Clinical Profile

Research Overview

research

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Dr. Boockvar directs Cornell's Neurosurgical Laboratory for Translational Stem Cell Research and the Brain Tumor Research Group at Weill. This laboratory works to bring advances in stem cell research to the bedside to aid patients with neurosurgical disorders. Dr. Boockvar's laboratory interests have focused on neural stem cells. Using the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Dr. Boockvar's laboratory investigates the link between brain tumor formation and adult human central nervous system stem cells. The laboratory is particurlarly interested in understanding the differential sensitivity of patients with glioma to EGFR inhibitors like erlotinib. By manipulating normal and tumor derived stem cell EGFR signaling, Dr. Boockvar studies neural stem cell migration and invasion as this has relevance to glioma and to intracerebral transplantation paradigms in other disorders such as stroke and spinal cord injury.


Ongoing Basic Research Projects:

  • The role of activated EGFR signaling and adult human SVZ stem cell phenotype
  • Differential role of EGFR mutants in human glioma
  • The role of activated EGFR signals and COX-2 enzymes in glioma
  • Epithelial to mesechymal gene signature as a determinant of response to Tarceva in glioblastoma patients
  • The role of statins and EGFR inhibitors in radioresistance to GBM
  • The role of EGFR signaling in tumor derived stem cell invasion and gliomagenesis
  • The role of phosphatases (PP2a and PP1) combined with tyrosine kinase inhibition in the treatment of malignant brain tumors
  • 3D tissue engineering models of the neural stem cell niche
  • Using novel microfluidic devices to assess neural stem cell motility
  • Using SPIO nanoparticles to trace neural and tumor derived stem cells

FUNDING AGENCIES:

  • National Cancer Institute
  • Adelson Foundation for Medical Research
  • Morgan Seed Grant for Tissue Engineering
  • Starr Foundation
  • Sekekos Foundation for Medical Research
  • American Association of Neurological Surgeons
  • American Brain Tumor Association
  • Charles Elsberg Society/ New York Academy of Medicine
  • Anspach Companies
  • National Institutes of Health (NINDS)
  • AANS/Congress of Neurological Surgeons
  • Private donors