デベラスコ・マルコ

【 Research interests 】

My research focuses on the biological and molecular processes that modulate carcinogenesis in prostate.
Currently, the mainstay for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer remains androgen depravation therapy (ADT); however, resistance is inevitable and all patients eventually succumb to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).
A better understanding of the disease process has led to the identification of key molecular events that contribute to the progression of the disease.
It has now become clear that a number of non-androgen receptor mediated pathways play significant roles in regulating tumor cell proliferation, survival, migration, and metabolism.
The identification of new targets for anticancer therapy has led to the development of novel treatment strategies. Genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models have been a valuable resource to provide us with a better understanding of human tumor biology.
To gain a better understanding of the disease process and to better predict responses of novel therapeutic strategies, our laboratory has developed clinically relevant GEM models of prostate cancer based on genetic alterations associated with the development and progression of prostate cancer, namely, PTEN and Trp53 (P53).
Our goal now is to utilize these models to as tools to evaluate novel therapeutic strategies and biomarker discovery and identification and elucidate mechanisms of drug resistance and therapeutic escape.