Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, AACR honor NYU School of Medicine's scientist with Fellowship

NYU School of Medicine's Cosimo Commisso, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Biochemistry, is the 2011 recipient of The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network-American Association for Cancer Research Fellowship, a one-year grant designed to support pancreatic cancer research. Dr. Commisso was honored at the American Association for Cancer Research 102nd Annual Meeting 2011, held April 2-6, in Orlando, Florida.

Dr. Commisso will receive a $45,000 grant to support his postdoctoral investigation of "Pancreatic Cancer, Macropinocytosis and Nutrient Internalization." This research will focus on the role of fluid uptake in pancreatic cancer cells as a mechanism of nutrient delivery and metabolic augmentation. The goal of the research is to understand the functional outcome of this process in pancreatic cancer and to determine whether preventing it has any detrimental effects on tumor development. These findings could lead to the identification of a novel targeting strategy - blockade of macropinocytosis for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

"I am truly honored to be the recipient of the 2011 Fellowship and I look forward to working together with my postdoctoral supervisor, Dr. Dafna Bar-Sagi, professor and chair of the Department of Biochemistry, on this exciting project."

The mission of this Fellowship is to advance pancreatic cancer research, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network has collaborated with the AACR to promote and support outstanding research focused on conquering this deadly disease. The goals of the grants program are to build a robust pancreatic cancer research community, to encourage collaboration, information-sharing and innovation, and to expedite scientific and medical breakthroughs for patient benefit.

This year, The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and the AACR awarded ten grants to outstanding scientists throughout the country, supporting innovative research in the field of pancreatic cancer. This year's total funding level of nearly $3 million represents the largest annual disbursement since the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network introduced the program in 2003.