Pradeep Chaluvally Raghavan, PhD
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Unraveling the oncogenic effects of amplified miRNAs in High Grade Serous Epithelial Ovarian Cancer
Cancer cells are abnormal partly by having increased copies of certain genes (DNA copy number aberrations), which is an important hallmark of high-grade serous ovarian cancer. Non-protein coding genes such as microRNAs have recently been implicated in both tumor initiation and progression and represent understudied potential drivers of cancer behavior. Dr. Raghavan‘s preliminary data shows that microRNA miR551b is amplified in approximately 35% of ovarian cancer patients. Initial evidence suggests that miR551b operates by hijacking the tumor suppressor pathways which block the growth and development of cancer. In this project, he will identify the mechanisms underlying how miR551b promotes tumor growth and metastasis as well as therapeutic opportunities.