Targeted Therapeutics Research Award
Funded equally by LUNGevity Foundation and the Illinois Chapter of the American Cancer Society
Steven P. Zielske, PhD
University of Michigan Department of Radiation Oncology
Ann Arbor
MI
Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) selectively migrate to tumors of the brain or the lung. MSCs are specialized cells found in the bone marrow. They can form bone, cartilage, fat, and possibly other tissues. Dr. Zielske is researching how to make use of this property of MSCs. He is working on how to deliver locally high concentrations of chemotherapy drugs to the tumor microenvironment while avoiding the side effects associated with chemotherapy, which flows through the bloodstream to most parts of the body.
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