Highlighting AC/PMP Research for Rare Disease Day, Ft. Dr. Votanopoulos!

RESEARCH. CURE. APPENDIX CANCER.

Rare Disease Day | February 28, 2021 


Appendix cancer is a rare disease often misdiagnosed, misunderstood, and under-researched.  Most patients diagnosed with appendix cancer may have even heard the words (including sometimes even by a physician) “well, at least it’s nothing serious, it’s just your appendix.” False. Appendix cancer can be life-threatening and we must all work together to find a cure.

 

Thanks to your support, the Appendix Cancer Pseudomyxoma Peritonei (ACPMP) Research Foundation is proud to be partnering with researchers and physicians to be making great strides with exciting developments that will hopefully one day lead to that cure. One of the many exciting initiatives happening is out of the Wake Forest Organoid Research Center (WFORCE). WFORCE brings together researchers and clinicians to leverage the use of tissue organoid technology for the benefit of patients. The  reconstruction of a patient’s tumor in the form of 3D patient-specific tumor organoid results in informing personalized treatment of cancer. The goals of this innovative work is to grow and study appendix and other rare cancers to find a cure; to tailor the best available therapy to the individual patient needs; to train a patient’s immune system to fight cancer; and to provide a personalized platform to test new drugs. Wow!

 

This research was initially funded through a 2018 ACPMP Research Grant; given the significant promise of this exciting organoid research, ACPMP has since extended financial investment into this transformative research through partnership with WFORCE.

 

For Rare Disease Day, February 28th, ACPMP is excited to introduce Dr. Kostas Votanopoulos, leader of the WFORCE program and ACPMP Medical Advisory Board member, who will be sharing information about this amazing research! From our perspective, and the perspective of ACPMP patients and their loved ones, this scientific endeavor is even more exciting than the recent successful mission of the Perseverance Rover on Mars – and that certainly says a lot!

Finding a cure is a team effort and the Appendix Cancer Pseudomyxoma Peritonei Research Foundation is a proud member of that team!

 

Check out ACPMP’s Rare Disease Day page to learn how you can help!

Learn more about WFORCE.