Dr. Gutkind is a leader in cancer signaling, particularly at the intersection of tumor growth and immune evasion, which can be exploited for the development of novel multimodal precision immunotherapies. He is recognized for his pioneering work revealing the potent oncogenic (pro-cancer) activity of G proteins and G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and by his studies unraveling the molecular mechanisms by which they promote normal and malignant cell growth.
He previously discovered that most oral cancer lesions display persistent activation of the signaling network called PI3K–AKT–mTOR. As part of his translation efforts, Dr. Gutkind has led a multi institutional clinical trial establishing the benefits of treating oral cancer patients with mTOR inhibitors and he is leading a precision prevention trial in oral premalignancy.
Now with NFCR support and in collaboration with Dr. Teresa Davoli, the two teams focus on deciphering how the loss of chromosome 9p enables oral cancer cells to resist the immune system, specifically, the new ‘immune checkpoint inhibitors’ (ICIs).
Dr. Gutkind is developing different mouse models with the 9p chromosome loss and other gene alterations. With these models that closely mimic human cancer, the team can investigate how the oral cancer cells evade the immune system.
Impact
The collaborative research of Drs. Davoli and Gutkind may lead to the identification of novel treatment options and preventive strategies for oral cancer and other types of cancer associated with loss of chromosome 9p.
