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RESEARCH FOCUS: Pharmacological targeting of Metastatic Breast Cancer
Research in our lab is focused on understanding and targeting the molecular mechanisms necessary for cancer cells to exit the primary tumor environment, metastasize, and acquire resistance to currently used targeted molecular therapies. A critical aspect of metastasis and drug resistance is the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT is a highly complex process whereby normal epithelial cells can temporarily take on characteristics of more motile and fibroblastoid like cells to facilitate developmental processes and wound repair. Cancer cells aberrantly utilize this process during tumor invasion and metastasis, and EMT is also linked to acquisition of a stem-cell phenotype and drug resistance. |
Understanding and overcoming how EMT facilitates drug resistance is a major focus of our research. To approach this question we have established a number of unique cell lines that have undergone EMT and acquired resistance to agents targeting ErbB receptors and downstream effector molecules. Global gene expression analyses of these resistant cells have revealed several potential targets that may be responsible for the EMT process and more importantly therapeutic resistance. Ongoing work in the lab utilizes genetic and pharmacologic manipulation of several potential resistance mediators to validate their role in eliciting EMT and the drug resistant status of cancer cells. To address these questions we utilize approaches that include three-dimensional cell culture and in vivo mouse models of tumor growth and metastasis. In particular our research has a directed focus on utilizing in vivo optical imaging to track and quantify cell number, location and specific activation of particular signaling pathways.
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LAB NEWS
July 2025 -Fatty acid synthase-derived lipid stores support breast cancer metastasis, was published in Cancer and Metabolism. Congrats Chay and Eylem! May 2025 - Sydney Quijano has joined the lab as a graduate student welcome Sydney! April 2025 - Growth factor receptor plasticity drives therapeutic persistence of metastatic breast cancer, was published in Cell Death and Disease. Congrats Mitchell! September 2024 - The Solorio and Wendt labs were awarded an R01 from NCI! More science on TME and drug resistance coming your way. August 2024 - FGFR1 is regulated by G-quadruplex in metastatic breast cancer, was published in Comm Bio. Congrats Hang and Hassan! |