Trudy Oliver, PhD

Some cancers are very hard to treat because they grow fast and stop responding to therapy. One example is a group of tumors called tuft-like cancers. These cancers can form in several organs, including the lung. Patients with these tumors often have few treatment options, and the disease can progress quickly.Our research focuses on finding a new way to treat tuft-like cancers. Our lab discovered a drug target that appears to be very important for the survival of these cancer cells. Early studies show that blocking this target can slow tumor growth in laboratory models.This treatment may also help the body’s immune system fight cancer. In other words, hitting this target may deliver a “one-two punch.” The drug could weaken the tumor while also helping immune cells attack it.In this project, we will study how this target helps tuft-like cancers grow and survive. We will test drugs that block it in models that closely resemble human cancer. We will also study patient tumor samples to learn how these cancers interact with the immune system.Our goal is to move this discovery closer to clinical trials. If successful, this work could lead to the first targeted treatment for tuft-like cancers and give new hope to patients facing this aggressive cancer type.