Microarray gene expression patterns have been used to classify human tumors into clinically distinct tumor subtypes. I'm using microarrays to study gene expression in engineered mouse models to gain insight into the biology of human tumors. Because many of the genes that distinguish cancer subtypes include cell lineage markers, like keratins, I am testing whether tumors can be further stratified by examining the gene expression within these distinct cellular compartments within the gland.

Recurrent chromosomal aberrations

Changing a tumor cell's genome indelibly edits its genetic blueprint, but it may also provide new diagnostic methods and treatment avenues. Amplification of Her2/Erbb2 was recognized as a recurrent event in a subset of human breast tumors twenty years ago. This observation provided for the development of a drug that now benefits patients in the clinic. I have identified several other potentially recurring amplifications (and deletions) that may also prove relevant to disease progression and outcome. I am investigating the origins of these aberrations and the selective advantage they provide cells in tumor evolution.

Office: 413
Phone: 508-856-3959
E-mail: Karl.Simin@umassmed.edu
Keywords: Cancer Biology, Gene Expression, Mouse Models

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