Anil Sood, M.D.
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Novel siRNA Based Therapeutic Approaches for Ovarian Carcinoma
Project Summary
The goal of the MD Anderson Cancer Center Program Project Development Grant, led by Dr. Anil Sood, is to develop new therapy approaches for ovarian cancer patients based on using short interfering RNA (siRNA) approaches. SiRNA is a part of a natural, selective process for turning off genes and has rapidly become a powerful tool in drug development. The emphasis of this team is on developing new and clinically relevant methods to deliver siRNA for treatment of ovarian cancer. Collectively, this project brings together multiple investigators from many different disciplines at MD Anderson to work together to develop new approaches for ovarian cancer treatment based on siRNA.
The MD Anderson focuses works on the following three projects.
Project 1. Therapeutic Targeting of FAK Using Liposomal SiRNA in Ovarian Carcinoma
Project 2: Targeting Platinum-Resistance Genes with Liposomal SiRNA
Project 3: Targeted Biological Carriers for SiRNA Delivery
For the past three years, Dr. Sood has coordinated the efforts of the multi-disciplinary team at MD Anderson. Their research involves siRNA injections, in neutral liposomes, systemically into tumor bearing animals in order to silence oncogenic gene(s) for ovarian cancer treatment. The liposomes are nanoparticles that are used as carriers and function as slow release depots for the drugs into diseased tissue. Ongoing mouse studies are looking at the biological consequences and therapeutic effectiveness of targeting FAK (focal adhesion kinase) which is overexpressed in ovarian and other cancers. Other mouse studies are using siRNA to target ATP7A and ATP7B genes with and without concurrent chemotherapy. These genes are upregulated in platinum resistance in ovarian cancer. This is significant because ovarian cancer treatment often utilizes platinum-based drugs, and women tend to develop a resistance to them. Finally, the group is looking to develop new biologically compatible siRNA carriers with the hope that they will be able to target ovarian cancer more specifically with less delivery to normal organs and to stay in the tumor longer with slower release rates.
Bio
Dr. Sood joined M.D. Anderson in 2002 and is a physician scientist and Director of Ovarian Cancer Research. He has a joint appointment in the Department of Cancer Biology and maintains a laboratory where his research focuses on mechanisms of cancer invasion and metastasis in ovarian cancer.
Specifically, Dr. Sood’s research is focused in three areas: 1) effect of neuroendocrine stress hormones on ovarian cancer growth and progression; 2) development of novel anti-vascular therapeutic approaches; and 3) development of new strategies for in vivo siRNA delivery. His research is funded by the National Cancer Institute and the Department of Defense.
Dr. Sood received an undergraduate degree from Davidson College in Pre-Medicine. He received his medical degree from the University of North Carolina. After completing his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Florida at Gainesville, he completed a Fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Iowa.
Press
Science Daily, July 29, 2009
Wall Street Journal, Sept. 18, 2008
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