Project description:The anti-tumor effect of radiotherapy (RT) beyond the treatment field - the abscopal effect - has garnered much interest. By contrast, the potentially harmful impact of radiation in promoting metastasis is less well studied. Here, we show that RT induces the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ligand amphiregulin (AREG) in tumor cells, which reprograms EGFR+ myeloid cells toward an immunosuppressive phenotype and reduces phagocytosis. This stimulates distant metastasis growth in both patients and pre-clinical murine tumor models. The inhibition of these tumor-promoting factors induced by RT may represent a novel therapeutic strategy to improve patient outcomes.
Project description:In this study, we demonstrate that radiation induces the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ligand amphiregulin (AREG) in tumor cells, which stimulates distant metastasis proliferation in both patients and pre-clinical murine tumor models. Using single-cell RNAseq (sc-RNAseq), we characterized the effects of AREG-induction on immune cells in the lung metastatic microenvironment of B6 mice.
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of transgenic mice specifically expressing amphiregulin in white adipose tissues. The objective of this study is to explore gene expression profiles of adipose tissues in response to amphiregulin overexpression.
Project description:To test the hypothesis that a genomic classifier (GC) would predict biochemical failure (BF) and distant metastasis (DM) in men receiving radiation therapy (RT) after radical prostatectomy (RP).