Pluripotent embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells derived from adult male germ cell tumors (GCTs) represent a unique resource to molecularly define lineage differentiation pathways and identify novel genes. EC cell lines share pluripotentiality with embryonic stem (ES) cells. Furthermore, both ES cells in culture and many GCTs show characteristic gains 12p and/or 17q which aid in maintenance of pluripotency. Being of unlimited proliferation potential, EC cells are an excellent alternative resource to study regulation of self-renewal and pluripotency. Professor Chaganti's program is directed at understanding the role of stem cells in malignancy and regulation of self-renewal and pluripotency.
Korkola, J.E., Houldsworth, J., Chadalavada, R., Olshen A.B., Dobrzynski, D., Reuter, V.E., Bosl, G.J., and Chaganti, R.S.K. Down-regulation of stem cell genes, including those in a 200kb gene cluster at 12p13.31 is associated with in vivo differentiation of human male germ cell tumors. 2006. Cancer Res. 66:820-827.
Moskowitz CH, Zelenetz AD, Kewalramani T, Hamlin P, Lessac-Chenen S, Houldsworth J, Olshen A, Chaganti R, Nimer S, Teruya-Feldstein J. Cell of origin, germinal center versus nongerminal center, determined by immunohistochemistry on tissue microarray, does not correlate with outcome in patients with relapsed and refractory DLBCL. Blood. 2005 Nov 15;106(10):3383-5. Epub 2005 Aug 9.
Chadalavada, R.S., Houldsworth, J., Olshen, A.B., Bosl, G.J., Studer, L., Chaganti, R.S.K. Transcriptional program of bone morphogenetic protein-2-induced epithelial and smooth muscle differentiation of pluripotent embryonal carcinoma cells. 2005. Funct. Integr. Genomics. 5: 59- 69.