Evaluation of Differences in Regulation of the Surfacesome in Penile Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Abstract
The objective of this research is to identify novel targets for drug development in men diagnosed with cancer of the penis. Most cancers of the penis are squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC) and about half of men develop this cancer due to a viral infection called human papillomavirus (HPV). Scientists have found many differences in PSCC tumors based on the presence or absence of HPV infection. Some of these differences may contribute to how PSCC grows or spreads, but currently there are no therapies chosen for patients based on whether they are infected with HPV or not. In this project we will look at differences in the genetic information, or “blueprints,” of PSCC tumors based on whether they are infected with HPV. The genetic information also helps tumors make proteins, or the “machines” in cancer cells that do all the work. Many of these proteins are present on the surface of tumor cells and some of them are “activated” by binding to other proteins. Using complex computer methods, we will examine the genetic information and proteins in PSCC tumors taken from patients and try to determine whether tumors infected with HPV have different proteins on their surface compared to tumors not infected with HPV. This is important, as more than half of all drugs used in cancer therapy target proteins on the cell surface. This will be the first study to evaluate this in PSCC, which may identify undiscovered proteins to target. This research proposal addresses the Fiscal Year 2020 Rare Cancers Research Program Focus areas of “Biology and Etiology” and “Therapy” in a very rare cancer type called PSCC. This research will benefit men diagnosed with PSCC, specifically if the cancer is in the lymph nodes or spreads to other organs in the body. When PSCC starts to spread it becomes very challenging to control, and many therapies do not work anymore. Our work will examine whether certain proteins are on the surface of tumors infected by HPV. It is possible that certain proteins are only on the surface of HPV infected tumors; therefore, these may be potential targets to evaluate to improve patient outcomes. Research requires a lot of time and energy combined with thorough investigations before findings are tested in patients. We anticipate this project will be completed in 1 year, but will require several extra steps afterwards before it can be tested in patients. Since this work starts directly in patient tumors instead of cells in culture or in laboratory mice, the findings may be able to be translated to patients more quickly. PSCC is a very rare cancer with little research resources available compared to other cancer types. This will be the first study to look at the connection between genetic information and proteins in PSCC. It will also provide an additional resource to the research community to help us understand whether there are differences based on HPV infection. Since there is little research in PSCC, any advancements in our knowledge has the chance to improve patient outcomes dramatically.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 05, 2021
- Source ID
- W81XWH2110676
Entities
People
- George Grass
Organizations
- H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute
- United States Army