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Developmental Cancer Therapeutics Research Program

The Developmental Cancer Therapeutics Research Program at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center focuses on discovering and characterizing important cancer-specific metabolic and stress pathways, identifying novel therapeutic agents, and translating mechanism-based discoveries into effective cancer therapies. Cancer-specific metabolic networks and stress pathways provide targets for diagnostic or prognostic biomarker discovery and for therapeutic intervention.

These goals are realized through a multi-level approach that includes monthly program meetings, program-specific seminars, transdisciplinary research teams, intramural funding and training opportunities, investments in existing and new shared resources, and targeted recruitment of faculty.

The program consists of 48 basic and clinical scientists drawn from nine departments distributed across MUSC’s Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy.

Thematically, it is organized around these aims:

  • Biomarker Discovery & Cancer Metabolomics: Identify biomarker and lipid-specific metabolic vulnerabilities.
  • Cancer Cell Signaling: Interrogate novel oncogenic signaling targets in human tumors.
  • Drug Development & Clinical Trials: Develop new small molecules and biologics for investigator-initiated clinical trials.

Program Co-Leaders

Dr. Nancy Klauber-DeMore 

Nancy Klauber-DeMore, M.D.

Professor of Surgery
College of Medicine

Academic Focus: angiogenesis; targeted SFRP2 therapy

Dr. John O'Bryan 

John O'Bryan, Ph.D.

Professor of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
College of Medicine

Academic Focus: aberrant regulation of cell signaling pathways; anti-RAS therapeutics

Featured Research

microscopic image of cells the green cells are attacking the pink cells and the pink cells are dying and turning black

A Hollings team has created what members believe to be among the first small molecules designed to stimulate immune cells to fight cancer.

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