Our research
Targeting mitochondria transfer
Glioblastoma (GBM) are the most common malignant brain tumors, and among the deadliest cancers in humans. There are very limited treatment options, and DiscoverTME focuses much of its work on finding new vulnerabilities in this challenging disease.
During his postdoctoral fellowship in the lab of Dr. Justin Lathia, Dennis discovered that GBM acquires brain mitochondria through physical connections with astrocytes, the most common glial cell. Cancer cells that acquired these mitochondria formed more aggressive tumors. However, very little is known about how mitochondria from the brain enter GBM cells.
Our goals:
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Uncover proteins that facilitate mitochondria transfer
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Elucidate cells beyond astrocytes that transfer mitochondria
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Develop therapeutics targeting this process
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How does mitochondria transfer shape brain tumors?
Glioblastoma (GBM) cells that acquire mitochondria from the brain experience metabolic reprogramming, proliferation signaling, and enhanced stemness. At the same time, our close collaborators at the University of Miami have shown that these properties vary substantially among tumor cells in the same patient, making this disease even harder to treat.
Our goals:
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Understand how GBM cells change after acquiring brain mitochondria: metabolically, transcriptionally, and epigenetically.
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Elucidate how his process contributes to the heterogeneity observed in brain tumors.
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Designing next-generation immunotherapy
During his PhD research, Dennis designed novel immunocytokines and engineered nano-sized exosomes to enhance the delivery of immunotherapy to tumors. DiscoverTME is leveraging this expertise to develop immunostimulatory extracellular vesicles and engineered proteins that enhance the cancer immunotherapy and allow spatial and temporal regulation immune activation.
Our goals:
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Expand capabilities for efficient design, production and purification of complex immunotherapies: personnel, pilot-scale equipment.
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Harness existing multi-disciplinary, cross-institutional collaboration for development of immunostimulatory extracellular vesicles and engineered proteins for cancer therapy.
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