New approach to cancer research
In his laboratory at Children's Memorial Research Center, Marcelo Bento Soares, PhD, director of the Cancer Biology and Epigenomics Program, is working to identify genetic and epigenetic alterations in cancer cells that cause malignancies.
“My research contributes to the fundamental understanding of tumor development and metastases, which refers to the spread of cancer from one part of the body to another. This work may uncover targets for development of drug therapies that will be more specific to cancer cells and less toxic to patients,” says Soares, a professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. Soares was recruited from the University of Iowa in 2005 to head the newly created program at the research center.
A novel approach
Soares, who is also director of research of the Falk Brain Tumor Center at Children's Memorial Hospital and co-director of the Pediatric Oncology Program at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, is taking a novel approach for an integrated analysis of the genome, epigenome, and transcriptome of pediatric cancers. The genome comprises all of the genetic material (DNA ) contained within an organism's chromosomes; the transcriptome is composed of all RNAs present in a cell or in a tissue (RNAs are derived from DNA by the process of transcription), thus representing the active fraction of the genome; and epigenome refers to a layer of modifications (i.e., epigenetic changes) that occur in the genome, which are heritable but not encoded in the DNA. Such epigenetic modifications play an important role in the control of gene expression and in maintaining the physical integrity of the genome.
Key to tailored care
Soares says the ability to analyze cancer cells at these three elemental levels and to create a database to integrate that information with clinical data will ultimately enable identification of tumor subtypes and predict their potential to grow and to metastasize. This would aid physicians in the development of more tailored treatment strategies for each patient'0s specific needs. Soares says current diagnostic methods cannot always discriminate tumors with significantly different potential to grow and to metastasize. The ability to make such a distinction is extremely important because it would enable oncologists to spare a child with a non-aggressive cancer from unnecessary exposure to highly toxic therapies. Similarly, it would make it possible for physicians to recognize a tumor of highly metastatic potential early on when an aggressive treatment might still be successful in saving a child's life.
Essential collaborations
Soares says the possibilities for collaborations between Children's Memorial and Northwestern played a key role in his decision to come to Chicago.
Do you have a personal memory or reflection about your experience with Children's Memorial?
Tell us your story
“I have very clear goals as to what I want to achieve here,” says Soares. “Cancer is still a deadly disease, and its complexity necessitates interdisciplinary expertise. The opportunity that I have here to work closely with surgeons, oncologists and other basic researchers is invaluable and truly unique.”
Soares is currently involved in several collaborative studies to investigate the molecular basis of genome instability in ependymomas, a common form of pediatric central nervous system cancer accounting for about 10 percent of all brain tumors in childhood. His chief collaborators are Stewart Goldman, MD , medical director of neuro-oncology at Children's Memorial, director of the Center for Clinical Trials Research for the Children's Memorial Research Center and the Gus Foundation Chair in Neuro-Oncology, and Tadanori Tomita, MD , head, Division of Neurosurgery, director of the Falk Brain Tumor Center, and the Yeager Professor of Pediatric Neurosurgery.
“The challenges before us are enormous, but so is our commitment,” says Soares, whose work is supported by the Everett/O'Connor Charitable Trust, the Dr. Ralph and Marian C. Falk Medical Research Trust and the Medical Research Institute Council. “Together, we can make advancements that will make a difference in the lives of children and their families.”
Children's Memorial Hospital seeks philanthropic funding to enhance its programs and services. As a proud partner of the Children's Miracle Network (CMN), all funds raised in the Chicago area through CMN also benefit Children's Memorial. To find out how your support can help the hospital better serve children and families, please contact the Children's Memorial Foundation at 773.880.4237 or Foundation@childrensmemorial.org.