You Are Making a Difference!
In 2018 and 2019, $100,000 was awarded to Researchers at the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota.
Dr. Anna Prizment, PhD received an award in 2019. She described her project and progress as follows:
“Understanding immune pathways involving MHC class I-related chain protein (MICA) is clinically important because mutations in the MICA gene influence the function of MICA protein and its binding to the immune cells — Natural Killer (NK) cells. The binding of MICA to NK cells promotes the recognition of tumors by NK cells, resulting in tumor elimination. Defining the impact of MICA gene and circulating MICA levels on colorectal cancer (CRC) risk could help identify those who will benefit from frequent CRC screening or from inhibiting MICA secretion. The pilot findings obtained in this study have already enabled us to submit a NIH proposal that will study the interaction between the cluster of mutations related to the MHC class I-related chain proteins and colorectal cancer.”
2018 Julie Ostrander, PhD outlines her project as: The role of PELP1 and PELP1 mutations in colorectal cancer biology
“Our current research is focused on determining if the PELP1 mutant identified in colon cancer tumors (known as L798Cfs*) promotes cancer phenotypes, such as proliferation, growth in soft agar, cell migration and invasion, and cancer stem cell phenotypes. We plan to begin in vivo studies involving the production of tumors (tumorigenesis) after January 1st, 2019. Our analysis of the existing literature indicates that L798Cfs* is found in more tumors than initially reported, further suggesting a role in cancer biology.”
2018 Subree Subramanian, PhD outlines his project as: Host-microbiome metabolic interactions in colorectal cancer
“The gut microbiome plays a vital role in colorectal cancer pathogeny. This project will track three different models of colorectal cancer to better understand the contributions of the gut microbiome toward the initiation, progression, and metastasis of colorectal cancer. The data generated through this funding significantly helped us to submit projects for the Chainbreaker award and NIH grant applications and to expand our work in humanized mouse models of the gut microbiome.”
2018 Robert Cormier, PhD outlines his project as: Investigating underlying mechanisms of KCNQ1 tumor suppression using colorectal cancer liver metastasis-derived organoid models
“We are isolating tissues from liver metastases in our colon cancer metastasis mouse model, comparing animals that are mutant or wildtype for the KCNQ1 potassium channel and then creating 3D tissue organoids from the metastases. We will then optimize protocols for the measurement of oncogenic phenotypes in the liver metastasis organoids; in particular, we are measuring the growth rate of individual organoids over several days using digital imaging, hoping to determine if loss of KCNQ1 influences the growth rate of the organoids. We have developed a novel immunocytochemistry imaging protocol to visualize changes in gene expression in 3D liver metastasis organoids as well as their localization within individual cells of the organoids, which is especially useful to track changes in expression of growth stimulatory genes in the organoids.”
2016-2017 Cormier-Scott Study looks at genes linked to colon cancer
With your help MKCCR has funded its third research project at the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota. The Cormier-Scott lab is studying two genes—KCNQ1 and CFTR—that are specifically linked to poor prognosis colon cancer, even in the early stages. These genes are expressed in the stem cell compartment, where colon cancer originates. The Cormier-Scott lab is studying how the loss of these genes leads to cancer-causing changes in the stem cell compartment. This knowledge will be used to develop new therapies to treat colon cancer by restoring expression of KCNQ1 and CFTR.
MKCCR Funds research to understand metastases
One of the challenges in cancer care is the development of metastases (the spread of cancer cells from their primary location to another region of the body). While we know biologically new mutations occur that drive these metastases and their growth, it is unclear whether there are different genetic mutations in the primary tumor as compared with metastases at different sites. In this latest project funded by Mezin-Koats Colon Cancer Research, Drs. Emil Lou and Andrew Nelson at Masonic Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota are attempting to perform extensive genomic analysis (including whole exome sequencing) of each of the tumors to determine potential differences between the metastatic tumors, to compare to normal tissue and to the original tumor.