John Kopchick, Ph.D., Goll-Ohio Eminent Scholar, was awarded $2.35 million in federal funding to acquire state-of-the-art equipment essential for advancing cancer research and treatment at the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. Cancer remains alarmingly prevalent in Appalachian counties where both incidence and mortality rates surpass national averages.
“This funding represents a pivotal step in our commitment to combat cancer and serve the Appalachian community,” said Kopchick, lead researcher and a global authority in endocrinology and oncology. “With these advanced tools, we can better understand how tumors respond to treatment and develop more effective therapies tailored to individual patients.”
The Kopchick Lab, located on Ohio University’s Athens campus, is globally renowned for its 39 years of groundbreaking research, including discovery of a drug, Somavert (Pegvisomant for injection), used worldwide for patients with acromegaly. Additionally, in the past decade, his lab’s team of researchers identified novel cancer treatment approaches capable of improving the effectiveness of currently available anti-cancer therapies. For example, they are now using Pegvisomant in combination with a variety of cancer therapies to determine if a synergistic effect on inhibiting cancer growth will occur. Using this approach, the laboratory has exciting results for melanoma, liver and pancreatic cancers. Work on lung, breast and bladder cancer is now ongoing.
To further their study and determine the molecular and cellular mechanisms of these therapies, the Kopchick Lab needed additional equipment that provides precise imaging and analysis of tumors and the cells that make up tumor tissues. The new equipment, purchased with support from Health Resources and Services Administration funding, will help the Kopchick Lab better monitor anti-cancer efficacy and tumor progression, uncover the molecular mechanisms driving therapy resistance and generate data essential for understanding tumor diversity.
In addition to these outcomes, the acquisition of this new equipment will help the Kopchick Lab establish a collaborative network with clinicians in southeast Ohio to assess patient tumor samples and translate findings into real-world applications. The Appalachian region’s cancer mortality rate is 10 percent higher than the national average. By bringing these advanced tools to southeast Ohio, the Kopchick lab aims to make cutting-edge cancer research and treatment more accessible in this community.
“Our work is deeply rooted in the needs of this community,” said Kopchick. “We are committed to using this funding to not only advance cancer research but also to improve the lives of patients in Appalachia who face significant healthcare challenges.”
Beyond Appalachia, the findings from this initiative will contribute to global cancer research, offering insights into overcoming therapy resistance and improving treatment efficacy for millions worldwide.