El-Kenawi lab
Indiana University

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where the study of tumor & immune cell metabolism is so much fun!

Like all cells, cancer cells need nutrients to grow! Making these nutrients or what we call “macromolecules” requires intensive cellular energy and simple ingredients. Here comes the sneaky aspect of cancer cells.  Instead of spending their own resources, they adopt a scavenging tactic to extract these ingredients or nutrients from neighboring cells. Deciphering the detailed mechanism of this scavenging tactic “symbiotic” relationship is crucial to prevent cancer from coming back.

 

Publication Spotlight

Cancers such as prostate, breast and ovarian cancers use steroidal hormones to proliferate. Therapies that stop these hormones from working are effective but resistance eventually occur. One path to resistance results from tumors utilizing an increasing amount of cholesterol to make local steroids. How do cancer cells sustain their requirement from cholesterol?

Jennifer Rooks presenting in Phoenix

El-Kenawi Lab Updates

May 2024 Jennifer Rooks presenting her first poster at the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center 2024 Cancer Research Day. Congratulations Jenny!

July 2024 Caleb Taylor presenting at IUSCCC Summer Research Program Poster Session

Nov 2024 Jennifer Rooks presenting at the SBUR annual meeting in Phoenix! 

New Funding! 

2023 El-Kenawi Lab received a National Cancer Institute exploratory grant to investigate how cholesterol accumulates in prostate cancer cells and how cholesterol drives resistance to certain therapies. The ultimate goal is to improve targeted prostate cancer treatments.

2024 El-Kenawi Lab received $1.3 million from Department of Defense – Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs to investigate intersection of mitochondrial dynamics and immune suppression in prostate cancer.


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