Targeting KRAS: A New Era for Pancreatic Cancer, ft. Dr. Elizabeth Jaffee

Dr. Patrick Hwu welcomes Dr. Elizabeth Jaffee of Johns Hopkins, a renowned leader in cancer immunotherapy. Dr. Jaffee shares the personal and scientific journey that led her to tackle one of oncology’s toughest challenges: pancreatic cancer. From her early fascination with virology to pioneering the use of genetically modified tumor vaccines, she has pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in cancer prevention and treatment. What You’ll Learn from Dr. Jaffee The role of KRAS mutations in early pancreatic cancer and how vaccines can target them How we can harness both targeted therapies and vaccines to overcome resistance in pancreatic cancer. How immunotherapy could be used for pancreatic cancer prevention The use of AI in early detection for at-risk patients Dr. Jaffee also discusses efforts to use immunotherapy earlier — even preventively — and explores how AI and multi-modal data could revolutionize cancer risk prediction and early detection. Key Takeaways KRAS vaccines are showing promise in preventing recurrence of pancreatic cancer post-surgery, with strong immune responses observed. Early pancreatic lesions already show immune reactivity, and vaccines may be able to activate these cells before cancer fully develops. Neoadjuvant immunotherapy—treatment before surgery—is producing encouraging immune responses in pancreatic cancer. AI and integrative data tools will be essential in identifying high-risk patients early and tailoring personalized prevention strategies. Mentorship is critical to the progress and future of cancer research. Access more show notes, links and transcript here: https://www.moffitt.org/about-moffitt/podcasts/immunoverse/targeting-kras/