Dr. Girgis Obaid received $2,116,760 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support his research on Molecular Imaging Guidance for Potentiating Chemoimmunotherapy in Pancreatic Cancer using Photodynamic Priming. With a 5-year survival rate of just 3% for patients with metastatic Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), Dr. Girgis Obaid’s work aims to address the critical challenges in current treatment approaches that often fail to significantly lengthen patient survival.

The objective of this project is to enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy and immunotherapy in PDA patients by aiming at the tumor’s desmoplastic microenvironment. Dr. Girgis Obaid is leveraging a non-toxic, light-activated method called photodynamic priming (PDP), which has been shown to repair desmoplasia and improve drug delivery. By combining PDP with chemo-immunotherapy in a targeted liposome, Dr. Girgis Obaid intends to synchronize treatment delivery, promote immune responses, and reduce chemotherapy toxicity.

This research will use progressive models, including genetically engineered mouse models and patient-derived xenografts, to test the usefulness of this approach in both T cell-inflamed and non-T cell-inflamed tumors. In addition to this research, the goal is to improve drug dispersion, prompt immunogenic cell death, and aggravate stronger T cell-mediated attacks against the tumor, ultimately improving survival rates and quality of life for patients with PDA. This innovative project has the potential to transform treatment strategies for PDA, offering new hope for patients in critical need of more effective therapies. This project will also contribute to the field of Bioengineering.