Gerard C. Blobe, MD, PhD (center) mentors trainees in his lab. Blobe is the director of the DCI Office of Cancer Research Training Education Coordination.
Blobe Elected as AAAS Fellow
Published
Duke Cancer Institute member Gerard C. Blobe, MD, PhD, has been elected as a 2022 AAAS Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, one of the most distinct honors in the scientific community.
A professor of Medicine, Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, and Cell biology, Blobe was recognized with this lifelong honor for distinguished contributions to the field of cancer biology, particularly in TGF-beta signaling pathways in cancer biology (the focus of his lab) and for tireless mentorship and service.
Blobe directs the DCI Office of Cancer Research Training Education Coordination, which coordinates training programs focusing on cancer physicians, scientists, and health professionals; develops new educational and training opportunities; and serves as the liaison with the CTSI and schools at Duke University with the goal of integrating cancer career opportunities across the Duke system.
Blobe was one of two faculty elected from the Duke University School of Medicine as an 2022 AAAS Fellow. From Duke, Steven B. Haase, PhD, was also elected an AAAS Fellow this year.
From DCI Blobe joins Robert J. Lefkowitz, MD; Joseph Heitman, MD, PhD; Micah A. Luftig, PhD (2019); Mark Dewhirst, DVM, PhD; who were elected as AAAS Fellows in previous years.
The 10th annual Duke Cancer Institute Scientific Retreat took place on Dec. 12, 2024. This year’s event featured lightning talks from Duke graduate students, residents, and fellows; a presentation from DCI faculty member John Strickler, MD; and a keynote address from Alan D’Andrea, MD, FAACR, from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.Cancer Research Landscape at DukeThe morning kicked off with lightning presentations from several Duke graduate and medical students, while the afternoon featured similar presentations from Duke fellows, residents, and staff. Research topics discussed included:ABL kinase inhibition sensitizes SCLC to dysregulation of metabolic pathways leading to cell deathTreatment experience of patients with acute myeloid leukemia in the era of novel therapiesUtility of fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) assay as a diagnostic tool for melanomaPolio lymphotropism in the glymphatic system mediates glioma immunotherapyCharacterization and targeting of an androgen receptor pre-mRNA stem loop structure to inhibit AR-V7 splicing in prostate cancerRadiomic profiling of chemoradiation resistance in mouse models with distinct immunological phenotypesThe event also featured a faculty lecture from Dr. Strickler, professor of medicine at the Duke University School of Medicine and co-leader of the Precision Cancer Medicine & Investigational Therapeutics Research Program. Strickler’s presentation focused on overcoming resistance to molecularly targeted therapies in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.While research shows there are precision cancer medicine strategies that could prove effective for these patients, targeted approaches like these are usually developed in later lines. Strickler said access to next-generation sequencing testing and therapies is critical to the future of these treatments.Targeting DNA to Treat CancerThe presentations concluded with the O. Michael Colvin Memorial Lecture, given by Dr. D’Andrea, Fuller-American Cancer Society professor at Harvard Medical School. D’Andrea is also director of the Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers and director of research for the Center for BRCA and Related Genes.D’Andrea’s presentation focused on targeting DNA repair in cancer therapy. Much of D’Andrea’s research focuses on BRCA genes, which are linked to familial cancer and can indicate an increased risk of breast, ovarian, pancreatic, and prostate cancers in carriers. In some cases, such as women with high-grade ovarian cancer, these cancers can initially respond to treatments like Cisplatin or PARP inhibitors but become resistant over time.D’Andrea’s research found a correlation between cancer patients with a defect in the Fanconi Anemia/BRCA Pathway and sensitivity to these treatments. Cancer interventions like PARP inhibitors work by increasing single-stranded DNA gaps, leading to cancer cell death. D’Andrea and his team discovered POLQ inhibitors can also disrupt DNA repair pathways and help overcome the PARP resistance that some cancer patients face.“This is the first data to show that these drugs are working and making an impact,” D’Andrea said. “It is important to get more patients identified so we can find these mutations early enough.”
The 10th annual Duke Cancer Institute Scientific Retreat took place on Dec. 12, 2024. This year’s event featured lightning talks from Duke graduate students, residents, and fellows; a presentation from DCI faculty member John Strickler, MD; and a keynote address from Alan D’Andrea, MD, FAACR, from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.Cancer Research Landscape at DukeThe morning kicked off with lightning presentations from several Duke graduate and medical students, while the afternoon featured similar presentations from Duke fellows, residents, and staff. Research topics discussed included:ABL kinase inhibition sensitizes SCLC to dysregulation of metabolic pathways leading to cell deathTreatment experience of patients with acute myeloid leukemia in the era of novel therapiesUtility of fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) assay as a diagnostic tool for melanomaPolio lymphotropism in the glymphatic system mediates glioma immunotherapyCharacterization and targeting of an androgen receptor pre-mRNA stem loop structure to inhibit AR-V7 splicing in prostate cancerRadiomic profiling of chemoradiation resistance in mouse models with distinct immunological phenotypesThe event also featured a faculty lecture from Dr. Strickler, professor of medicine at the Duke University School of Medicine and co-leader of the Precision Cancer Medicine & Investigational Therapeutics Research Program. Strickler’s presentation focused on overcoming resistance to molecularly targeted therapies in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.While research shows there are precision cancer medicine strategies that could prove effective for these patients, targeted approaches like these are usually developed in later lines. Strickler said access to next-generation sequencing testing and therapies is critical to the future of these treatments.Targeting DNA to Treat CancerThe presentations concluded with the O. Michael Colvin Memorial Lecture, given by Dr. D’Andrea, Fuller-American Cancer Society professor at Harvard Medical School. D’Andrea is also director of the Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers and director of research for the Center for BRCA and Related Genes.D’Andrea’s presentation focused on targeting DNA repair in cancer therapy. Much of D’Andrea’s research focuses on BRCA genes, which are linked to familial cancer and can indicate an increased risk of breast, ovarian, pancreatic, and prostate cancers in carriers. In some cases, such as women with high-grade ovarian cancer, these cancers can initially respond to treatments like Cisplatin or PARP inhibitors but become resistant over time.D’Andrea’s research found a correlation between cancer patients with a defect in the Fanconi Anemia/BRCA Pathway and sensitivity to these treatments. Cancer interventions like PARP inhibitors work by increasing single-stranded DNA gaps, leading to cancer cell death. D’Andrea and his team discovered POLQ inhibitors can also disrupt DNA repair pathways and help overcome the PARP resistance that some cancer patients face.“This is the first data to show that these drugs are working and making an impact,” D’Andrea said. “It is important to get more patients identified so we can find these mutations early enough.”
