Rachael Maynard – JCM Foundation Scholar
1st Year Scholar, MD/PhD candidate, Tumor Biology 
Georgetown University

Research: 
Current therapies are not very successful at reducing pancreatic cancer tumor burden. In my past research, I engineered natural killer (NK) cells that better invade and kill pancreatic cancers, enhancing their usefulness in treating solid tumors. Current research examines the impact of these NK cells on other human immune cells within tumors in a humanized mouse model.

How Will Your Research Benefit Society?
Over 300,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma each year and the current 5-year survival rate is less than 10%. Current therapies are not very successful at reducing tumor burden. Because of this, it is critical to develop novel therapies to address this gap in treatment. Our laboratory has found that NK cell content within pancreatic tumors is associated with a better prognosis, suggesting a potential role for NK cells in the treatment of this deadly disease. These findings provide a novel approach to modulate NK cell trafficking and tumor infiltration, and to enhance cell-based therapy in solid tumors. Because we must use immunodeficient mouse models to test human NK cell treatments, we are not able to study the impact of these NK cell therapies on other immune cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Using a humanized mouse model will provide insight into how NK cells operate in a more physiologically relevant environment. This will allow us to analyze the immune cell content within the TME as well as the activation state of the T cells and macrophages present.

How will an ARCS Award Benefit Your Research?
Although humanized mice provide an incredible opportunity to study impacts of novel immunotherapies on the human immune system, cost is a barrier. Funds provided by the ARCS award will allow me to overcome this barrier to address my hypothesis and further my thesis research. Using humanized mice, I will be able to assess the impact of these NK cells on other components of the immune system present within the TME to further elucidate the therapeutic benefits of this treatment.

Career objectives:
As an MD/PhD student, I am hoping to be involved in the process of translating research from the benchtop to the clinic. I have seen firsthand the difference clinical trials can make in the lives of patients and would be honored to someday play a role in this.