Wafik El-Deiry: I was excited to present my poster at ASCO24
Wafik El-Deiry recently shared on LinkedIn:
“Excited to present my poster this morning at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting and about an important area of research on brain cancer (MDM4-amplified high-grade glioma) that needs much more worldwide attention.
- June 1, 2024
- Poster session 9:00 am-Noon
- Hall A
- Central Nervous System Tumors
- Abstract 2080
- Poster Board 379
Therapeutic insights for the aggressive subset of High-Grade Gliomas (HGG) driven by chromosome 1q32 MDM4-containing amplicon and unmethylated MGMT
Our work at Brown and Legorreta Cancer Centers was conducted in collaboration with Caris Life Sciences.
In Oncology/Neuro-Oncology there is a significant unmet need in GBM with MDM4 amplification. These MDM4-amplified GBM’s:
- Represent 5-10% of GBMs,
- Involve MDM4 as a potent driver (blocks p53 pathway, suppresses T-cell killing, is co-amplified with other targetable drivers),
- There are no FDA-approved drugs in 2024 or any being tested against the target (either MDM4-specific or dual MDM2-MDM4) in GBM.
MDM4 is associated with worse outcomes regardless of MGMT methylation status, and I previously presented worse outcomes across tumor types (El-Deiry et al., ASCO, 2022) including after immune checkpoint blockade.
We now recognize genetically linked targetable associated amplified genes that are overexpressed, coming from the same amplicon. These include kinase PIK3C2B and phosphatase PPP1R15B, among others. There are opportunities for combinations with other agents active in GBM.
I would be very happy to collaborate with anyone interested in supporting progress on this deadly disease where our insights suggest novel therapy strategies to help patients with aggressive MDM4-amplified GBMs.”
Source: Wafik El-Deiry/LinkedIn
Wafik El-Deiry, MD, PhD, FACP, FRSM, is the Associate Dean for Oncologic Sciences at the Warren Alpert Medical School Director of the Legorreta Cancer Center at Brown University, and Director of the Joint Program in Cancer Biology at Brown University and affiliated hospitals.
Dr. El-Deiry discovered p21(WAF1) as a p53 target gene, cell cycle inhibitor, and tumor suppressor that explained the mammalian cell stress response. Dr. El-Deiry made important contributions to cell death signaling and our understanding of the sensitivity of tumors to chemotherapy. El-Deiry has more than 400 peer-reviewed publications and 5 edited books.
