SUMMARY
Ovarian cancer is associated with a high mortality rate, and endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy in women. In both cancers, chemotherapy resistance frequently emerges in recurrent disease, indicating a need for new treatments to improve patient outcomes. Comprehensive preclinical studies are needed to identify the most effective drugs and combinations. Each study should be designed to provide a strong scientific rationale for initiating new clinical trials. John J. Weroha, M.D., Ph.D., hopes to use his translational research to pursue these studies and develop new therapies for ovarian and other gynecological cancers.
Focus areas
- Translational cancer research. Dr. Weroha specializes in translational cancer research with a focus on gynecologic oncology. He leads Mayo Clinic's ovarian cancer patient-derived xenograft (PDX) program and serves as the director for the Cancer Models Core of the Mayo Clinic Ovarian Cancer SPORE. His laboratory has developed an extensive ovarian cancer PDX resource, encompassing more than 660 models derived from over 1,000 patient samples. His team's expertise includes the generation, maintenance, imaging and therapeutic testing of PDX models in murine systems.
- Clinical trials and coclinical studies. Dr. Weroha led a clinical trial that used PDX model responses to help guide chemotherapy decisions. He also served as the site principal investigator for two additional ovarian cancer PDX coclinical trials. As part of the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center's Early Cancer Therapeutics group (phase 1 clinic), Dr. Weroha works to translate laboratory discoveries into clinical care practices.
- Mechanistic and therapeutic investigations. Supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense, Dr. Weroha investigates mechanisms of resistance to poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors, along with proteomic and transcriptomic profiling, NAD⁺ metabolism, immune-conjugated nanoparticles, and AXL receptor tyrosine kinase targeting.
- External collaborations. Dr. Weroha participates in national and international collaborations that advance ovarian cancer research. He shares his expertise in PDX models with other institutions to support drug development and mechanistic studies. His collaborative efforts include research on cancer stem cells, synthetic lethality and the development of AI-based models to predict ovarian cancer outcomes.
Significance to patient care
As a medical oncologist treating new and recurrent gynecological cancers, Dr. Weroha cares for patients who are asking questions, looking for cures and searching for hope. Through his research, Dr. Weroha strives to turn science into solutions — developing better therapies and creating new options. His goal is to improve current treatments and discover future therapies so that patients can live longer, healthier lives.