Two studies available
1- Genomic Determinants of Virally-Induced Cancers
In the Oncopathogenomics laboratory, we combine genomic analyses with functional experiments in primary human tissues and cell lines, to investigate how somatic genomic alterations synergize with microbial influences to modulate tumor initiation, progression, response to therapy and prognosis. The principal investigator is a corresponding author in the recently published paper by the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) on the “Integrated genomic and molecular characterization of cervical cancer” (http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaap/ncurrent/full/nature21386.html)
In this project, we will seek to identify somatic mutations and viral gene expression patterns in premalignant lesions and tumors in patients with infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV). To do this, we will analyze exome and RNA sequencing data derived from these samples, and identify patterns of associations between various human and viral genomic features and patient prognosis.
This work has great promise for illuminating the mechanisms of cancer, development of diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic strategies, and the prevention of cancer.
2- Metatranscriptomic Biomarkers for Predicting Tumor Recurrence
In the Oncopathogenomics laboratory, we combine genomic analyses with functional experiments in primary human tissues and cell lines, to investigate how somatic genomic alterations synergize with microbial influences to modulate tumor initiation, progression, response to therapy and prognosis. The principal investigator is a corresponding author in the recently published paper by the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) on the “Integrated genomic and molecular characterization of cervical cancer” (http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaap/ncurrent/full/nature21386.html)
Many patients die of cancer either because it spreads to other body organs (metastasis), or because the cancer grows again in the same organ (recurrence). In cervical cancer, 90% of recurrence cases occur within 3 years of diagnosis, and less than 5% of these patients survive beyond 5 years. It is therefore essential to find ways to predict the likelihood of tumor recurrence in order to improve the management and prognosis of cancer patients.
We hypothesize that the biological events that facilitate cervical tumor progression are already at play in the intratumoral and/or extratumoral microenvironment at the time of initial diagnosis and/or therapy. More specifically, we postulate that host, viral and bacterial factors synergize to create an etiologic field effect that facilitates tumor recurrence following surgical excision of cervical tumors.
Therefore, in this project, we seek to identify and compare human, viral and bacterial RNA populations (the metatranscriptome) in cervical tumors and adjacent normal cervical tissues in 2 groups of patients with post-surgical outcome data: those with tumor recurrence within 3 years of surgery, and those without recurrence despite longer follow-up.
We anticipate that the knowledge generated from these investigations will facilitate the development of RNA-based biomarkers for the prediction and prevention of tumor recurrence.
This work has the potential to lead to the development of diagnostic tools for predicting and preventing recurrence in and beyond cervical cancer.
Contact Information
Akinyemi Ojesina, MD, PhD
ojesina@uab.edu
617-304-5385
