Ilana Chefetz, PhD
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Deciphering molecular mechanism of ALDH-inhibition driven necroptosis
Dr. Chefetz-Menaker recently demonstrated that chemotherapy resistant ovarian cancer stem-like cells (CSC) can be identified by a protein activity known as ALDH. The expression of ALDH in CSC allows a unique opportunity to develop therapeutics specifically targeting CSC, which are thought to be the cells involved in recurrence. Dr. Cheftez-Menaker has developed novel ALDH inhibitors which appear to induce ovarian CSC cell death via a necroptotic mechanism, which will be explored in this study to expand the understanding of ALDH inhibition-induced necroptosis and provide critical pre-clinical studies for a potential novel CSC targeted therapeutic to prevent recurrent disease.
