Grant Fuels Breakthrough Therapy for Gastroesophageal Cancers

NEW YORK, NY – April 22, 2026 – In a significant step forward for oncology research, The DeGregorio Family Foundation, with support from the Torrey Coast Foundation, has awarded the final installment of a $500,000 grant to a leading Columbia University researcher. The funding completes the Michael F. Price Memorial Grant awarded to Dr. Timothy C. Wang, a move designed to accelerate a highly promising new therapy for gastroesophageal cancers, some of the most lethal malignancies worldwide.

Dr. Wang, the Chief of Digestive and Liver Diseases at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, is pioneering a novel treatment known as Modified Trefoil Factor Family 2 (TFF2-MSA). This grant provides the critical resources needed to advance the therapy from promising preclinical studies toward human clinical trials.

"We are grateful to the DeGregorio Family Foundation for its unique focus on gastroesophageal (GE) cancers and for supporting our studies," Dr. Wang stated. "Our work involves the evaluation of novel therapies for GE cancers and identifying biomarkers that will help determine patient groups most likely to benefit from this therapy."

A New Strategy Against a Formidable Foe

Gastroesophageal cancers, which include cancers of the stomach and esophagus, represent a major global health crisis. In 2022 alone, these diseases claimed over 1.1 million lives globally, making them the third leading cause of cancer-related death. In the United States, over 30,000 new cases are diagnosed annually. Patients often face a grim prognosis due to the cancers' aggressive nature, their tendency to metastasize, and their notorious resistance to standard chemotherapy.

In recent years, immunotherapy—specifically a class of drugs called "checkpoint inhibitors"—has emerged as a powerful new weapon against many cancers. These drugs work by releasing the brakes on the body's own immune system, allowing T cells to recognize and attack tumor cells. While this approach has transformed treatment for some cancers, its success in gastric cancer has been limited. A significant portion of patients do not respond.

The reason for this resistance often lies within the tumor's immediate surroundings, a complex ecosystem known as the tumor microenvironment. Advanced gastric cancers are particularly adept at recruiting a type of white blood cell called immunosuppressive neutrophils. These cells act as bodyguards for the tumor, creating a physical and chemical barrier that prevents cancer-killing T cells from infiltrating and doing their job. The abundance of these "bad" neutrophils is a strong indicator of a poor prognosis.

Dismantling the Tumor's Defenses

Dr. Wang's research offers a groundbreaking strategy to overcome this barrier. His team's work centers on TFF2, a small, naturally secreted peptide that can regulate these immunosuppressive neutrophils. They discovered that TFF2 acts as a "partial agonist" for a surface receptor called CXCR4, which is critical for recruiting the neutrophils to the tumor site. By binding to this receptor, TFF2 essentially rewires its signaling, selectively targeting the "bad" suppressive neutrophils for destruction while preserving "good" tumor-inhibiting neutrophils.

This clears the way for the immune system's T cells to mount an effective attack. To make the therapy more robust for clinical use, the team attached albumin, a large protein found in blood, to the TFF2 peptide. This modified version, TFF2-MSA, is far more stable and effective, allowing for less frequent dosing.

The results from preclinical studies have been remarkable. In numerous mouse models of stomach cancer, treatment with the TFF2 peptide led to significant tumor reduction and improved survival. When TFF2-MSA was combined with a standard checkpoint inhibitor drug (anti-PD-1), the effects were synergistic and dramatic. The combination therapy suppressed tumor growth by 78% and, in one orthotopic model that mimics human disease more closely, it completely eradicated tumors in 80% of the mice without recurrence. This stands in stark contrast to the 0% eradication rate seen when either drug was used alone. The combination also reduced the spread of cancer to the lungs by 80%.

This promising work is being advanced toward clinical application in collaboration with Tonix Pharmaceuticals, which is developing a human version of the therapy called TNX-1700. The company is currently focused on the necessary manufacturing and toxicity testing required before applying to the FDA to begin human trials.

The Power of Philanthropic Focus

This pivotal research is being fueled by a foundation born from profound personal loss. The DeGregorio Family Foundation was established in 2006 after the family lost a tenth member to stomach cancer. It remains the only public foundation in the world solely dedicated to funding research for both gastric and esophageal cancers. Having raised over $15 million, its focused mission is to channel funds directly to high-risk, high-reward projects that may be overlooked by larger funding bodies but hold the potential for transformative breakthroughs.

"Dr. Wang's research is incredibly promising and moves us significantly closer to launching a clinical trial – and ultimately, a potential cure," said Lynn DeGregorio, President and Founder of the DeGregorio Family Foundation.

The grant is named in memory of Michael F. Price, the celebrated value investor and philanthropist who was an early and ardent supporter of the foundation's mission. His legacy, combined with the support of the Torrey Coast Foundation, exemplifies how targeted philanthropy can serve as a powerful catalyst, accelerating the journey of life-saving science from the laboratory bench to the patient's bedside. The funding provides the crucial momentum to navigate the complex and costly path of drug development, a journey that offers renewed hope for countless patients and families affected by these devastating cancers.