Developing novel therapeutics for glioblastoma
Our lab is dedicated to improving outcomes for patients with glioblastoma by developing new treatments, overcoming treatment resistance and guiding individualized therapy.
Overview
The Translational Neuro-Oncology Laboratory of Jann N. Sarkaria, M.D., at Mayo Clinic is focused on developing novel therapeutic strategies for people with glioblastoma and brain cancer metastases.
Global research interests in our lab include:
- Understanding the basis of efficacy, toxicity and resistance for agents targeting:
- The P53/MDM2 pathway
- The DNA damage response pathways in combination with radiation and chemotherapy
- Signal transduction pathways
- Defining the impact of the blood-brain barrier on therapeutic efficacy and developing strategies to improve delivery into brain tumors such as convection-enhanced delivery and focused ultrasound
- Developing novel, targeted, large molecule-toxin conjugates engineered for brain tumor therapy
- Using preclinical PK→PD→efficacy/toxicity models to interpret human phase 0 and phase 1 clinical trial results
- Using next-generation sequencing and proteomics to guide precision medicine strategies for patients with glioblastoma
Brain Tumor PDX National Resource
Dr. Sarkaria also manages the Mayo Clinic Brain Tumor Patient-Derived Xenograft (PDX) National Resource. This resource provides a highly annotated series of brain tumor PDX models with levels of multiomic characterizations comparable to those provided for patient tumors by The Cancer Genome Atlas. The collection in the PDX National Resource is derived almost exclusively from patients with glioblastoma. The PDX National Resource provides access to a panel of highly characterized brain tumor patient-derived xenografts. Many of the characterizations at the molecular level and phenotypic level are available through the PDX National Resource.
About Dr. Sarkaria
In addition to directing the Translational Neuro-Oncology Lab and the PDX National Resource, Dr. Sarkaria is a radiation oncologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and a professor of radiation oncology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. Dr. Sarkaria is dedicated to facilitating the translation of novel findings into clinical trials for patients with glioblastoma and ultimately improving patient outcomes for this type of aggressive brain cancer.