Cosimo Commisso discussed his lab’s contributions to the pancreatic cancer research community on the Project Purple Podcast
Cosimo Commisso, PhD, interim director and deputy director of the NCI-Designated Cancer Center at Sanford Burnham Prebys, was the featured guest on Episode 309 of the Project Purple Podcast.
Commisso discussed his lab’s work studying pancreatic cancer with Project Purple CEO and founder Dino Verrelli, including efforts to understand pancreatic cancer cells’ appetite for glutamine, one of the 20 amino acids used to build proteins throughout the body. The Commisso lab has shown that feeding tumors a glutamine copycat starves them of the fuel they need to survive and grow.
Commisso and Verrelli also discussed:
- The complexity of pancreatic cancer, including changes in cellular metabolism and the microenvironment surrounding tumors.
- The systemic effects from factors such as diet and aging on pancreatic cancer.
- The importance of developing personalized diagnostics and therapies that account for individual differences.
- The pancreatic cancer research community’s willingness to collaborate.
- Opportunities to progress research more quickly to benefit patients as soon as possible.
Project Purple is a nonprofit organization focused on pancreatic cancer research and support for patients and their families. Since 2008, Project Purple has raised more than $3.5 million to support pancreatic cancer research efforts, including improving early detection and finding new curative treatments.