Cancer Nexus Blog

Briefly describe the main cancer-related project(s) you are currently working on? 

My laboratory is working on how melanomas originate and persist, even in the face of anti-cancer therapies. We have found that a common melanoma oncogene, BRAFV600E, causes profound genomic changes that confer a fitness advantage to cancer cells. This happens early in tumorigenesis and underlies the genome composition of many tumors. We also have been interested in factors that enable cancer cell growth and survival. One factor we’ve discovered is a secreted protein called GDF6 that causes melanoma cells to remain less differentiated, a property that is critical for resistance to current melanoma therapies. We have developed a drug that targets this factor and are currently testing whether it can combat drug resistance when used in combination with current therapies. 

If you have been working in the cancer field for a long time, how has the field changed/progressed over time? 

Thanks to next generation sequencing technologies, we understand in fine detail the genomic makeup of tumors – how different tumor types (e.g., melanoma versus thyroid cancer) compare to one another and how two tumors of the same type compare to one another. There are previously unrecognized similarities between tumors of different types and a recognition of which tumors of the same type are most similar to one another. The ability to obtain genomic sequence from tumors is increasingly being used inform patient diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. 

What advice/guidance would you offer to a young student who’s considering becoming a cancer researcher? What are some challenges that young researchers should anticipate?  

I’m sure I’m not the first to say this, but beginning in research is like baseball in that you should not expect a perfect batting average. But the better you understand the topic you are researching and the tools and techniques you are using, the higher likelihood of success. Also, with cancer research specifically, it’s important to remember that however small the problem you are working on may seem, keep in mind that there are patients out there who can potentially benefit from what you are doing.  

Why do you feel it is important for patients with cancer to take part in medical research? 

Most people are aware of the altruistic contributions many patients make by enrolling in clinical trials that test new anti-cancer treatments. Every anti-cancer drug available has been made possible by patients who have served as clinical trial subjects. Some patients also take part in directing research with roles as research advocates and even as grant reviewers. Patient perspectives on the need and urgency for certain therapies have been essential to the raising and steering of funds for cancer research. Lastly, by simply telling their stories, patients provide great motivation to scientists and the general public. Patient voices are very influential in medical research. 

What is your message to potential donors? 

Federal funding is very tight at this point. There are a wealth of projects that private donors can fund and, by doing so, have a meaningful impact on cancer research and treatment.