Habib Serhan
Pronouns: He/him
Research Mentor(s): Nathan Merrill
Co-Presenter: Kalabat, Adriana
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Internal Medicine / Medicine
Presentation Date: April 20
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: Session 4 – 2:40pm – 3:30 pm
Room: League Ballroom
Authors: Habib Serhan, Adriana Kalabat, Sofia Merajver, Nathan Merrill
Presenter: 62
Abstract
Breast cancer cells have a potential for metastasis to other areas of the human body, including the brain. There are several factors associated with cancer cells that increase their metastatic potential, and one of these is an increase in fatty acid synthase (FASN) expression. Inhibition of this enzyme has previously been identified as a potential target for metastatic breast cancers. Utilizing the MDA-MB-231 triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell line and JIMT-1 human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive (HER2+) breast cancer cell line, our lab has isolated subclones of these cell lines that have been extracted from the brains of mice after the parental cell lines were passaged through mice and allowed to metastasize. Our lab has also created new and unique patient-derived organoid TNBC cell lines that have been isolated from the brain of a patient after metastasis from the primary site. We hypothesize that combining a FASN inhibitor with either a chemotherapy or a targeted therapy drug will show synergy in inhibiting the viability of brain metastasized breast cancer cells compared to their respective parental cells. Initial drug screening experiments with FASN inhibitors and chemotherapy/targeted drug combinations have shown encouraging synergistic results, but additional testing is needed to validate these promising preliminary results. Thus far, we have tested how FASN combinations can impact cell viability. In future experiments, we will assess how FASN inhibitors impact cell invasion using phenotypic assays such as outgrowth and wound healing. Additionally, we will screen additional combinations of FASN inhibitors with mechanistically different chemotherapy and targeted drugs to identify optimal drug combinations. If it is confirmed that FASN inhibition decreases cell invasion and synergizes with chemo/targeted therapies, additional follow-up studies in animal models will be critical prior to translation to humans.
Biomedical Sciences, Interdisciplinary
