Adrienne A. Boire, M.D., Ph.D.

Research

My lab explores what drives certain cancer cells to enter and grow within the spinal fluid. Invasion of the spinal fluid by cancer cells—a condition called leptomeningeal metastasis (LM)—leads to rapid neurological disability and death. However, little is known about what prompts cancer cells to infiltrate this harsh environment, which contains minimal nutrients and growth factors to support cancer cell growth. Using techniques in immunology, cancer biology, and molecular profiling, we will analyze samples collected from patients whose lung cancer or breast cancer has spread to the spinal fluid. We will identify the genes that are turned on in cancers that successfully colonize this space and isolate inflammatory proteins and other molecules that are elevated in the fluid. With these clinically relevant targets in hand, we will employ mouse models of LM to assemble these targets into molecular mechanisms that explain the pathophysiology of LM—work that could lead to novel therapeutic interventions for this fatal condition.