Dr. Sandra Dunn 
One of the difficulties in treating cancer is that malignant cells are sometimes resistant to radiation and chemotherapy. Molecular biologist Sandra Dunn is researching cancers affecting women and children to find the weaknesses in cancer cells and develop new, more effective treatments. The key is identifying and eliminating what cancer cells need to survive.

Dr. Dunn’s work focuses on the AKT pathway that makes tumor cells resistant to chemotherapy and radiation.  Her goal is to inhibit key points along this pathway to improve survival rates and to reduce morbidity associated with cancer therapy.  A protein that interacts with AKT known as YB-1 has been found in many cancers yet does not exist in healthy tissue. Dr. Dunn is looking at the possibility that some cancers are dependent on YB-1.  Using new technologies (Cellomics high-content screening, small interfering RNA's and cell permeable peptides), she hopes to block the interaction of AKT and YB-1, and inhibit the ability of certain cancers to resist treatment. The ability to target a cancer cell’s survival mechanisms, while allowing healthy cells to thrive could increase the effectiveness of relatively low doses of chemo- or radiation therapies. This would be especially important in childhood cancers where patients are particularly vulnerable to healthy cell injury.

Dr. Dunn’s research is also critical to developing new tools to diagnose cancer relapse. Presently, there are few inexpensive and non-invasive tests that reveal the reoccurrence of cancer. However, Dr. Dunn’s research has identified that the presence of a serine protease known as urokinase plasminogen activator (UPA) indicates a returned cancer. The discovery of UPA could lead to the development of a simple blood test that will reveal a relapse.

« back to Feature Researchers

Last updated: 03/11/2010