Nicki’s Smile Research Project Update

By Dan Summers, Nicki’s Smile committee member

In July 2012 Nicki’s Smile committed £125,000 to a research study aimed at the earlier detection of pancreatic cancer. On 29 January 2013 I visited Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), New York where this research is being conducted under the supervision of Dr David Tuveson MD, PhD.

On a cold winter’s day I took the Long Island Rail Road out of Penn station, Manhattan, arriving one hour later at CSHL’s scenic main campus which spans approximately 120 acres along the western shore of Cold Spring Harbor on the north shore of Long Island.

Since being founded in 1890, CSHL has been home to eight Nobel laureates including Dr. James Watson, co-discoverer of DNA’s double helix. Today CSHL is a preeminent international research institution, achieving breakthroughs in molecular biology and genetics and enhancing scientific knowledge worldwide.

My host for the day was Dannielle Engle, a postdoctoral fellow, who explained that the summer of 2012 saw her initial challenge being to facilitate the relocation of the Tuveson laboratory to CSHL from Cambridge University. The transfer was finally completed in August, moving in to the recently opened Leslie and Jean Quick Laboratory, but two months later Hurricane Sandy led to the temporary suspension of operations. Fortunately CSHL survived the elements intact and subsequently supported other cancer research facilities in the New York area get back on their feet after power outages led to the loss of research.

During the tour of the state-of-the-art laboratory and campus it was explained to me that the study focusing on pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer that Nicki’s Smile is helping to fund has two aims. The first is to create a model that can produce circulating blood proteins similar to the main tumour marker (CA19-9) used in the clinical management of patients with pancreatic cancer. The second is to use this model to look for novel diagnostic biomarkers. Whilst still at an early stage of model development and validation the overall goal is develop these biomarkers through clinical testing as a test for pancreatic cancer detection and treatment monitoring.

The immediate challenges in the coming months include continued development of the modeling process and boosting the number of staff working in the Tuveson laboratory. With thanks to Dannielle Engle and the team at the Tuveson laboratory for their hospitality and taking time out of their research to show me around the impressive facilities at CSHL.