The Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation recently announced the opening of the Saha Laboratory for Liver Cancer Translational Research at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Supriya Saha, MD, PhD, has joined scientists there to study the prevention, detection, and treatment of cholangiocarcinoma. Dr. Saha is a past recipient of a Conquer Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award supported by the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation.
Dr. Saha completed his fellowship in medical oncology at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He recently completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Bardeesy Lab at Mass General under the mentorship of Nabeel Bardeesy, PhD, and Andrew Zhu, MD, PhD.
Supriya Saha, MD, PhD
Dr. Bardeesy, who is Principal Investigator at the Bardeesy Lab said “Dr. Saha made important advances in understanding the genetic underpinnings of cholangiocarcinoma and in establishing essential model systems for further studies of this cancer type. I am confident that his laboratory will make major contributions to elucidating its basic mechanisms and to improving its treatment.”
Dr. Saha’s work on cholangiocarcinoma was recognized by the National Institutes of Health in the form of a Mentored Clinical Scientist Career Development Award. This Award will provide more than $800,000 in support for cholangiocarcinoma research.
Subtype of Liver Cancer
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is the second most common subtype of liver cancer, and its incidence has almost tripled over the past 40 years, according to Dr. Saha. Researchers in the Saha Lab will use a series of unique model systems including genetically engineered mouse models, patient-derived xenografts, and cell lines to understand the fundamental pathogenic mechanisms of liver carcinogenesis and to identify new targeted therapies for specific genetic subsets of this disease.
The long-term goal is to transform the standard of care in cholangiocarcinoma from combination chemotherapy for all patients to precision medicine, with a specific targeted therapy regimen designed for each patient’s molecular profile. ■
