| Send E-mail to: agoldkor@usc.edu | |
| Telephone: 323-442-7721 | Fax: |
| Office: NRT 6505 | Mail Code: 9171 HSC |
Education:
BA 1994 Biology - Harvard University
MD 1998 Medicine - University of California, Los Angeles
Postdoctoral Research Fellowship:
2004-2007 University of California, San Francisco
Started at USC: 2007
Research Topics: Cancer Cell Biology, Cancer Treatment, Stem Cell Biology, Gene Therapy
Research Description
Our goal is to develop novel therapies targeting cancers of the prostate and bladder as well as cancer stem cells.
Dr. Goldkorn trained in oncology at UCSF, where he specialized in the treatment of genitourinary malignancies and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship with Elizabeth Blackburn in the field of telomerase and cancer. Our laboratory is located in the new Harlyne Norris Research Tower at the USC Health Sciences Campus. We conduct basic and translational research in the field of experimental therapeutics, focusing on telomerase interference, nanoparticle drug delivery, and cancer stem cell targeting.
Specifically, we have found that introduction of mutated telomerase RNA into cancer cells elicits a rapid apoptotic response and inhibits proliferation across all cancer types tested, independent of telomere shortening. We are studying the apoptotic mechanisms underlying this dramatic phenomenon, and we are testing its therapeutic potential in mouse models of prostate and bladder cancer. For systemic in vivo delivery, we have collaboratively developed a targeted lipidic nanoparticle vector that specifically targets cancer cells. Both the vector and the systemic tumors are visualized using a non-invasive bioluminescent imaging.
Another research focus is on telomerase and cancer stem cells. Recent findings suggest that cancer metastases and recurrences may be mediated by a unique sub-population of tumor cells, dubbed cancer stem cells, which possess the capacity to self-renew and to differentiate into additional tumors while remaining unscathed by available treatments. A significant body of evidence has emerged demonstrating a critical role for telomerase in stem cell activation. We are currently developing protocols for isolating and characterizing cancer stem cells from tumor tissues acquired from mouse models and from patient samples, include primary tumors and circulating tumor cells.
In summary, our telomerase research provides us with a ready set of tools to modulate, study, and target cancer and cancer stem cells, while our clinical activities allow critical access to tumor samples and to clinical correlates of disease. Thus, by studying telomerase-induced apoptosis, by optimizing targeted delivery, and by specifically impacting cancer stem cell populations, we ultimately hope to improve treatment options for metastatic and recurrent cancer.
Selected Publications
Goldkorn A, Blackburn EH. - Assembly of mutant-template telomerase RNA into catalytically active telomerase ribonucleoprotein that can act on telomeres is required for apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in human cancer cells. - Cancer Res [ 2006 ] Jun 1;66(11):5763-71 . PubMed
