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Research

The Cancer Neuroscience Program is spearheading groundbreaking research at the intersection of oncology and neuroscience. Our comprehensive, cross-departmental initiative leverages existing institutional strengths while developing new capabilities to explore the complex interplay between cancer and the nervous system. Our ongoing and planned studies aim to unravel the fundamental principles driving this interaction, with the potential to revolutionize prevention strategies, early detection methods and treatments for neurological cancers. Furthermore, this pivotal research seeks to develop innovative approaches to mitigate the adverse neurological effects of cancer treatments and address mental health challenges in cancer patients. The program's overarching goal is to transform patient care by significantly enhancing quality of life and survival rates for individuals affected by cancer and neurological disorders, addressing both direct and indirect impacts of the disease. The program is organized into four interconnected scientific themes: neurobiology, neuro neoplasms, neurotoxicity and neuro behavioral health.

Research Themes

Neurobiology

This theme is focusing on foundational neuroscience research and is highly connected to the other themes. Its goals include:

Elucidate reciprocal neuron-cancer signals driving cancer progression and identify novel therapeutic targets
Uncover the molecular and cellular alterations in the intrinsic neural network signaling and the interactions of neuro-immune microenvironment with aging and determine how this impacts neurological diseases
Target key pathways allow selective opening of neurovascular barriers to enhance drug delivery to treat diseases of the nervous system, including cancer and age-related neurodegeneration

Recently funded initiatives falling within this theme include the following:

FY25
- Deciphering how neuron-glial communications govern neoplastic transformation
- Investigating the vicious cycle between cancer pain-associated neuronal activity and malignancy
- Investigating the impact of glioma-associated germline risk alleles on neurodevelopmental trajectories
- Normalizing immune microenvironment in glioblastoma
FY24
- Elucidating perineural niche in cancer and identify targetable pathways
- Defining the unique features of nervous system immunology in context of cancer and age
- Elucidating neurovascular barriers in the treatment of cancer and neurodegenerative disease

See the neurobiology theme leaders

Neuro Neoplasms

This theme is focusing on studying primary and metastatic tumors of the brain, spine, skull base and peripheral nerves. Its goals include to generate a GMP facility at MD Anderson to support institutional and multi-center clinical trials for testing of novel oncolytic viruses in combination with other therapeutics for the treatment of adult and pediatric brain tumors. Recently funded initiatives falling within this theme include the following:

FY25
- Leveraging MRI-based detection of glioma neuronal functional connectivity to map early tumor invasion
- Developing an endovascular neurosurgical oncology program: delivery of cellular therapeutics across the blood brain barrier for treatment of glioblastoma
- Understanding exosomes and microRNA in glioma therapy
- Characterizing and targeting aberrant RNA splicing induced by PRMT5 inhibition in gliomas
FY24
- Creating a robust pipeline for in-house production of oncolytic viruses for the treatment of brain cancer
- Developing minimally invasive methods for determining diagnosis and progression of brain tumors through advanced neuroimaging and liquid biopsy
- Conducting therapeutic testing of novel agents through advanced in vitro and in vivo models
- Developing and validating a new imaging method to monitor immune cell therapies in vivo

See the neuro neoplasms theme leaders

Neurotoxicity

This theme is focusing on effects of cancer therapies on the nervous system. Recently funded initiatives falling within this theme include the following:

FY25
- Characterizating and predicting second-generation anti-androgen associated neurotoxicity in patients with prostate cancer
- Understanding brain and biofluid biomarkers underlying cognitive decline following immune-checkpoint inhibitor therapy in patients with metastatic melanoma
FY24
- Developing rodent neurobehavioral core to assess treatment-related toxicities, mechanism-based drug targets and therapeutics

See the neurotoxicity theme leaders

Neuro Behavioral Health

This theme is focusing on physical suffering, psychosocial suffering and the patient experience. Recently funded initiatives falling within this theme include the following:

FY25
- Studying personalized neurostimulation for smoking cessation in cancer patients: an image-guided approach
- Examining how the crosstalk between glioma and stress-response neurons mediates tumor growth and tumor-induced stress
FY24
- Identifying biologic, neuroradiologic and electrophysiologic biomarkers of delirium in hospitalized patients with advanced cancer through a longitudinal observational study
- Determining biomarkers of cancer-related fatigue and associations between markers of inflammation, stress-responsivity cellular energy production and dimensions of fatigue at different phases of the cancer trajectory

See the neuro behavioral health theme leaders