2009 UALC
Rocio Sotillo, PhD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Research Project:
Chromosomal instability in lung tumor relapse and resistance to therapy: A perspective from mouse models
Summary:
Abnormal chromosome numbers are frequently observed in lung cancer, and this often correlates with tumor grade and prognosis. Though the exact contribution of chromosomal instability (CIN) is unknown, it can contribute to tumor development and progression by facilitating loss of tumor suppressors and gain of growth-promoting genes. Dr. Sotillo is using mouse models of CIN in combination with known lung cancer oncogenes to determine how CIN contributes to relapse and resistance to therapy.
More Content:
Final Report
Dr. Sotillo has completed the initial stages of generating a preclinical model to study the interaction between KRas and Mad2, a protein involved in DNA damage control and CIN and has shown some promising results. Next steps include testing EGFR inhibitors in these models to better understand how CIN contribute to tumor formation as observed in humans. To further examine the contribution of CIN to relapse and resistance, Dr. Sotillo is developing a highly innovative three-dimensional in vitro lung culture system to recapitulate acquired resistance. Such 3D systems allow single cell monitoring with respect to their location within the tumor during tumor initiation and regression. These new models will be essential tools to continue to understand how CIN affects tumor growth and resistance, and enable testing of new therapies and combinations.
Notable Accomplishments
Dr. Sotillo has attained a tenure-track position at the prestigious European Molecular Biology Laboratory Mouse Biology Unit to start her own laboratory further exploring her work in lung cancer. She has published her work in the high impact journals Nature, Nature Reviews Cancer, and Cancer Cell. In 2011, Dr. Sotillo was named an International Early Career Scientist from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and was the recipient of the prestigious Young Investigator Award from the European Research Council. She has received over $3 million in follow-on funding to support her work.