Researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center have uncovered a functional role for KRAS mutations in pancreatic cancer and rapidly translated these findings into a novel therapeutic approach combining a KRAS G12D inhibitor with immune checkpoint inhibitors for early- and late-stage KRAS G12D-mutant pancreatic cancer. The combination therapy led to durable tumor elimination and significantly improved survival outcomes in preclinical models, leading to the launch of a phase I clinical trial.
When Robert Mayer was only a few years out of residency, in the 1970s, he signed on as an investigator of the NCI-supported Gastrointestinal Tumor Study Group, which conducted research into colorectal, gastric, and pancreatic cancers.
