Abeloff V Scholar*
Funded by the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund
Our research looks at how hormone receptors play a role in cancer. These receptors are involved in prostate, breast, uterine, and ovarian cancers. Normally, they help control important functions in the body. But as people get older and hormone levels drop, these receptors can stop working properly and help cancer grow.
Even though there are treatments that block these receptors, many patients still see their advanced cancers return within two years. This happens because cancer cells find new ways to turn the receptors back on, which makes the treatments less effective.
To tackle this problem, we use advanced imaging tools, including high powered microscopes, to make 3D models of the hormone receptors. This helps us see how the receptors work and what goes wrong in cancer. We have already found new interactions at the molecular level that were not known before. With support from the V Foundation, we hope to create better drugs that target these receptors more effectively, helping to stop cancer from coming back and improve patient outcomes.
