Memorial Sloan Kettering pancreas cancer program
Official title: The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center SPORE in Pancreas Cancer
Funded at Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research · NIH-11169807 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program uses advanced genetic testing and new treatment approaches to try to improve care for people with locally advanced or metastatic pancreas cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $2,434,565 |
| NIH project number | 5P50CA257881-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11169807 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with locally advanced (stage III) or metastatic (stage IV) pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who can provide tissue and blood samples and are willing to consider molecularly guided treatments or clinical trials.
✕Less likely to help
People with very early-stage pancreas cancer, those who cannot provide tissue or blood samples, or those unable to travel to MSK may not receive direct benefit from this program.
What this research studies
If you join, doctors will collect tumor and blood samples and use next-generation molecular tests to look for genetic changes that might explain why some people respond especially well to treatments. The team combines laboratory analysis with clinical care, offering access to cytotoxic, targeted, and immune-based treatment options or trials guided by molecular findings. The focus is on patients with stage III or IV pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and clinicians aim to match therapies to each patient’s tumor profile. The work links lab discoveries to real-world treatment choices to help guide better care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this program could help match patients to more effective therapies based on their tumor’s genetics and improve survival for people with advanced pancreas cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Some prior work has shown that a subset of pancreatic cancer patients can have exceptional responses linked to molecular features, but integrating next-generation profiling with new targeted and immune therapies is still an evolving approach.
Where this research is happening
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Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: O'reilly, Eileen Mary — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: O'reilly, Eileen Mary
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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SPORE in Pancreas Cancer at MSK: advancing personalized therapy for pancreatic cancer
A large, multi-year program at Memorial Sloan Kettering aims to tailor pancreatic cancer treatment to each patient’s biology to improve survival and outcomes.
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How nerves influence pancreatic cancer progression and immune response
This NIH grant tests whether nerves and nerve signals affect pancreatic cancer growth and the body’s immune response, with findings that could lead to new therapies for people with pancreatic cancer.
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Overcoming barriers in pancreatic cancer therapy
A cancer research project that explores how pancreatic tumors resist treatment and how to improve therapies by studying tumor cells and their surrounding environment in animal models.
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How low oxygen makes pancreatic cancer cells more aggressive
This project looks at whether low oxygen areas inside pancreatic tumors cause cancer cells to become more aggressive and resist chemotherapy, aiming to help people with pancreatic cancer.
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How different dietary fats affect pancreatic cancer start and growth
This project looks at whether specific kinds of high-fat diets speed up or slow the start and growth of pancreatic cancer to help people at risk understand dietary effects.
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Immune signals that make pancreatic cancer more stem‑like and aggressive
Looking at whether an immune signal called IL‑22, working through its receptor IL‑22RA1 and STAT3, makes pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells more stem‑like and aggressive to guide future treatments for people with PDAC.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.