The ImmunoVerse™ Targeting KRAS: A New Era for Pancreatic Cancer, ft. Dr. Elizabeth Jaffee
Jul 31, 2025
Dr. Elizabeth Jaffee, a prominent leader in cancer immunotherapy and Deputy Director at Johns Hopkins, shares her inspiring journey into battling pancreatic cancer. She discusses how early KRAS mutations can be targeted with vaccines to potentially prevent cancer recurrence. Dr. Jaffee emphasizes the importance of using AI in identifying high-risk patients and integrating it with genetic data for personalized prevention. She also highlights the promising results of neoadjuvant immunotherapy and the role of KRAS inhibitors in overcoming treatment resistance.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Path To Pancreatic Cancer Research
- Dr. Elizabeth Jaffee described how personal loss and clinical exposure drove her focus on pancreatic cancer research.
- She joined a Johns Hopkins team that built a pancreatic biobank and tested the first vaccine in surgical patients.
KRAS Is An Early, Actionable Target
- Mutant KRAS appears in the earliest pancreatic precancer lesions and is a logical vaccine target for prevention.
- Early lesions already attract T cells, so vaccines could activate existing immunity to block progression.
High-Risk Vaccine Trial Enrollment
- Jaffee described a rapid-enrolling small trial vaccinating 20 high-risk individuals who had no detectable lesions.
- Participants wanted the vaccine as an 'insurance policy' and the study assessed safety and immune responses.