Welcome!
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?
Jenny presenting at IUSCCC
Erin presenting at IUSCCC
El-Kenawi Lab Updates
May 8, 2025 – Jenny and Erin presented their research at the IUSCCC Cancer Research Day, with Jenny being awarded one of the poster awards! Congratulations to both!
April 2025 – Jenny presented at AACR annual meeting in Chicago. View abstract
May 2025 – Asmaa received a 2025 Research AUA Award of Distinction at the AUA annual meeting in Las Vegas. Learn more
Nov 2024 – Jennifer Rooks presented at the SBUR annual meeting in Phoenix!
July 2024 – Caleb Taylor presented at IUSCCC Summer Research Program Poster Session
May 2024 – Jennifer Rooks presented her first poster at the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center 2024 Cancer Research Day.
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.
All rights reserved El-Kenawi 2021