Capitol News

Researchers from Henry Ford Health and Michigan State University (MSU) are collaborating to advance pancreatic cancer research. Jennifer Klomp, a researcher at MSU, emphasized the importance of team science in achieving more rigorous and beneficial outcomes. She joined MSU alongside her husband, Jeff Klomp, to work with Henry Ford Health researchers on pancreatic cancer.

The partnership between Henry Ford Health and MSU has fostered a community focused on pancreatic cancer research. Howard Crawford, a senior researcher at Henry Ford Health, has developed an organization dedicated to this cause. He highlighted the difficulty in diagnosing pancreatic cancer early due to nonspecific symptoms such as back pain and jaundice.

Despite these challenges, there is optimism for improving survival rates. "When I started as a pancreatic cancer researcher in 2017, the goal was to get five-year survival rates into double digits," said Klomp. "Now we’re at 13%, and I think that number is going to increase significantly, very quickly."

The researchers are concentrating on genetic indicators crucial for cell communication. They aim to develop pharmaceutical drugs targeting RAS oncogenes, which have been known since 1982 but remain challenging targets due to their structure.

Klomp expressed hope regarding RAS inhibitors: "The exciting thing for pancreatic cancer patients is that we are already seeing improvements from drugs that are RAS inhibitors." The team also manages a biobank with diverse patient samples, which is essential for ongoing research efforts.

Crawford noted the significance of their tissue database: "Researchers around the world ask for access to our tissue database and biobank." He added that RAS inhibitors are a major focus for both Jenny and Jeff Klomp's research programs.