Samy Y. Lamouille, Ph.D.
“Some cancer stem cells are resistant to chemotherapy. If even a small population of these cells are left behind after treatment, then they can rapidly seed the growth of new tumors. By targeting the proteins that are really important for invasion, we may be able to inhibit metastasis in aggressive cancers."
Developing new cancer therapies
If we target cancer stem cells, can we prevent cancer recurrence?
Dr. Lamouille's lab studies how cancer cells communicate and is developing novel therapeutic strategies to target these communication mechanisms to prevent metastases in human cancer progression. In particular, the lab specializes in studying epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) - a process that enables cancer cells to undergo a complete reprogramming at the trasncription, translation, and post-translation levels, leading cancer cells to acquire the invasive characteristics that promote cell proliferation and metastases in new tissues.
The Lamouille Lab analyzes the channel-dependent and -independent roles of connexin proteins during EMT and in cancer stem cells. Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β) is a potent inducer of EMT and regulator of cancer stemness through Smad and non-Smad signaling, and crosstalk with other pathways such as Notch and Wnt. Dr. Lamouille studies how these signaling pathways modulate connexin localization and function in cancer cells that undergo EMT, and in cancer stem cells. The lab is developing novel therapeutic strategies using mimetic peptides to specifically disrupt protein-protein interactions that enhance the tumorigenic characteristics of cancer cells. To carry these discoveries forward and pursue clinical trials, Dr. Lamouille co-founded Acomhal Research Inc. in partnership with Dr. Rob Gourdie.
lamouils@vt.edu
540-526-2203
R-3001, Riverside 2
- Assistant Professor, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
- Research Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science
- Assistant Professor, Department of Basic Science Education, School of Medicine
Katsuno Y, Qin J, Oses-Prieto J, Wang H, Jackson-Weaver O, Zhang T, Lamouille S, Wu J, Burlingame A, Xu J, Derynck R. (2018). Arginine methylation of SMAD7 by PRMT1 in TGF-β-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition and epithelial stem-cell generation. Journal of Biological Chemistry 293: 13059-72.
James CC, Zeitz MJ, Calhoun PJ, Lamouille S, Smyth JW. (2018). Altered translation initiation of Gja1 limits gap junction formation during epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Molecular Biology of the Cell 29(7): 773-880.
Murphy SF, Varghese RT, Lamouille S, Guo S, Pridham KJ, Kanabur P, Osimani AM, Sharma S, Jourdan J, Rodgers CM, Simonds GR, Gourdie RG, Sheng Z. (2016). Connexin 43 Inhibition Sensitizes Chemoresistant Glioblastoma Cells to Temozolomide. Cancer Research 76(1): 139-49.
- Sarcotein Diagnostics
Principal Scientist - University of California, San Francisco
Research Assistant
- University of Grenoble: Ph.D. Molecular and Cell Biology
- University of Grenoble: B.S., Biochemistry
- University of California, San Francisco: Postdoctoral Fellowship
- American Heart Association Scientist Development Award
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Redirect ItemVirginia Tech Magazine: Scientific Relevance , redirect Date: Oct 28, 2020
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Redirect ItemVirginia Tech Magazine: Scientific Relevance , redirect
The Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC launched in 2010 with its first faculty member and executive director and $2 million in extramural research funding from the National Institutes of Health. A decade later, 33 research team leaders with the support of more than 300 students and staff conduct research with $135 million in active grant awards.
Date: Oct 28, 2020