My research focuses on understanding the roles of STATs and related transcription factors in breast and ovarian cancer and we use that knowledge to identify drugs to target the pathways associated with these transcription factors. In my lab, we use a 3D culturing system to mimic advanced stages of cancer. Moreover, we use a combination of wet lab experiments and bioinformatics to identify possible drugs for the treatment of breast and ovarian cancer.
Courses Taught
- BCHM/BENG/BMS 825/725: Cell Pheno & Tissue Eng Lab
- BCHM/BENG/BMS 825/725/825/725: Cell Pheno & Tissue Eng Lab
- BCHM/BMS 825/725: Cell Pheno & Tissue Eng Lab
- BCHM/CHBE 825/725: Cell Pheno & Tissue Eng Lab
- BMCB 401: Persp Biochem/Mole&Cell Bio
- BMCB 605: Principles of Cell Biology
- BMCB 799H: Honors Senior Thesis
- BMS 725: Cell Pheno & Tissue Eng Lab
- BMS 790: Undergrad Teaching Experience
- BMS 799H: Senior Honors Thesis
- GEN 799H: Honors Senior Thesis
- INCO 590: Student Research Experience
- INCO 790: Advanced Research Experience
- MCBS 999: Doctoral Research
Research Interests
- Breast Cancer
- Cancer Biology
- Cell Lines
- Cellular Biology
- Drug Discovery
- Drug Resistance
- Molecular Biology
- Ovarian Cancer
Selected Publications
Stevens, L. E., Peluffo, G., Qiu, X., Temko, D., Fassl, A., Li, Z., . . . Polyak, K. (2023). JAK-STAT Signaling in Inflammatory Breast Cancer Enables Chemotherapy-Resistant Cell States.. Cancer Res, 83(2), 264-284. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-22-0423
Heppler, L. N., Attarha, S., Persaud, R., Brown, J. I., Wang, P., Petrova, B., . . . Frank, D. A. (2022). The antimicrobial drug pyrimethamine inhibits STAT3 transcriptional activity by targeting the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 298(2), 101531. doi:10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101531
Brown, J. R., Walker, S. R., Heppler, L. N., Tyekucheva, S., Nelson, E. A., Klitgaard, J., . . . Frank, D. A. (2021). Targeting constitutively active STAT3 in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: A clinical trial of the STAT3 inhibitor pyrimethamine with pharmacodynamic analyses. American Journal of Hematology, 96(4). doi:10.1002/ajh.26084
Matissek, S. J., Han, W., Karbalivand, M., Sayed, M., Reilly, B. M., Mallat, S., . . . Elsawa, S. F. (2021). Epigenetic targeting of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia cells with BET inhibitors synergizes with BCL2 or histone deacetylase inhibition. EPIGENOMICS, 13(02), 129-144. doi:10.2217/epi-2020-0189
Walker, D. F., Lacroix, S. J., Makar, Y., & Walker, S. R. (2020). Abstract 6077: The role of STAT3 and Snai2 in ovarian cancer metastasis. In Cancer Research Vol. 80 (pp. 6077). American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). doi:10.1158/1538-7445.am2020-6077
Izar, B., Tirosh, I., Stover, E. H., Wakiro, I., Cuoco, M. S., Alter, I., . . . Regev, A. (2020). A single-cell landscape of high-grade serous ovarian cancer.. Nat Med, 26(8), 1271-1279. doi:10.1038/s41591-020-0926-0
Chmielecki, J., Crago, A. M., Rosenberg, M., O'Connor, R., Walker, S. R., Ambrogio, L., . . . Meyerson, M. (2013). Whole-exome sequencing identifies a recurrent NAB2-STAT6 fusion in solitary fibrous tumors.. Nat Genet, 45(2), 131-132. doi:10.1038/ng.2522
Marotta, L. L. C., Almendro, V., Marusyk, A., Shipitsin, M., Schemme, J., Walker, S. R., . . . Polyak, K. (2011). The JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway is required for growth of CD44⁺CD24⁻ stem cell-like breast cancer cells in human tumors.. J Clin Invest, 121(7), 2723-2735. doi:10.1172/JCI44745
Nelson, E. A., Walker, S. R., Weisberg, E., Bar-Natan, M., Barrett, R., Gashin, L. B., . . . Frank, D. A. (2011). The STAT5 inhibitor pimozide decreases survival of chronic myelogenous leukemia cells resistant to kinase inhibitors.. Blood, 117(12), 3421-3429. doi:10.1182/blood-2009-11-255232
Keese, C. R., Wegener, J., Walker, S. R., & Giaever, I. (2004). Electrical wound-healing assay for cells in vitro.. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 101(6), 1554-1559. doi:10.1073/pnas.0307588100
