Phillip Febbo, MD
Research Interests
My research focuses on determining the activity of specific signaling pathways in prostate cancer so that a clinician can choose the most appropriate therapy (i.e. an agent that blocks the active pathway). The description and identification of pathway "signatures" within tumors remains a major challenge. Although studies where samples can be assayed before and after a therapy offer the best opportunity to develop such "signatures", these trials are very difficult and in some situations not possible. Because of this, I have collaborated with William Hahn, MD, PhD, at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, to develop a genetically defined, cell-based model of prostate cancer and we have demonstrated that these cells mimic local and metastatic prostate cancer. We are now incorporating candidate proteins, identified by DNA chips, to define pathway signatures associated with aggressive prostate cancer behavior.
Once a pathway signature is defined, we then use computational biology to identify if such signatures of activity are present in human tumors. To this end, we have refined our methods so that we can measure global gene expression using DNA chips on very small numbers of cells obtained following laser capture microdissection (LCM) . This approach has allowed us to assay the biology of cells prior to and following treatment so as to determine 1) if a pathway is active? (i.e. is the signature present?), 2) did the signature change with treatment?, and 3) did the change in signature correlate with a response to therapy (i.e. did the patient' s tumor respond to the therapy?). This work has been and is currently supported in part by grants from CaPCURE and the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
This approach promises to match effective therapy with patients who have aggressive prostate cancer and holds true potential to decrease the pain and suffering caused by this disease. We are very well positioned to create new pathway signatures and test the significance of these signatures in larger trials. This research combines basic science, laboratory prostate cancer models, genomic technologies, computational science, and clinical trials in patients in order to improve care. Such an approach is only feasible within an integrated environment such as the Computational and Applied Genomics Program of the Institute for Genome Science and Policy and it is for this reason that I have move my research program to Duke and look forward to becoming an integral part of this dynamic environment and applying the best of genomic technologies to the clinic.
Contact Information
Phillip Febbo
Phone: 919-668-4774
2175 CIEMAS
phil.febbo@duke.edu