Taking aim at cancer
“There have been so many advances in genomics, immunology, genetic engineering and information science—now is the time to use these advances to speed the progress against cancer.”
– Garth Powis, D.Phil., Center Director
Achieving our goals through collaboration
Our scientists are always looking for novel ideas, partners and new ways of doing groundbreaking research to target cancer.
Programs
Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program
Understanding the cells that give rise to tumors and the signals allowing them to expand uncontrollably will help us learn how to defeat cancer.
Cancer Metabolism and Signaling Networks Program
Insights into the complex system of networks and mechanisms that tumors use to survive and proliferate will lead us to tumor-specific, less toxic therapies.
Tumor Microenvironment and Cancer Immunology Program
We are studying the interplay among cancer cells, immune cells and their environment to put the brakes on cancer.
Technology supporting the three programs
Cancer Center Shared Resources
The 10 shared resources of our Cancer Center are specialized service facilities that support the cancer research efforts of our members, as well as other nonprofit and for-profit investigators in cancer research.
Latest news
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Padres Pedal the Cause donates $3.1 million to cancer research
Garth Powis, who heads our NCI-designated Cancer Center, joined representatives from the beneficiary institutes onstage for the check presentation ceremony. -
Prestigious Forbeck Scholar Award granted to Sanford Burnham Prebys cancer researcher
This prestigious award recognizes early-career cancer researchers for their achievements, research and dedication to the field. -
How to help children survive—and thrive—after a brain cancer diagnosis
Pediatric brain tumor experts gather at the Fleet Science Center to discuss paths to better treatments. -
Starving the “world’s toughest cancer”
Pancreatic cancer experts gather at the Fleet Science Center and discuss how to conquer the deadly disease. -
On the path to personalized breast cancer treatments
Expert insights from the latest “Cornering Cancer” lecture series. -
Scientists discover new survival strategy for oxygen-starved pancreatic cancer cells
Discovery could lead to a treatment that overcomes drug resistance. -
Sanford Burnham Prebys scientists win two American Cancer Society awards
Institute honored for advances in understanding deadly pediatric brain tumors and colorectal cancer. -
5 things to know about immunotherapy and breast cancer
Dr. Svasti Haricharan shares insights on how immunotherapy is working—and not working—for breast cancer. -
“We are desperate for new therapies”
Experts discuss acute myeloid leukemia (AML) during the Sanford Burnham Prebys community lecture series. -
Sanford Burnham Prebys awarded Padres Pedal the Cause grants to advance cancer research
The collaborative projects aim to find new therapies for colorectal, lung, breast and prostate cancers. -
Cancer’s final frontier: the tumor microenvironment
Experts explain why targeting the tumor’s surrounding environment could be the last piece of the cancer puzzle. -
Fleet Science Center cancer series kicks off with lung cancer discussion
The panelists discussed newly available medicines—and the research advances that are on the horizon.
Publications
BI1071, a Novel Nur77 Modulator, Induces Apoptosis of Cancer Cells by Activating the Nur77-Bcl-2 Apoptotic Pathway.
Chen X, Cao X, Tu X, Alitongbieke G, Xia Z, Li X, Chen Z, Yin M, Xu D, Guo S, Li Z, Chen L, Zhang X, Xu D, Gao M, Liu J, Zeng Z, Zhou H, Su Y, Zhang XK
Mol Cancer Ther 2019 May ;18(5):886-899
The histone chaperone HIRA promotes the induction of host innate immune defences in response to HSV-1 infection.
McFarlane S, Orr A, Roberts APE, Conn KL, Iliev V, Loney C, da Silva Filipe A, Smollett K, Gu Q, Robertson N, Adams PD, Rai TS, Boutell C
PLoS Pathog 2019 Mar ;15(3):e1007667
Ubiquitin Ligases in Cancer Immunotherapy - Balancing Antitumor and Autoimmunity.
Fujita Y, Tinoco R, Li Y, Senft D, Ronai ZA
Trends Mol Med 2019 May ;25(5):428-443
Glycerol-3-phosphate is a FGF23 regulator derived from the injured kidney.
Simic P, Kim W, Zhou W, Pierce KA, Chang W, Sykes DB, Aziz NB, Elmariah S, Ngo D, Pajevic PD, Govea N, Kestenbaum BR, de Boer IH, Cheng Z, Christov M, Chun J, Leaf DE, Waikar SS, Tager AM, Gerszten RE, Thadhani RI, Clish CB, Jüppner H, Wein MN, Rhee EP
J Clin Invest 2020 Feb 17 ;
Isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 protects mice from high-fat diet-induced metabolic stress by limiting oxidative damage to the mitochondria from brown adipose tissue.
Lee JH, Go Y, Kim DY, Lee SH, Kim OH, Jeon YH, Kwon TK, Bae JH, Song DK, Rhyu IJ, Lee IK, Shong M, Oh BC, Petucci C, Park JW, Osborne TF, Im SS
Exp Mol Med 2020 Feb 3 ;
Mitochondria-to-nucleus retrograde signaling drives formation of cytoplasmic chromatin and inflammation in senescence.
Vizioli MG, Liu T, Miller KN, Robertson NA, Gilroy K, Lagnado AB, Perez-Garcia A, Kiourtis C, Dasgupta N, Lei X, Kruger PJ, Nixon C, Clark W, Jurk D, Bird TG, Passos JF, Berger SL, Dou Z, Adams PD
Genes Dev 2020 Jan 30 ;
Cutting Edge: The RNA-Binding Protein Ewing Sarcoma Is a Novel Modulator of Lymphotoxin β Receptor Signaling.
Virgen-Slane R, Correa RG, Ramezani-Rad P, Steen-Fuentes S, Detanico T, DiCandido MJ, Li J, Ware CF
J Immunol 2020 Mar 1 ;204(5):1085-1090
Zika Virus Targets Glioblastoma Stem Cells through a SOX2-Integrin α<sub>v</sub>β<sub>5</sub> Axis.
Zhu Z, Mesci P, Bernatchez JA, Gimple RC, Wang X, Schafer ST, Wettersten HI, Beck S, Clark AE, Wu Q, Prager BC, Kim LJY, Dhanwani R, Sharma S, Garancher A, Weis SM, Mack SC, Negraes PD, Trujillo CA, Penalva LO, Feng J, Lan Z, Zhang R, Wessel AW, Dhawan S, Diamond MS, Chen CC, Wechsler-Reya RJ, Gage FH, Hu H, Siqueira-Neto JL, Muotri AR, Cheresh DA, Rich JN
Cell Stem Cell 2020 Feb 6 ;26(2):187-204.e10
MYC regulates fatty acid metabolism through a multigenic program in claudin-low triple negative breast cancer.
Casciano JC, Perry C, Cohen-Nowak AJ, Miller KD, Vande Voorde J, Zhang Q, Chalmers S, Sandison ME, Liu Q, Hedley A, McBryan T, Tang HY, Gorman N, Beer T, Speicher DW, Adams PD, Liu X, Schlegel R, McCarron JG, Wakelam MJO, Gottlieb E, Kossenkov AV, Schug ZT
Br J Cancer 2020 Jan 16 ;