Joining forces with Huntsman Cancer Institute

Quantifying epithelial-mesenchymal transition

PHI is working with scientists at the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) in the battle against cancer. Supported by PHI, Dr. Robert Judson-Torres and his team at HCI aim to develop methods to quantify the phenomena known as epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

HCI is a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Like normal epithelial cells, cancerous epithelial cells are rigid and immobile, incapable of creating metastasis. To become a lethal colonizer, a cancerous epithelial cell must first transition into a highly plastic and motile mesenchymal cell, hence the term epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

EMT is a physiological transformation caused by a spectrum of different biochemical processes, making the conventional approach of biochemical characterization indirect and adventurous. Contrary to conventional biochemical methods, HoloMonitor’s unique ability to non-invasively quantify physiological traits, such as single-cell plasticity and motility, allows HoloMonitor to directly and more precisely characterize EMT. Moreover, as no reagents contaminate the cells, the same cells may be reused to determine additional cellular characteristics, which is especially useful when working with scarce primary cells extracted from cancer patients.

Dr. Robert Judson-Torres

Robert's research interests focus on the networks of genes and environmental factors that stabilize cell states in adult mammalian organisms, and, conversely, the coordinated sets of destabilizing factors which can lead to tumorigenesis. He is also actively involved with exploring new models of scientific training, communication and publication, including experimenting with forums for post-publication peer review, reproducibility initiatives, and strategies for training the scientific workforce.