Targeting MK2 for Treatment of Gastric Cancer

Dr. Beswick and her research team at the University of New Mexico are studying a promising new method for reducing inflammation that can lead to stomach cancer. They are focusing on a common bacterium – Helicobacter pylori – that lives in the digestive tract and can lead to ulcers. Scientists believe there is a six-times greater association between this bacterium and stomach cancer.

1. Pylori infection activates a protein known as MK2 that is at the core of inflammation and the creation of tumors. The Degregorio Family Foundation grant provides funds for further examination of the interplay of MK2 activation in tumor cells, fibroblasts and myeloid cells to uncover the mechanisms by which this pathway is a critical contributor to gastric cancer.