Biological Sciences faculty honored for pancreatic cancer therapeutic research

Pinku Mukherjee, the Irwin Belk Distinguished Professor in Cancer Research, and team member Ru Zhou, research associate professor in biological sciences, are developing a novel T-cell engager derived from a patented monoclonal antibody against a tumor-specific protein that is present on 85% of solid tumors. 

This T-cell engager, which directs the body’s own T cells to attack cancer cells, has shown significant effectiveness in treating chemotherapy-resistant pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is particularly deadly because it is typically diagnosed only in late stages due to a lack of screening tools and the fact that it progresses without obvious symptoms. 

Since joining UNC Charlotte in 2009 from the Mayo Clinic, Mukherjee has established collaborations with regional health care systems and other universities to conduct cancer research. 

Mukherjee was the 2018 recipient of the First Citizens Bank Scholars Medal, which recognizes excellence in research by a Charlotte faculty member, and the 2015 recipient of the O. Max Gardner Award, the highest faculty accolade given by the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina.