Jonna Frasor, PhD
Professor and Associate Head for Research
Department of Physiology and Biophysics
Contact
Building & Room:
COMRB 2051
Office Phone:
Fax:
Lab
Building & Room:
COMRB 2048
Office Phone:
Email:
Related Sites:
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Research in the Frasor Lab is focused on understanding the molecular underpinnings of hormone-dependent breast cancer and breast tumor response to endocrine therapy.
About
The majority of breast tumors express estrogen receptor (ER) and ER+ tumors typically respond well to endocrine therapies, such as tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors. However, up to 40% of ER+ tumor relapse due to therapy resistance. The Frasor Lab studies molecular mechanisms that contribute to the development of resistance and metastatic relapse in ER+ breast cancers. A long term focus of the lab has been on how signaling through the inflammatory NFkB pathway alters ER function and response to therapy. Significant findings from our lab include the cooperative interaction between ER and NFkB in driving gene transcription, breast cancer stem cells, and an invasive/metastatic phenotype. Recent studies utilize single cell RNA-sequencing and patient derived organoids to understand intra- and intertumoral heterogeneity in ER and NFkB crosstalk, as well as response to endocrine therapies.