DF/HCC Program Affiliation

Member, Breast Cancer Program
Member, Prostate Cancer Program
Member, Kidney Cancer Program

DF/HCC Associations

Director, Cancer Proteomics Core
Member, Center Scientific Council

Research Abstract

The Libermann laboratory focuses on a group of novel Ets family transcription factors that they identified within the past several years. These Ets family members are expressed selectively in various types of epithelia, and their expression is deranged in several types of carcinoma. The laboratory uses gene knockout and over-expression approaches, combined with genomic and proteomic strategies, to elucidate the consequences of Ets protein dysregulation and the targets of these transcription factors, respectively. The laboratory also studies the mechanism of regulation of IL6 expression in prostate carcinogenesis and its potential role in directing androgen resistance and/or bone metastasis. The laboratory is furthermore applying various cutting edge technologies for proteomics, transcriptional profiling and genotyping in order to define and compare protein and gene profiles and genomic DNA in kidney, ovarian, prostate and breast cancer tissues, correlate protein and gene profiles and mutations with biological activities and disease, define disease mechanisms at a molecular level and predict clinical outcome and response to therapy. Further studies in the lab are focused on mechanisms of action of anti-cancer drugs on prostate, renal, ovarian and breast cancer cells using transcriptional profiling and genotyping approaches in order to identify putative novel points of entry for rational drug design, target validation, and identification of potential genes involved in adverse drug responses or drug resistance. Dr. Libermann is the Director of the DF/HCC Cancer Proteomics Core and of the BIDMC Genomics Center, which provide core assistance to medical center investigators in the use of various proteomics and expression technologies.

Publications

• Zinkin NT, Grall F, Bhaskar K, Otu HH, Spentzos D, Kalmowitz B, Wells M, Guerrero M, Asara JM, Libermann TA, Afdhal NH. Serum proteomics and biomarkers in hepatocellular carcinoma and chronic liver disease. Clin Cancer Res 2008 Jan 15; 14(2):470-7
  PMID: 18223221
• Gu X, Zerbini LF, Otu HH, Bhasin M, Yang Q, Joseph MG, Grall F, Onatunde T, Correa RG, Libermann TA. Reduced PDEF Expression Increases Invasion and Expression of Mesenchymal Genes in Prostate Cancer Cells. Cancer Res 2007 May 1; 67(9):4219-26
  PMID: 17483333
• Jones J, Libermann TA. Genomics of renal cell cancer: the biology behind and the therapy ahead. Clin Cancer Res 2007 Jan 15; 13(2 Pt 2):685s-692s
  PMID: 17255294
• Aivado M, Spentzos D, Germing U, Alterovitz G, Meng XY, Grall F, Giagounidis AA, Klement G, Steidl U, Otu HH, Czibere A, Prall WC, Iking-Konert C, Shayne M, Ramoni MF, Gattermann N, Haas R, Mitsiades CS, Fung ET, Libermann TA. Serum proteome profiling detects myelodysplastic syndromes and identifies CXC chemokine ligands 4 and 7 as markers for advanced disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2007 Jan 23; 104(4):1307-12
  PMID: 17220270
• Spentzos D, Levine DA, Kolia S, Otu H, Boyd J, Libermann TA, Cannistra SA. Unique gene expression profile based on pathologic response in epithelial ovarian cancer. J Clin Oncol 2005 Nov 1; 23(31):7911-8
  PMID: 16204010
• Jones J, Otu H, Spentzos D, Kolia S, Inan M, Beecken WD, Fellbaum C, Gu X, Joseph M, Pantuck AJ, Jonas D, Libermann TA. Gene signatures of progression and metastasis in renal cell cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2005 Aug 15; 11(16):5730-9
  PMID: 16115910
• Zerbini LF, Wang Y, Czibere A, Correa RG, Cho JY, Ijiri K, Wei W, Joseph M, Gu X, Grall F, Goldring MB, Zhou JR, Libermann TA. NF-{kappa}B-mediated repression of growth arrest- and DNA-damage-inducible proteins 45{alpha} and {gamma} is essential for cancer cell survival. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2004 Sep 14; 101(37):13618-13623
  PMID: 15353598
• Zerbini LF, Wang Y, Cho JY, Libermann TA. Constitutive activation of nuclear factor kappaB p50/p65 and Fra-1 and JunD is essential for deregulated interleukin 6 expression in prostate cancer. Cancer Res 2003 May 1; 63(9):2206-15
  PMID: 12727841