USA researchers uncover novel mechanism that supports survival of pancreatic cancer cells

Shashi Anand, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher, is studying how pancreatic cancer cells adapt to live in low-oxygen environments.

Pancreatic tumors are notoriously aggressive and highly resistant to therapy, making pancreatic cancer the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. With the goal of finding more successful treatment of the disease, researchers at the USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute and the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama are examining how pancreatic cancer cells adapt to live under low-oxygen environments, a state known as hypoxia. 

Findings from their study, “MYB sustains hypoxic survival of pancreatic cancer cells by facilitating metabolic reprogramming,” were recently published in EMBO Reports, a high-impact journal that publishes scientific research in all areas of molecular biology. Shashi Anand, Ph.D., is the lead author of the article. Anand is a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Ajay Singh, Ph.D., a professor of pathology at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine and leader of the Cancer Biology Program at the Mitchell Cancer Institute. 

The unique histopathology of pancreatic cancer, such as its highly fibrotic nature and poor vasculature, renders the cancer cells severely hypoxic – a major reason why these tumors are so aggressive and therapy resistant. Anand said their studies have found that MYB, a protein-coding gene, plays an essential role in the survival of pancreatic cancer cells under hypoxia. 

“We have found that MYB levels go up in hypoxic cancer cells and help cancer cells in reprogramming their metabolism to reduce dependency on oxygen,” Anand said. “Importantly, we also found that MYB affected the expression and function of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF1α), a protein believed to be the master regulator of the hypoxia adaptive response in cells.” Research on HIF1α won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2019 due to its high significance in health and disease. 

“We noticed in our study that MYB was essential for full functionality of HIF1α,” Anand said. “When we silenced MYB expression in pancreatic cancer cells by genetic manipulation, they failed to form tumors in mice despite forced overexpression of the HIF1α protein.”

Their findings are significant since hypoxia is an inevitable environmental stress that tumor cells face as they evolve and progress. “Adaptive mechanisms that help cancer cells survive under hypoxia also make them more aggressive and resistant to chemotherapies,” Anand explained. “Thus, our findings expose novel therapeutic vulnerabilities that can be targeted for effective treatment of pancreatic cancer.” 

The work is supported by funding from the National Cancer Institute. Additional authors from the Mitchell Cancer Institute and the Whiddon College of Medicine are Mohammad Aslam Khan, Ph.D.; Haseeb Zubair, Ph.D.; Sarabjeet Kour Sudan, Ph.D.; Kunwar Somesh Vikramdeo, Ph.D.; Sachin Kumar Deshmukh, Ph.D.; Shafquat Azim, Ph.D.; Sanjeev Kumar Srivastava, Ph.D.; Seema Singh, Ph.D.; and Ajay Singh, Ph.D. 

Read the full article in EMBO Reports.

Solidarity Week set for Feb. 13-17

The Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine's chapter of the Arnold P. Gold Humanism in Medicine Honor Society (GHHS) will host Solidarity Week for Compassionate Patient Care Feb. 13-17.

During Solidarity Week, healthcare members are invited to participate in Wellness Bingo to win various prizes like gift cards, a gel manicure or other items. Every “Bingo!” is equal to one submission into the Wellness Raffle. Download the Bingo card; and submit a picture of your completed “Bingo!” card, full name and preferred form of contact to an1221@jagmail.southalabama.edu.

The following events are planned for Solidarity Week:

Motivational Monday, 6:30 p.m.
Honest Conversations with the Wellness Council in the M2 auditorium

Together Tuesday, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Humanistic Hearts outside of the cafeterias at USA Health University Hospital and USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital

Wellness Wednesday
Bingo raffle winners will be announced at 12 p.m.

Thankful Thursday
Gold grams and messages of thanks will be handed out at University Hospital and Children’s & Women’s Hospital.
Don’t miss the gratitude messages on the TVs in both hospitals.

Food Friday
Meal cards will be distributed throughout the day at both hospitals.
At 10 a.m., doughnuts for faculty and staff will be available at the Whiddon College of Medicine.

The national GHHS established National Solidarity Day for Compassionate Patient Care in 2011 to highlight the nationwide movement promoting provider-patient relationships based on caring, personalization and mutual respect. In 2013 and 2014, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution recognizing Solidarity Day on the national calendar, and the day was expanded to become Solidarity Week in 2016.

Follow Solidarity Week activities on social media and tag your posts using the hashtag #solidarityweek. Find the Whiddon College of Medicine on Facebook and Instagram.

Thakur leads largest study published to date on keyhole approach to skull base surgery

Jai Thakur, M.D., director of minimally invasive cranial and skull base neurosurgery at USA Health, recently published the largest study to date on the keyhole approach to skull base surgery in conjunction with colleagues in Santa Monica, California.

Skull-based meningiomas are one of the most technically challenging diseases in neurosurgery due to the close proximity of the tumor to critical neurovascular structures.

“It’s very exciting that academic medicine encourages new innovations making skull base surgery safer than ever before by maximizing tumor resection, complemented by significantly lowering the complication rates,” said Thakur, an assistant professor of neurosurgery at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine. 

The study, “Critical appraisal of minimally invasive keyhole surgery for intracranial meningiomas in a large case series,” breaks down the superior clinical outcomes and surgical techniques promoting a minimally invasive approach to skull base surgery. This approach focuses on smaller openings, yet an expanded surgical view, with the use of sophisticated technologies and processes but refrains from using rigid brain retraction. 

Thakur won the Meningioma Research Gold Award amongst national and international research submissions after presenting the findings of this study at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) / Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) Joint Section on Tumors meeting.

Read the full article.

Save the date: Gulf Coast Trauma Symposium

The department of surgery at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine invites all current and future healthcare providers to attend the 12th Annual Gulf Coast Trauma Symposium March 22-24, at the Battle House Renaissance Hotel & Spa in downtown Mobile. 

The symposium is presented by USA Health’s Division of Trauma, Acute Care Surgery and Burns in conjunction with the Alabama Department of Public Health and Alabama Gulf Emergency Medical Services.

The Gulf Coast Trauma Symposium is an annual event aimed at educating all healthcare providers in our region involved in the treatment of critically injured patients. This symposium will feature several nationally recognized speakers discussing the management of injured patients across the care continuum, including pre-hospital care.

The keynote speaker for the William A. L. Mitchell Endowed Lectureship will be David Efron, M.D. Efron is a professor of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and serves as the medical director and chief of trauma at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center.

Stephen Barnes, M.D., will be the guest speaker for the John Campbell Tribute Lecture. Barnes is a professor and chair of surgery at the University of Missouri. 

Learn more about the symposium and purchase your tickets.

Meet a Med Student: Ashley Nguyen

Ashley Nguyen

Class of: 2023

Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Undergraduate education: Bachelor of Science in biochemistry, Spring Hill College

What do you enjoy most about being a medical student at the Whiddon College of Medicine?
What I appreciate most about being a student at the Whiddon College of Medicine is having the opportunity to learn from faculty and physicians who teach with sincerity and lead by example. At the Whiddon College of Medicine, I not only learned the knowledge to become a doctor but also developed the skills and heart to become a compassionate caretaker. I am confident that I have acquired everything I need to take the best care of my future patients, and I cannot wait to utilize everything I have been taught at the Whiddon College of Medicine to make a difference in the world. 

Are you involved in any research, organizations or other initiatives at the College of Medicine?
Most of my time this year is dedicated to my responsibilities as the president of the Student Interest Group in Neurology (SIGN) and the social coordinator for the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS). I am currently working on a research presentation with the pediatric neurology department on treatment considerations for lateralized periodic discharges on electroencephalogram (EEG). I also volunteer with other interest groups and during various College of Medicine events throughout the year.

What are your interests and hobbies? Food, travel, dance, karaoke, and arts and crafts 

What is something unique about you? To overcome my fear of dogs, I bought a puppy.