The breakthroughs of University of Virginia cancer researchers are multiplying rapidly.
With last summer's addition of the Focused Ultrasound Cancer Immunotherapy Center, the world's first such center, and the announced Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology, UVA is picking up the pace against the leading cause of death worldwide.
The research is coordinated by the UVA Cancer Center, which is one of just 53 cancer centers in the country, and the only one in Virginia, designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. The elite designation recognizes centers that meet rigorous standards for innovative research and leading-edge clinical trials.
Here are five groundbreaking areas where UVA is currently edging cancer science forward.
Shrinking Deadly Tumors
In July, UVA Health reported finding new vulnerabilities in solid tumors, particularly those found in the brain, that may respond to advanced immunotherapies.
The research is focusing on two kinds of tumors - called glioblastoma and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, sometimes referred to as DIPG - that lack effective treatments. On average, less than 7% of patients with glioblastoma survive five years, and, for children, life expectancy with DIPG is only nine months after diagnosis.
