Yale SPORE in Skin Cancer

1
Yale SPORE in Skin Cancer

• Directors
• Ruth Halaban, PhD
• Mario Sznol, MD
• Robert Tigelaar, MD

Funded by National Institutes of Health The
Roslyn and Jeremy Meyer funds Yale Dermatology
Department
2
Milstein Meyer Center for Melanoma Research

• Jeremy Meyer and Roslyn Milstein Meyer
• Couple with a Cause
• Gift of 2 Million/year renewable for additional
  4 years

3
The SPORE Program
Translation Research in Skin Cancer
Melanomas Basal Cell Carcinoma
4
The SPORE Program

• Three cores that support SPORE activities
• Four translational projects
• Developmental Research Projects
• Career Development Projects

5
Translational Research Team SPORE Expansion
7
0
Roslyn Milstein Meyer Susan Cambria Robin
Bessin Robert Heffernan
6
0
5
0
Number of Investigators
4
0
3
0
2
0
1
0
0
0
Y
e
a
r
1
Y
e
a
r
2
(
S
u
b
m
i
s
s
i
o
n
)
6
Translational Research Team

• 1 Dermatology
• 2 YCCC/Oncology
• 3 Pathology
• 4 Surgery
• 5 Genetics
• 6 Immunobiology
• 7 Epidemiology
• 8 Chemical Biomedical Engineering
• 9 Therapeutic Radiology
• 10 Laboratory Medicine and Genetics
• Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
• Cell Biology, New York University, NY

7
The Melanoma Landscape
Comprehensive understanding of

• Critical changes that drive melanomas
• Immunobiology of melanomas
• The causes for drug resistance
• New targets for therapy, single and combination
• Markers for prognosis and therapy

8
SPORE Biospecimen Bank

• Normal skin and cells
• Tumors
• Tumor cells
• Blood from healthy individuals
• Blood from patients

Specimen Tracking and Annotation caTissue
9
Specimens Collection in the Tissue Bank
700
600
500
Total Number of Specimens
400
300
200
100
0
Submission
Year 1
Year 2
Current Year 2 1/2
10
Serological Profiling of Melanoma Patients
Marker B
Marker A
Concentration (ng/ml)
Weeks of Treatment
11
Global Omics Test

• Genetic and epigenetic variations
• Mutations
• Gene expression
• Kinases and signal transducers
• MicroRNA

12
Global Epigenetic Differences Between Normal and
Malignant Cells
Melanoma
Normal
Loss
Gain
13
Differences in Gene Expression Between Normal and
Malignant Cells
Melanoma
Normal
Gain
Loss
14
Interactions Between the SPORE and Clinicians

• Help in testing for mutations in tumors for
  targeted therapy
• For example selection of patients to therapy
  with PLX4032 (Plexxikon Inc.) and Imatinib
  (Gleevec, Novartis Pharmaceuticals), activated
  BRAF and KIT inhibitors, respectively.

15
Educational Activities

• Invited speakers
• Research in Progress meetings
• Workshop for all SPOREs in Skin Cancer
• Outreach with patient advocates

16
Best-Case Scenario