Genomics profiling of peritoneal mesothelioma and patient-derived xenograft models for in vivo biomarker validation

Peritoneal Mesothelioma (PM) is a rare type of cancer affecting the protective membrane surrounding the abdominal cavity and the second most common type of mesothelioma, consisting about 10-20% of the diagnosed cases. The underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of peritoneal mesothelioma pathology are greatly understudied. In this proposal, we aim to enhance the current knowledge of PM pathogenesis and explore therapeutic treatments for it. To this end, we aim to establish a working group that combines pertinent and unique expertise in the areas of surgery, pathology, genomics, xenografting and biology. This collaborative team of researchers will collect and perform a pathology review on an initial cohort of PM tissues with good clinical records using state-of-the-art high-throughput DNA, RNA, and protein sequencing. We also aim to generate an in vitro PM patient-derived xenograft mouse model that can recapitulate the tumor in vivo for drug screening and testing for safety, response, and efficacy in collaborations with our biotech partner.

Faculty Supervisor:

Yuzhuo Wang, Colin Collins

Student:

Raunak Shrestha, Noushin Nabavi, Jun Hao

Partner:

iProgen

Discipline:

Medicine

Sector:

Pharmaceuticals

University:

University of British Columbia