Mentor: Dawn Quelle, PhD

Comprehensive Exam: 

Transformation of PNFs to MPNSTs through cooperation of INK4a/ARF loss with RABL6A overexpression

My Research:

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are rare and deadly sarcomas with few treatment options. Patients with a heritable disorder called Neurofibromatosis type I spontaneously develop benign tumors called plexiform neurofibromas (PNFs) that transform into MPNSTs ~15% of the time. MPNSTs are genetically characterized by loss of NF1 and >80% of the tumors have alterations in the INK4a/ARF/INK4b tumor suppressor locus (commonly known as CDKN2A/CDKN2B). In addition, a GTPase called RABL6A is overexpressed in the majority of human MPNSTs. My project seeks to understand how these alterations cooperate to form malignant tumors by modeling transformation of PNFs into MPNSTs through CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing of INK4a, ARF, and/or INK4b paired with overexpression of RABL6A and other proteins of interest.  

Teaching:

2020-present - Medical Student Counseling Center Foundations

Presentations:

July 2024. "Analyses of FOXM1 in NF1-Associated Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors (MPNSTs)." Oral presentation.  Holden Cancer Center Seminar.

June 2023. "New Models to Define Cooperating Events That Drive PNF Transformation into MPNST." Poster presentation.   Children’s Tumor Foundation (CTF) 2023 NF Conference

June 2023. "New models to define cooperating events that drive PNF transformation into MPNST." Poster presentation.  Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center Annual Retreat. 

February 2023.  I Heart Science poster presentation.  University of Iowa MSTP program.

February 2023. Oral presentation.  Holden Cancer Center Seminar.

Publications:

1. Lingo J, Voigt E, Quelle DE. Linking FOXM1 and PD-L1 to CDK4/6-MEK targeted therapy resistance in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors. Oncotarget. 2024; 15:638-643.
2. Voigt E, Quelle DE. FOXM1, MEK, and CDK4/6: New Targets for Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor Therapy. Int J Mol Sci. 2023;24(17) PMC10487994
3. Kohlmeyer JL, Lingo JJ, Kaemmer CA, Scherer A, Warrier A, Voigt E, et al. CDK4/6-MEK inhibition in MPNSTs causes plasma cell infiltration, sensitization to PD-L1 blockade, and tumor regression. Clin Cancer Res. 2023. 1;29:3484-3497. PMC10528807
4. Koppenhafer SL, Goss KL, Voigt E, Croushore E, Terry WW, et al. Inhibitor of DNA binding 2 (ID2) regulates the expression of developmental genes and tumorigenesis in ewing sarcoma. Oncogene. 2022;41(20):2873-84. PMC9107507
5. Kohlmeyer JL, Kaemmer CA, Lingo JJ, Voigt E, Leidinger MR, et al. Oncogenic RABL6A promotes NF1-associated MPNST progression in vivo. Neurooncol Adv. 2022;4(1):vdac047. PMC9092646
6. Fuller MJ, Mix MR, Voigt E, Hoffman DS, Geyer PK  Guidelines for organizing accessible and inclusive research retreats.  Trends Biochem Sci. 2024 April;49:277-279. 
7. Voigt E, Wallenburg M, Wollenzien H, Thompson E, Kumar K, Feiner J, et al. Sox2 Is an Oncogenic Driver of Small-Cell Lung Cancer and Promotes the Classic Neuroendocrine Subtype. Molecular cancer research : MCR. 2021;19(12):2015-25.