myUTSAUTSA TodayVisitDirectorySearch
myUTSAUTSA TodayVisitDirectorySearch

UTSA College of EngineeringUTSA College of Engineering

  • About CoE
    • Dean’s Message
    • Calendar
    • News & Announcements
    • Faculty & Staff
      • Business Service Center
      • College of Engineering Organizational Chart
      • Research Support
      • Resources for Faculty
        • Policies
        • Forms
        • College Committees
    • Accreditation
    • Visit Us
    • Contact
  • Students
    • Tech Symposium
  • Research
    • Centers
    • Facilities
  • Undergraduate
    • Overview
    • Admissions
    • Advising Center
    • Degrees Offered
    • Forms
    • Resources
    • Scholarships
      • Other Scholarships
    • Student Success Center
  • Graduate
    • Overview
    • Admissions
    • Certificate Program
    • Master’s Degrees
    • Doctoral Degrees
    • Graduate Scholarships
      • Other Scholarships
    • Resources
  • Departments
    • Biomedical
    • Chemical
    • Civil & Environmental
    • Electrical & Computer
    • Mechanical
  • Advisory Council
    • Advisory Council News and Announcements
    • Advisory Council Leadership: Fast Facts
    • Advisory Council Service Expectations
    • Advisory Council Bylaws
    • Advisory Council Minutes
 December 6, 2019

Computational researchers and oncologists develop protein cancer atlas to accelerate personalized medicine for leukemia patients

Computational researchers and oncologists develop protein cancer atlas to accelerate personalized medicine for leukemia patients

by UTSA CoE / Thursday, 18 April 2019 / Published in Biomedical Engineering, COE Announcements, News, UTSA COE

(April 17, 2019) — Only about one in four people diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) survive five years after the initial diagnosis. To improve that survival rate, researchers at UTSA and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center created an online atlas to identify and classify protein signatures present at AML diagnosis.

The new protein classifications will help researchers and clinicians recommend better treatment and personalized medicine for patients suffering from this aggressive cancer, which occurs in the blood and bone marrow. The breakthrough research is published in the latest April issue of Nature Biomedical Engineering.

Amina Qutub is an Associate Professor in the UTSA Department of Biomedical Engineering.

Researcher Amina Qutub, an associate professor in the UTSA Department of Biomedical Engineering (who joined UTSA in 2018 from Rice University), and oncologist Steven M. Kornblau, a professor and practicing clinician in the Department of Leukemia at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, examined the genetic, epigenetic and environmental diversity that occurs in cancerous cells due to AML. Analyzing proteomic screens of 205 patient biopsies obtained at MD Anderson Cancer Center, first author Chenyue Wendy Hu (then a graduate student at the Qutub Lab, now at Uber Technologies), Kornblau and Qutub developed a new computational method called MetaGalaxy to categorize the protein signatures into 154 different patterns based on their cellular functions and pathways.

By approaching this challenge through the unique lens of developing a quantitative map for each leukemia patient from protein expression in their blood and bone marrow, rather than the standard lens of qualitative metrics and genetic risks alone, Qutub, Kornblau and their research collaborators will be able to more precisely categorize patients into risk groups and better predict their treatment outcomes.

To better understand the AML hallmarks at the proteomic (protein system) level and to share the results of their work with other researchers, the UTSA biomedical engineering professor and her team including Hu, and students Andrew Ligeralde (now at the University of California, Berkeley) and Allie Raybon (from the UTSA Department of Biomedical Engineering) built a web portal known as the Leukemia Proteome Atlas. Designed by Qutub’s and Kornblau’s teams with input from clinical collaborators worldwide, the online portal gives oncologists and cancer scientists the tools they need to investigate AML protein expression patterns from one patient to the next. It also provides investigators around the world with leads for new leukemia research and new computational tools.

Since many genetic mutations cannot be targeted, the proteomic profiling and target identification process used in this research study will accelerate the identification of therapeutic targets. It also propels researchers much closer to the development of personalized combination therapies for patients based on their unique protein signatures.

“Acute myelogenous leukemia presents as a cancer so heterogeneous that it is often described as not one, but a collection of diseases,” said Qutub. “To decipher the clues found in proteins from blood and bone marrow of leukemia patients, we developed a new computer analysis – MetaGalaxy – that identifies molecular hallmarks of leukemia. These hallmarks are analogous to the way constellations guide navigation of the stars: they provide a map to protein changes for leukemia. Our ‘hallmark’ predictions are being experimentally tested through drug screens and can be ‘programmed’ into cells through synthetic manipulation of proteins. A next step to bring this work to the clinic and impact patient care is testing whether these signatures lead to the aggressive growth or resistance to chemotherapy observed in leukemia patients. At the same time, to rapidly accelerate research in leukemia and advance the hunt for treatments, we provide the hallmarks in an online compendium where fellow researchers and oncologists worldwide can build from the resource, tools and findings, LeukemiaAtlas.org.”

– Milady Nazir

Categories

  • Archived Graduate Scholarships
  • Archived Undergraduate Scholarships
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • COE Announcements
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • General
  • Highlights
  • Home Slider
  • Innovation Magazine
  • Mechanical Announcements
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • News
  • Photo & Video Gallery
  • Uncategorized
  • Unused Sliders
  • UTSA COE

Upcoming Events

No event found!

Recent Posts

  • Researchers’ nanodisk could restore function for Lou Gehrig’s disease patients

    ...
  • Bizios named a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors

    ...
  • Infrared paint-curing system takes top prize at Tech Symposium

    ...
  • UTSA engineering students build interactive exhibits to engage children at The DoSeum

    ...
  • Program prepares students for future careers in nuclear security

    ...

Archives

  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • April 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • April 2010

College of Engineering
BSE Building, Room 2.106
One UTSA Circle
San Antonio, TX 78249
Phone: 210-458-4490
Fax: 210-458-5515

Contact Engineering Webmaster
College of Engineering Employment

UTSA Mission
The University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property – for Texas, the nation and the world.

UTSA Vision
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.

© 2017 The University of Texas at San Antonio | One UTSA Circle San Antonio, TX 78249 | Information 210-458-4011
Campus Alerts | Jobs | Required Links | Policies | UT System | Report Fraud
Produced by University Communications and Marketing

TOP