91΄σΙρ

91΄σΙρ College of Wisconsin
91΄σΙρ College of Wisconsin 91΄σΙρ College of Wisconsin
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Surgery
Gwen Lomberk, PhD

Gwen Lomberk, PhD

Chief, Division of Research; Director, Basic Science Research; Department of Surgery; Professor of Surgery and Pharmacology & Toxicology

Contact Information

Education

PhD, Cancer Biology, Mayo Graduate School, 2002

Research Experience

  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Cell Nucleus Shape
  • Chromatin
  • Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly
  • Chromatin Immunoprecipitation
  • Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone
  • Epigenesis, Genetic
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Histone Code
  • Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase
  • Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors

Leadership Positions

  • Chief, Division of Research
  • Director Basic Science Research, Department of Surgery

Research Interests

Epigenomic-based pharmacology has the potential to serve as a robust tool to improve the future treatment of pancreatic cancer (PDAC), which is the focus of my research program. My laboratory seeks to contribute to the field of experimental therapeutics through combined inhibition of a genetic-to-epigenetic pathway to treat PDAC, as an important and provocative consideration for harnessing the capacity of cell cycle inhibitors in efforts to not only enhance future use of epigenetic inhibitors, but also translate similar approaches to other genetic-to-epigenetic pathways to control cancer growth. Our data demonstrate that the combined inhibition of the G2/M regulator, Aurora A, and the H3K9Me pathway is synergistic to inhibit PDAC growth. By inducing cell cycle arrest through inhibition of AURKA, the mitotic machinery is exposed longer to the H3K9Me pathway, which is well known to regulate centromere structure, triggering a cytotoxic mechanism that involves perturbation of normal mitotic progression to ultimately end in mitotic catastrophe, an attractive outcome in oncology. Inhibition of the H3K9 pathway, specifically in mitosis, offers a unique therapeutic approach not characteristically considered when utilizing epigenetic agents, which are generally applied in the context of modulating gene expression during interphase. My long-term research goals are broadly aligned with studying the regulation of histone methyl transferase complexes via similar signals that dictate the histone code and how those signals affect protein-protein interactions and function, as well as the type of dynamics (transient vs inherited) underlying the consequences of epigenetic targeting. Thus, we remain passionate about discovering molecular interactions and complex dynamics involved in epigenetic mechanisms triggered in response to cellular signals within the context of normal cell biology and pathophysiology and applying this knowledge to develop better therapeutic strategies in cancer.

Publications

  • (Kim J, Zimmermann MT, Mathison AJ, Lomberk G, Urrutia R, Hong JC.) Ann Surg Open. 2024 Jun;5(2):e444 PMID: 38911661 PMCID: PMC11191965 06/24/2024

  • (Pollin G, Mathison AJ, de Assuncao TM, Thomas A, Zeighami L, Salmonson A, Liu H, Urrutia G, Vankayala P, Pandol SJ, Zimmermann MT, Iovanna J, Jin VX, Urrutia R, Lomberk G.) bioRxiv. 2024 Mar 16 PMID: 38529489 PMCID: PMC10962735 03/26/2024

  • (Santofimia-Castaño P, Fraunhoffer N, Liu X, Bessone IF, di Magliano MP, Audebert S, Camoin L, Estaras M, Brenière M, Modesti M, Lomberk G, Urrutia R, Soubeyran P, Neira JL, Iovanna J.) EMBO Mol Med. 2024 Mar;16(3):475-505 PMID: 38360999 PMCID: PMC10940650 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85185320484 02/16/2024

  • (Pollin G, De Assuncao TM, Doria Jorge S, Chi YI, Charlesworth MC, Madden B, Iovanna J, Zimmermann MT, Urrutia R, Lomberk G.) Biosci Rep. 2023 Oct 31;43(10) PMID: 37782747 PMCID: PMC10611923 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85175273435 10/02/2023

  • (Chi YI, Jorge SD, Jensen DR, Smith BC, Volkman BF, Mathison AJ, Lomberk G, Zimmermann MT, Urrutia R.) bioRxiv. 2023 Sep 07 PMID: 37786696 PMCID: PMC10541560 10/03/2023

  • (Fraunhoffer NA, Moreno Vega AI, Abuelafia AM, Morvan M, Lebarbier E, Mary-Huard T, Zimmermann MT, Lomberk G, Urrutia R, Dusetti N, Blum Y, Nicolle R, Iovanna J.) EBioMedicine. 2023 Jun;92:104602 PMID: 37148583 PMCID: PMC10189188 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85154565512 05/06/2023

  • (Yang Y, Bhargava D, Chen X, Zhou T, Dursuk G, Jiang W, Wang J, Zong Z, Katz SI, Lomberk GA, Urrutia RA, Katz JP.) Cell Death Dis. 2023 May 02;14(5):299 PMID: 37130837 PMCID: PMC10154356 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85157983058 05/03/2023

  • (Ratnasinghe BD, Haque N, Wagenknecht JB, Jensen DR, Esparza GV, Leverence EN, De Assuncao TM, Mathison AJ, Lomberk G, Smith BC, Volkman BF, Urrutia R, Zimmermann MT.) bioRxiv. 2023 Apr 28 PMID: 37207265 PMCID: PMC10189839 05/19/2023

  • (Jorge SD, Chi YI, Mazaba JL, Haque N, Wagenknecht J, Smith BC, Volkman BF, Mathison AJ, Lomberk G, Zimmermann MT, Urrutia R.) Front Genet. 2023;14:1291307 PMID: 38090150 PMCID: PMC10715303 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85179362461 12/13/2023

  • (Chi YI, Jorge SD, Jensen DR, Smith BC, Volkman BF, Mathison AJ, Lomberk G, Zimmermann MT, Urrutia R.) Comput Struct Biotechnol J. 2023;21:5249-5258 PMID: 37954151 PMCID: PMC10632586 11/13/2023

  • (Ratnasinghe BD, Haque N, Wagenknecht JB, Jensen DR, Valdivia Esparza GK, Leverence EN, Milech De Assuncao T, Mathison AJ, Lomberk G, Smith BC, Volkman BF, Urrutia R, Zimmermann MT.) Comput Struct Biotechnol J. 2023;21:4790-4803 PMID: 37841325 PMCID: PMC10570560 10/16/2023

  • (Fraunhoffer NA, Moreno Vega AI, Abuelafia AM, Morvan M, Lebarbier E, Mary-Huard T, Zimmermann M, Lomberk G, Urrutia R, Dusetti N, Blum Y, Nicolle R, Iovanna J.) eBioMedicine. June 2023;92 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85154565512 06/01/2023

Publications of from the