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JULIA KIRSHNER
| Assistant Professor HANS 235A 494-2843 CV: Link |
Strong evidence in support of the cancer stem cell theory has been steadily accumulating over the last decade. In addition to generating tumors, a cancer stem cell possesses characteristics of normal stem cells including proliferative quiescence and self-renewal potential. Upon receiving proliferation signal(s) from the microenvironment, a cancer stem cell switches its program from quiescence to differentiation/proliferation, initiating tumor growth. Patients suffering from both hematological maligancies and solid tumors often see their disease relapse due to the inability of the currently used therapies to target successfully cancer stem cells. Thus, determining which characteristics of the cancer stem cells can be therapeutically exploited is of utmost importance. My laboratory studies properties of the cancer stem cells using two model systems: multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow, and breast cancer representing hematological and solid malignancies respectively.
The long-term research objective of my laboratory is to investigate the fundamental questions in cancer stem cell biology. My lab is actively investigating the role of microenvironment in maintaining the balance between self-renewal and differentiation of cancer stem cells. Answering this question will provide information on how to keep the cancer stem cell from initiating tumors and their re-growth. We also want to identify the characteristics of cancer stem cells that make them different from the normal tissue stem cells. Identifying the unique properties of cancer stem cells can be exploited therapeutically to target tumor-initiating cells. Lastly, we would like to determine whether all cancer stem cells are created equal, i.e. whether a drug designed to kill the multiple myeloma stem cell could also kill a breast cancer stem cell. If the hypothesis that cancer stem cells from different tissues share similar characteristics is validated, it will revolutionize the current thinking about cancer, implying that generative compartments of different cancers may share common characteristics, raising the possibility that one drug or group of drugs can be used to treat multiple malignancies. The working hypothesis is that cancer stem cells are found in a specialized microenvironment niche which keeps the cells in a non-proliferative state. Altering the conditions in favor of differentiation and proliferation leads to tumor re-growth.
Education
2003 Ph.D. Molecular & Cell Biology, City of Hope Graduate School of Biological Sciences
1998 B.S. Genetics, University of California, Davis
Professional Faculty Research
(Cell, Molecular and Cancer biology)