Focus areas

Focus areas of the Spine Oncology Lab include:

• Chordoma biology and targeted therapy. We study a protein called YAP. This protein drives chordoma growth and helps the tumor survive radiation. We have discovered that blocking YAP also turns off brachyury, the master protein that keeps chordoma tumors alive. This finding opens a new path toward treatments that was not previously thought possible.
• Radiation resistance. Many spine tumors do not respond well to radiation. We are identifying the specific proteins and genes that allow tumor cells to repair radiation damage. We're also developing strategies, including drug-loaded microparticles delivered directly into the tumor, to overcome this resistance.
• Immune sensitization. We are studying how we can reprogram spinal tumors to respond better to immunotherapy and the body's native immune system.
• Local drug delivery. We are developing and testing tiny drug-loaded particles that can be placed directly into a tumor during or after surgery. This approach delivers medicine exactly where it is needed while limiting side effects on the rest of the body.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) in spine oncology. We use AI tools to analyze medical images and tissue samples to better predict how patients will do after surgery and which treatments are most likely to help them. We also are applying AI to digital pathology to improve how chordoma is diagnosed.
• Access to care. We study how patients with spine tumors, particularly those patients in understudied communities, including in sub-Saharan Africa, can access the best available care and surgical treatment.