Timeframe: 2016 – 2017 Goal: Develop new therapeutics for FLC Principal Investigator: Sandy Simon, PhD Investigator Collaboration: Barbara Lyons, PhD (New Mexico State University) Study overview: The goal of this work was to identify potential therapeutic strategies to target FLC. The team identified three independent approaches to analyze based on their laboratory’s work showing that …
Timeframe: 2016 – 2019 Goal: Understand growth mechanisms and identify potential therapeutic targets Principal Investigators: John Gordan, MD, PhD (UCSF) and Nabeel Bardeesy, PhD (Mass General Hospital) Study overview: The discovery of a genetic change in the protein kinase A (PKA) gene in nearly all cases of fibrolamellar liver cancer (FLC) creates hope that targeted …
Timeframe: 2017 – 2018 Goal: Characterize inhibition of the DnaJ-PKAc chimeric protein in fibrolamellar carcinoma Principal Investigator: Hibba tul Rehman, MD Study overview: The DNAJB1-PRKACA fusion gene produces the DNAJ-PKAc fusion kinase protein, which is present in nearly all FLC tumors and promotes liver tumor formation in mice. Kinases, including fusion kinases, have been successful …
Timeframe: 2016 – 2018 Goal: Investigate DNAJB1-PRKACA fusion kinase function in new fibrolamellar carcinoma models Principal Investigator: Dr. Yi Guo, PhD Study overview: The DNAJB1-PRKACA fusion kinase is found in nearly 100% of FLC cases. While this novel fusion had previously been shown to promote tumors in mice, defining the mechanistic function of DNAJB1-PRKACA and …
Timeframe: 2017 – 2019 Goal: Evaluate the role of Hedgehog and YAP signaling in fibrolamellar carcinoma Principal Investigators: Cynthia Guy, MD and Anna Mae Diehl, MD Fibrolamellar carcinoma has a unique histological appearance consisting of large tumor cells surrounded by thick fibrous bands, the stroma. Molecular crosstalk between tumor and stroma is important in tumor …
Timeframe: 2017 – 2020 Goal: Investigate the role of microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs in fibrolamellar carcinoma and evaluate RNA-based therapeutics Principal Investigator: Praveen Sethupathy, PhD Study overview: This study aimed to leverage genome-scale approaches to discover the molecular factors most critical to FLC tumor formation, metastasis, and drug resistance. MicroRNAs and long non-coding RNAs are …