Damon Runyon News

Dr. Bhansali is studying how epigenetic processes—specifically the three-dimensional folding of DNA—promote the development, growth, and survival of cancers. His research focuses on T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), an aggressive blood cancer affecting both children and adults for which traditional chemotherapy remains the mainstay of treatment. LDB1 is a protein involved in the process of DNA folding that partners with another protein called LMO2, which is highly expressed in up to 75% of T-ALL. Dr.

Certain cancers of the blood are treated by transplanting stem cells that can regenerate all kinds of blood cells from healthy donors. Even though this procedure has the potential to cure the cancer, common complications such as bloodstream infections or graft-versus-host disease (when the body rejects the donor cells) can lead to major side effects and even death. There is substantial evidence that these complications are linked to the microbes residing in the gut, collectively termed the gut microbiome, but the exact mechanism for this interaction is unknown.

Dr. Roman [Leslie Cohen Seidman Quantitative Biology Fellow] aims to develop mathematical tools to determine which genes are associated with resistance to chemotherapy. Given genomic information from pancreatic cancer patients whose tumors are resistant or sensitive to chemotherapy, this tool will identify genes that distinguish the two populations. These genes can then be explored as potential drug targets that can sensitize chemotherapy-resistant tumors to treatment.

Chromatin remodelers are complex protein machines responsible for packaging DNA and regulating gene expression. Their dysfunction is strongly implicated in cancer. For example, certain types of sarcoma and ovarian cancer are driven by mutations in a chromatin remodeler called BAF. Combining experiments with theoretical work, Dr. Owen’s research aims to understand how remodelers recognize their target sites in the cell’s nucleus.

Only 3% of cancer drugs in clinical trials ultimately receive FDA approval, compared to 15-33% of drugs for other types of diseases. Recent studies have suggested that many drugs being explored for cancer treatment do not actually target their intended molecule in the cell. This has important implications for efficacy and safety and could be a key contributor to the low FDA approval rate. Dr. Grabski [Kenneth G.

The exploration of human tumors in their native environment is challenging, precluding a deeper understanding of how cancer and important therapeutics work.  Dr. Puleston [Bakewell Foundation Innovator] is developing new ways to investigate human cancer by keeping tumor-bearing organs alive outside of the body, allowing for the experimental study of tumors within human tissues. Employing this approach to study hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most lethal forms of liver cancer, Dr.

Understanding how brain cells communicate at synapses—the junctions where neurons connect—is essential for understanding how the brain functions in both health and disease. Dr. Wang's [National Mah Jongg League Fellow] project aims to develop new tools to explore these intricate synaptic connections. Using spatially resolved RNA sequencing techniques, Dr. Wang can identify which genes are active in specific parts of individual neurons within intact brain slices.

Dr. Chappleboim studies how cells communicate during a developmental process called somitogenesis, which drives the formation of repeated structures such as the spinal vertebrae. The signals that guide cell communication during this process can get misinterpreted by cancer cells, resulting in uncontrolled growth. These pathways are implicated in numerous cancer types but are notably associated with colorectal, ovarian, and breast cancer. Using cutting-edge techniques in human stem cells and 3D-models called organoids, along with the tools of computational biology, Dr.

Accumulating evidence shows that specialized structures of white blood cells (lymphocytes), named tertiary lymphoid organs (TLOs), can form inside tumors and play a crucial role in fighting cancer progression. Unlocking the formation and functions of TLOs holds great promise for advancing cancer immunotherapy, but studying TLOs remains challenging due to the substantial disparities between humans and animal models. To address this, Dr.

Our immune system can help us prevent or slow cancer development. Human CD4+ T cells play critical roles in regulating our immune responses to fight cancer. Upon encountering a pathogen, naïve CD4+ T cells differentiate into different T helper (Th) cells to perform diverse immune-modulatory functions. Variability in this differentiation process is associated with variable responses to cancer immunotherapy.