Multi-Omics Spatial Atlas Investigation Center for Ovarian Cancer in 3D (MOSAIC-Ov3D)
Overview
This project aims to understand how high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) metastasizes and develops resistance to chemotherapy, focusing on late-stage diagnosis. A 3D cancer atlas will be created using molecular and cellular profiling to map tumor progression in patients. The data will help identify key molecular changes responsible for resistance and could lead to more effective treatments and improved survival rates. The multi-disciplinary team will integrate various technologies to produce a comprehensive spatial map of ovarian cancer.
Principal Investigators
Samuel Mok, PhD (Contact PI)
MD Anderson
Dr. Mok is an Endowed Professor in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. His laboratory has a primary research focus on the use of molecular biological techniques to investigate the pathogenesis of invasive ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer, and identify biomarkers for early diagnosis of ovarian cancer, and new therapeutic targets and agents for the treatment of both diseases. His laboratory has been developing spatial transcriptomics (ST), imaging mass cytometry (IMC), multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF), and mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) pipelines to identify spatially resolved cellular and molecular phenotypes in ovarian and endometrial cancer tissue samples. His lab has also developed novel 3D co-culture models to study interactions and crosstalks among cancer associated fibroblasts, cancer associated adipocytes, microvascular endothelial cells, and cancer cells, and characterized cargos delivered by exosomes secreted by each cell type.
Sammy Ferri-Borgogno, PhD
MD Anderson
Dr. Sammy Ferri-Borgogno is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Ferri-Borgogno started her postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Dr. Anirban Maitra in the Department of Translational Molecular Pathology at MD Anderson, with the goal to develop and expand her passionate interest in cancer biology as well as explore a more translational research approach. Her willing to explore new fields and to expand her research knowledge in cancer biology, made Dr. Ferri-Borgogno to join the laboratory of Dr. Samuel Mok. As a senior post-doctoral fellow in the lab she had primary responsibility for all research initiatives and projects related to clarify the molecular/cellular interactions existing between stromal cells and cancer immunity to identify markers in the ovarian tumor microenvironment that can simultaneously normalize aberrant angiogenesis and increase tumor immune cell activation and infiltration, thus resulting in significant treatment outcomes. As an Assistant Professor, Dr. Ferri- Borgogno is currently applying cutting-edge technologies such as Spatial Transcriptomics (ST), multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF), mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) and Imaging Mass Cytometry (IMC) to characterize the ovarian cancer tumor microenvironment in 2D and 3D with the final goal to identify spatial biomarkers associated with chemoresistance as well as new targets and agents for the treatment of ovarian cancer.
Michael Birrer, MD, PhD
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Dr. Birrer is recognized nationally and internationally as an expert in gynecologic oncology. He has published over 500 peer reviewed manuscripts and 30 book chapters and review articles. He has served in leadership positions within the greater gynecologic oncology community including the Chair of the Department of Defense Ovarian Cancer Research Program, Chair of the Committee for Experimental Medicine of the Gynecologic Oncology Group, Chair of the Gynecologic Cancer Steering Committee and Chair of the Translational Science Working Group of the Gynecologic Cancer Intergroup, Chair of the NCTN Core Correlative Sciences Committee. Dr. Birrer has been a member of and on the program committee of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology, American Society of Clinical Oncologists, American Association of Cancer Research and the International Gynecologic Cancer Society. His laboratory is focused on the molecular biology of gynocological cancer and has garnered over 80 million dollars of NIH funding.