BRAF mutation changes the characteristics of colorectal cancers in a mouse model

Sep 8, 2021

Cynthia Sears, MD

Cynthia Sears, MD

Co-Investigator

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health
Cynthia Sears, MD Cynthia Sears, MD
Know about me Cynthia Sears, MD

Cynthia Sears, MD

Designation:

Co-Investigator

Phone:

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health

Email:

Medicine; Infectious Diseases; Immunology

Department:

Cynthia Sears,Investigator Team,Investigators,WP1

Professor of Medicine, Oncology, and Molecular Microbiology & Immunology

In a recent publication, the Sears lab showed that introduction of the BRAFV600E mutation into mice colonized with enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF) leads to production of midcolon tumors with similarity to human BRAFV600E tumors and distinct from the ETBF-induced distal adenomas typical for this ETBF mouse model. In particular, the BRAFV600E tumors show sensitivity to anti-PD-L1 treatment, suggesting a line of investigation for improving immunotherapy treatment for colon cancer. Check out this blog, on the Cancer Grand Challenges website, where Cindy discusses this work and its implications.