Dr. Gil Mor Professor and Director Division of Reproductive Sciences Director, Discovery to Cure Translational Research Program Department of obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences Yale University School of Medicine
Cancer stem cells: implications for chemoresistance and recurrence
A major burden in the treatment of ovarian cancer is the high percentage of recurrence and chemoresistance. Cancer stem cells (CSCs), provides a reservoir of cells that can self-renew, maintain the tumor by generating differentiated cells (non-stem cells (non-CSCs)) which make up the bulk of the tumor and may be the primary source of recurrence. We describe the characterization of human ovarian cancer stem cells (OCSCs). These cells have a distinctive genetic profile that confers them with the capacity to recapitulate the original tumor, proliferate with chemotherapy, and promote recurrence. Chemotherapy eliminates the bulk of the tumor but it leaves a core of cancer cells with high capacity for repair and renewal. The molecular properties identified in these cells may explain some of the unique characteristics of CSCs that control self-renewal and drive metastasis. The identification and cloning of human OCSCs can aid in the development of better therapeutic approaches for ovarian cancer patients.
April 25th, 2018 1:00 - 2:00pm Biosciences Complet, Room 1102
Chief Genitourinary Malignancies Branch Senior Investigator Head, Immunotherapy Section Director, Medical Oncology Service, CCR Office of the Clinical Director
Immunotherapy: learning how to turn up the heat on cold tumors
Immunotherapy has made a big impact in clinical oncology in the last 5 years however this clinical activity is only seen in the minority of tumors that already are recognized by the immune system (either due to neoantigens or viral antigens) and have an active but stalled immune response. Several techniques are showing promise in combination with immune checkpoint inhibition that may broaden the activity of immunotherapy to the majority of tumors that aren't recognized by the patient's immune system. Dr. Gulley will discuss some of these approaches his group is testing in the clinic and share emerging data as well as techniques to evaluate the impact of immunotherapy on the tumor microenvironment.
