Catherine Shachaf
Academic Appointments
- Instructor, Microbiology & Immunology - Baxter Laboratory
Contact Information
- Academic
Offices
Personal Information Email
Professional Snapshot
Honors and Awards
- FOCIS Trainee Satellite Symposia Award, FOCIS (2008)
- AACR, Scholar in Training Award, Aflac (2008)
- Young Scientist Clinical Award, FAMRI (2004 - 2009)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Translational Award, Stanford University (2005)
- Richard W. Weiland Fellowship, CCIS, Stanford University (2001 - 2004)
Professional Education
| Post doctorate fellow: | Stanford University, Medical Oncology (2006) |
| Ph.D: | Israel Institute of Technology, Molecular Medicine (2001) |
| M.Sc: | Israel Institute of Technology, Genetics (1996) |
| B.Sc.: | University of Haifa, Israel, Biology (1992) |
Scientific Focus
Research Interests
Cancer and stem cells.
Cancer occurs in a single cell that proliferates and may dominate the host organ. Several of the genes that are expressed during embryogenesis become oncogenes when expressed in the non-embryonic stage of a cell. Therefore the spatial and temporal expression of a gene and protein will determine pluripotency or tumorigenesis. If an embryonic gene is continuously expressed at the post natal stages of development it may result in the development of cancer. If one of these oncogenes is deactivated, the program that drives pluripotency is restored and tumor cells can differentiate into their normal developmental lineages and no longer dominate the host.
1. We are trying to identify the cell's genetic and the proteomic programs that determine the fate of a progenitor cell to become neoplastic or to remain normal.
2. We are trying to identify signaling programs that are characteristic for specific cell populations in solid tumors.
Detection of preneoplastic tumor cells.
Genetic changes occurring in progenitor cells may increase the frequency of cells at specific developmental stages. Accumulation of gene amplifications, deletions and mutations in a cell may eventually overcome normal cell cycle control. These changes will subsequently drive neoplastic proliferation, cell growth and tumor onset. Changes in the genome translate into perturbance in the gene expression, protein expression and in the protein modification in a cell. Detection of tumor promoting genetic changes at the preneoplastic stages of a cancer cell will be advantageous in preventing the onset of tumorigenesis.
1. We are developing surface enhanced Raman (SERS) nanoparticles for the detection of intracellular phosphorylation events.
2. We are developing Flow cytometry based assays to detect gene amplifications in single cells.
Clinical Trials
Publications
- A pluripotency signature predicts histologic transformation and influences survival in follicular lymphoma patients. Blood. 2009; (15): 3158-66
- A novel method for detection of phosphorylation in single cells by surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) using composite organic-inorganic nanoparticles (COINs). PLoS One. 2009; (4): e5206
- Electron microscopy localization and characterization of functionalized composite organic-inorganic SERS nanoparticles on leukemia cells. Ultramicroscopy. 2008; (1): 111-21
- Genomic and proteomic analysis reveals a threshold level of MYC required for tumor maintenance. Cancer Res. 2008; (13): 5132-42
- A murine transgenic model for transcriptional regulation of the Na/Pi-IIa major renal phosphate cotransporter. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2007; (5): F1617-25
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