Dr. Botta's laboratory is broadly dedicated to understanding the mechanisms of gastrointestinal & pancreatic cancer growth and metastasis. Using pancreatic cancer as a model, we develop small proteins (peptides) to hijack tumor immune and metabolic processes for drug development, novel combinations and drug repurposing to reduce toxicity.
Our current cancer-drug development programs at the Botta Lab focus on: (1) hijacking nutrient pathways for pancreatic cancer drugs, (2) developing peptides that reverse pancreatic cancer immune suppression, and (3) applying circulating tumor DNA technology to unlock cancer growth programs with vaccines and CAR-T.
At the Botta Lab, we implement the newest genetic techniques to map the metabolism of pancreatic cancer and the regulatory pathways of immune cells. Our single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomics protocols are designed to characterize individual cells from patient tumor samples.
We utilize 3D in vitro and in vivo genetically engineered mouse models to effectively target cancer through peptide delivery of therapeutics.
In the Botta Lab we have unlocked novel peptides capable of destroying suppressive cells and thereby activating anti-tumor responses.
We utilize sophisticated single cell sequencing techniques to deconstruct patients' tumors, cell by cell, in order to uncover weaknesses to exploit.