Gerald Chu, MD, PhD
Instructor, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Co-Director, Tissue and Pathology Core, DF/HCC Gastrointestinal Cancers SPORE , Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Director, Experimental Pathology Core, NIH Program Project Grant on Pancreatic Cancer, Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Senior Scientist, Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Pathologist, Pathology, Brigham And Women's Hospital
Contact Info
Gerald Chu
Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Harvard Institutes of Medicine
Boston, MA, 02115
Mailstop: HM320A
Phone: 617-582-7925
Fax: 617-939-0197
gerald_chu@dfci.harvard.edu
Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Harvard Institutes of Medicine
Boston, MA, 02115
Mailstop: HM320A
Phone: 617-582-7925
Fax: 617-939-0197
gerald_chu@dfci.harvard.edu
Assistant
Not Available.DF/HCC Program Affiliation
Gastrointestinal MalignanciesResearch Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly lethal disease in which a prominent tumor stroma compartment is a defining characteristic. The bulk of PDAC tumor volume consists of non-neoplastic fibroblastic, vascular, and inflammatory cells surrounded by immense quantities of extracellular matrix, far exceeding that found in most other tumor types. Remarkably, little is known about the composition and physiology of the PDAC tumor microenvironment, in particular, the role of stroma in tumor initiation and progression.My research is focused on PDAC microenvironment research with an emphasis on how inflammatory processes and key cancer pathways may shape the ontogeny of the tumor stroma. Genetically engineered mouse models, xenograft transplant models, and human tumor specimens are examined with a system-wide biological approach. Such knowledge may be used to understand the evolution and biology of this lethal cancer and may convert these insights into new points of therapeutic intervention.
