Andrei Goga, MD, PhD

Professor
Department of Cell & Tissue Biology
Department of Medicine
+1 415 353-7070
Research Overview: 

Metastasis remains the single greatest challenge that cancer patients face today, with nearly 90% of cancer-related mortality attributable to progressive metastatic disease. The culprit is the metastatic tumor cell, which recent evidence suggests, may have quite distinct properties from primary tumors. Heterogeneity caused by the evolution of the metastatic cell as it spreads may in part explain the limited responses to targeted therapies that are directed against mutations found in the primary tumor. The Goga Lab seeks to: 

1) identify the unique properties and vulnerabilities of metastatic cancer cells; 

2) determine if tumor heterogeneity is critical for aggressive cancer growth and early metastasis;  

3) harness this knowledge to deconstruct heterogeneous cancers and improve patient treatmentfor metastatic disease.

Primary Thematic Area: 
Cancer Biology & Cell Signaling
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Developmental & Stem Cell Biology
Research Summary: 
Oncogene signaling, tumor heterogeneity and metastasis.

Websites

Featured Publications: 

MYC Dysregulates Mitosis, Revealing Cancer Vulnerabilities.

Cell reports

Rohrberg J, Van de Mark D, Amouzgar M, Lee JV, Taileb M, Corella A, Kilinc S, Williams J, Jokisch ML, Camarda R, Balakrishnan S, Shankar R, Zhou A, Chang AN, Chen B, Rugo HS, Dumont S, Goga A

Single-cell analysis reveals a stem-cell program in human metastatic breast cancer cells.

Nature

Lawson DA, Bhakta NR, Kessenbrock K, Prummel KD, Yu Y, Takai K, Zhou A, Eyob H, Balakrishnan S, Wang CY, Yaswen P, Goga A, Werb Z

PIM1 kinase inhibition as a targeted therapy against triple-negative breast tumors with elevated MYC expression.

Nature medicine

Horiuchi D, Camarda R, Zhou AY, Yau C, Momcilovic O, Balakrishnan S, Corella AN, Eyob H, Kessenbrock K, Lawson DA, Marsh LA, Anderton BN, Rohrberg J, Kunder R, Bazarov AV, Yaswen P, McManus MT, Rugo HS, Werb Z, Goga A

Inhibition of fatty acid oxidation as a therapy for MYC-overexpressing triple-negative breast cancer.

Nature medicine

Camarda R, Zhou AY, Kohnz RA, Balakrishnan S, Mahieu C, Anderton B, Eyob H, Kajimura S, Tward A, Krings G, Nomura DK, Goga A