-2001
5) Guido Eibl (01/00-12/02)
6) Moritz Wente (08/00-07/02)
7) Hirotaka Ohara (02/01-01/02)
8) Yuji Okada (06/01-11/03)
9) John Duffy (06/01-06/03)
10) Kevork Kazanjian (06/03-06/05)
11) Hirozumi Sawai (04/04-11/05)
12) Makoto Satake (07/05-06/07)
13) Hitoshi Funahashi (11/05-11/07)
14) Sascha Hasan (11/04-present)
15) Elaine Angst (4/07-present) 
16) Aihua Li (9/07-present)

Current Funding:

• National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute (R01):The Role of COX-2 and PPAR-g in Pancreatic Cancer (PI: Eibl)
  Total Amount: $1,115,666

• 1 R21 CA124609-01A1 (PI: Oscar Joe Hines)
  07/01/2007 - 06/30/2009
  NIH/NCI
  Total amount: $308,000
  The Role of CXCR2 in Pancreatic Cancer
  The study investigates the role of CXCR2 in pancreatic cancer biology and
  angiogenesis as well as determine chemokine and receptor expression in human
  specimen.
• 1 R01 CA122042-01A1 (PI: Guido Eibl)
  08/01/2007 - 05/31/2012
  NIH/NCI
  Total amount: $1,463,000
  The role of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in pancreatic cancer
  This project is designed to explore the efficacy of n-3 polyunsaturated
  fatty acids in therapy and prevention of pancreatic cancer using xenograft
  and transgenic animal models of the disease.
   
  Need for Increased Funding
  
  Although encouraging strides are being made, pancreatic cancer research is urgently in need of increased funding. In fact it is estimate that only 52.7, million dollars of the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) cancer research budget, will be spent on pancreatic cancer research this year. This is just a mere 1% of the NCI’s 4.824 billion dollar cancer research budget for 2002. Additionally, research spending per annual pancreatic cancer fatality only $1145 the lowest of any leading cancer.
  
  Research spending per annual pancreatic cancer fatality only $1145 the lowest of any leading cancer.