University of Iowa leads breakthrough in ovarian cancer research

The University of Iowa has been chosen as an Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) Sprint for Women’s Health awardee to innovate in fighting ovarian cancer.

Led by Jill Kolesar, dean and professor at the College of Pharmacy, the research team aims to target ovarian cancer cells using extracellular vesicles. This novel method hopes to improve current ovarian cancer treatments by specifically eliminating cancerous cells.

Why this research matters

“Ovarian cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, and there are few effective treatments,” Kolesar told Iowa Now. “We have developed a new therapy that is effective and has few or no adverse effects. This grant supports the first clinical trial of this therapy and the next step in making it available to women who need it desperately.”

With over 12,700 projected deaths this year in the US alone, ovarian cancer remains a significant health challenge, according to the American Cancer Society. Notably, most women experience a recurrence post-chemotherapy.

ARPA-H’s Sprint for Women’s Health initiative received an overwhelming response, searching for solutions to six women’s health issues.

How UI will use the funding

Kolesar’s team will use the unique award to refine the production of these small vesicles (MEVs), which transform macrophages within tumors into cancer-fighting cells, as detailed in the grant summary. The researchers plan to enhance MEV durability and stability for better cancer targeting.

Kolesar will conduct clinical trials at UI’s Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, exploring the viability of MEVs in preventing ovarian cancer recurrence. Initial tests will involve mice, with hopes of progressing to human trials.

“We anticipate the anticancer activity of MEVs, combined with localizing ability, will be able to eradicate small numbers of cancer cells and help the immune system eliminate them,” notes the grant summary.

The $10 million award from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health will allocate $8.8 million to Iowa, while $1.2 million goes to researchers at the University of Kentucky.