Spotlighting the NETRF: Supporting Research in an Understudied Field

The study of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) has been gaining better traction within the medical and research spheres despite being historically excluded and understudied in these spaces, according to Suzann Duan, PhD.

Duan, assistant professor in the School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences at UC Irvine, discussed her thoughts regarding her receipt of an Investigator Award grant by the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation (NETRF), as well as further research she has undergoing publication soon in the NET space.

Acknowledging the previous limited acknowledgement from medicine, she expressed gratitude to organizations like the NETRF for funding research and facilitating advocacy among stakeholders in the field. Duan further highlighted research she anticipates will be released soon, highlighting the role of Hedgehog (HH) signaling, the pathway of which may play a role in the regulation of homeostasis in tissue, in NET tumors and immunosenescence as well.

Transcript:

We know that [NETs] have been historically excluded [and] understudied, and I’m so glad that they are gaining more attention and traction within the medical and research field. I am extremely grateful for organizations like NETRF for supporting research that my lab is doing, and advocating for patients and care providers within that space. It drives home the importance of what we do in the lab and at the bench. Lastly, I want to highlight that we just had a paper accepted, which I’m hoping will be in press [soon]. Some of that work is looking at the role of Hedgehog signaling in these tumors. There’s a potential role for that within the aging landscape as well.

Reference

Jing J, Wu Z, Wang J, et al. Hedgehog signaling in tissue homeostasis, cancers and targeted therapies. Sig Transduct Target Ther. 8(315). doi:10.1038/s41392-023-01559-5