The Nathanson Lab focuses on malignant brain tumors, in particular glioblastoma (GBM) – one of the most lethal of all cancers. We take an interdisciplinary approach to understand the biology of brain cancer and to develop innovative therapeutics to ultimately improve on patient outcomes
RESEARCH
FUNCTIONAL BIOLOGY OF BRAIN CANCER
Cancers, including malignant glioma, have hijacked and rewired many normal cellular functional processes in order to grow and survive. These cancer “hallmarks” – as defined by Hanahan and Weinberg (Cell 2011) – include resisting cell death and deregulated metabolism. Notably, reprogramming of these functional pathways in cancers is a direct consequence of aberrant oncogenic signaling emanating from the loss of tumor suppressors and/or mutations in oncogenic drivers. Accordingly, our lab has hypothesized that investigating the interplay between oncogenic signaling and metabolism/cell death pathways can reveal novel therapeutic vulnerabilities.
Kurland Family Neuro Research Lab
The Kurland Family Neuro Research Lab is the Nathanson Lab’s dedicated brain tumor drug discovery and development program. Focused on glioblastoma and other malignant brain tumors, the lab discovers and advances novel therapeutic candidates through integrated pharmacology, chemical biology, translational modeling, and molecular profiling. By pairing drug discovery with deep interrogation of tumor response and resistance, the lab seeks to identify the biomarkers, mechanisms, and disease contexts that can guide more precise therapeutic development for patients with neuro-oncologic disease.
FEATURED PUBLICATIONS
Integrated molecular and functional characterization of the intrinsic apoptotic machinery identifies therapeutic vulnerabilities in glioma
Genomic profiling often fails to predict therapeutic outcomes in cancer. This failure is, in part, due to a myriad of genetic alterations and the plasticity of cancer signaling networks. Functional profiling, which ascertains signaling dynamics, is an alternative method to anticipate drug responses….
CDKN2A deletion remodels lipid metabolism to prime glioblastoma for ferroptosis
Malignant tumors exhibit heterogeneous metabolic reprogramming, hindering the identification of translatable vulnerabilities for metabolism-targeted therapy. How molecular alterations in tumors promote metabolic diversity and distinct targetable dependencies remains poorly defined…
Development of a Potent Brain-Penetrant EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor against Malignant Brain Tumors.
The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is genetically altered in nearly 60% of glioblastoma tumors; however, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) against EGFR have failed to show efficacy for patients with these lethal brain tumors…
Cytoplasmic p53 couples oncogene-driven glucose metabolism to apoptosis and is a therapeutic target in glioblastoma.
Cross-talk among oncogenic signaling and metabolic pathways may create opportunities for new therapeutic strategies in cancer….
Targeted therapy resistance mediated by dynamic regulation of extrachromosomal mutant EGFR DNA
Single-cell analyses of patient-derived models and clinical samples from glioblastoma patients treated with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) demonstrate that tumor cells reversibly up-regulate or suppress mutant EGFR expression…
Nick Bayley,
PhD Candidate
Quincy Okobi,
PhD Candidate
Marissa Pioso,
PhD Candidate
Jennifer Salinas,
PhD Candidate
Dimitri Cadet,
MD-PhD Candidate
Armon Goshayeshi,
PhD Candidate
Lisa Cha,
MD-PhD Candidate
Jihui Sha,
PhD Candidate
Research Staff
Christopher Tse,
Program Manager
Michael Vigman,
Drug Discovery
Amir Borujerdpur, Bioinformatics
Raul Davila,
Model System Development
Ronald Bernal,
Model System Development
Max Johnson,
in vivo Drug Development
Ivan Khoroz,
in vivo Drug Development
Rashmika Kulshrestha,
in vivo Drug Development
Ethan Mach,
Bioinformatics
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Toby Harris, Undergraduate Student Researcher
Kailyn Kennada,
Undergraduate Student Researcher
Caitlyn Loo,
Undergraduate Student Researcher
LAB NEWS
OPEN POSITIONS
Postdoctoral Researcher
Open position in translational brain cancer research focusing on cell signaling and apoptosis.
CONTACT
Want to learn more or get involved? Contact Us!
UCLA CHS 23-234
650 Charles E Young Dr South
Los Angeles, CA 90036
+1 (310) 825-6006
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