Home Department: Engineering
Mentor: Laura Prolo (Neurosurgery)

“Targeting Circadian Regulation of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Tumor Invasiveness in Pediatric Gliomas"

Pediatric high-grade glioma (pHGG) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children, with a median survival of just 5.6 months. These poor outcomes are largely due to the tumor’s highly invasive nature. Recent research shows that circadian rhythms can influence cancer progression, including tumor invasion. Using CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing, Sanjay will manipulate circadian genes in pHGG cells, including BMAL1, the master clock gene, to investigate its role in epithelial-mesenchymal transition, migration, and chemotherapy resistance. This research is critical for understanding how circadian genes drive tumor progression and may lead to new strategies to improve survival in pediatric brain cancer.