Denise C. Connolly, PhD

This Fox Chase professor participates in the Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship.
Learn more about Research Volunteering.

Associate Professor

Director, Biosample Repository Facility

Research Program

Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment

Lab Overview

Combined FMT and MRI of ovarian tumors in mice.

The overall goal of our research is to discover ways to improve the treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Most cases of EOC are diagnosed at advanced stage when disease has spread beyond the ovary. From a clinical standpoint, EOC metastases and ascites production are perhaps the most significant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients because they can affect multiple vital organs in the abdominal cavity. At present, the cellular mechanisms regulating EOC metastasis remain only partially understood. Our laboratory is interested in defining molecular mechanisms that contribute to peritoneal dissemination of ovarian cancer cells to identify targets for therapeutic intervention in patients. Using a combination of in vitro and in vivo approaches, we hope to better understand EOC tumor biology at the cellular level as well as disease development and progression in animals. To facilitate our studies, we have developed a variety of transgenic and novel patient-derived mouse models of EOC. Several projects in our laboratory are focused on the cellular pathways involved in ovarian cancer cell migration, attachment and invasion with the ultimate goal of identifying therapeutic agents that inhibit the spread of ovarian cancer.

Ovarian carcinomas in MISIIR-TAg mice
Highlight Fig, 2F & C
Cancer Research cover
Cancer Biology
Neoplasia cover, vol. 14, 6, June 2012
Detection of integrin avb3 expression in ovarian tumors
Combined FMT and MRI of ovarian tumors in mice.

Educational Background

PhD, Microbiology, Miami University, 1989
MS, Microbiology, Miami University, 1986
BA, Biology, Postdam College, 1984

Certifications

Postdoctoral Training, Molecular Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, 1998
Postdoctoral Training, Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, 1995

Memberships

American Association for Cancer Research

Honors & Awards

Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation Trailblazer Award
Society of Gynecologic Oncologists Basic Science Award
NIH Tumor Biology Trainee
Graduate Enrichment Fund Award
Orton K. Stark Award for Academic Excellence in Microbiology
New York State Board of Regents Scholarship

People

Rashid Gabbasov BS

Graduate Student

W310

215-728-3679

[email protected]
Hui Zhang, MD

Visiting Scientist, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai, China

W310

215-728-3679

[email protected]
Ernest Boamah, PhD

W310

215-728-3679

Research Interests

Mechanisms of ovarian cancer dissemination
Targeted therapeutic strategies for treatment of ovarian cancer
Development of mouse models of ovarian cancer
Small animal imaging technologies

Selected Publications

Sawyer T.W., Koevary J.W., Howard C.C., Austin O.J., Rice P.F.S., Hutchens G.V., Chambers S.K., Connolly D.C.,Barton J.K., Fluorescence and multiphoton imaging for tissue characterization of a model of postmenopausal ovarian cancer. Lasers Surg Med, 2020. PMC7572562. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32311117.

Gabbasov R, Xiao F, Howe CG, Bickel LE, O'Brien SW, Benrubi D, Do TV, Zhou Y, Nicolas E, Cai KQ, Litwin S, Seo S, Golemis EA, Connolly DC. NEDD9 promotes oncogenic signaling, a stem/mesenchymal gene signature, and aggressive ovarian cancer growth in mice. Oncogene, 2018. PubMed

Tyner J.W., Tognon C.E., Bottomly D., Wilmot B., Kurtz S.E., Savage S.L., Long N., Schultz A.R., Traer E., Abel M., Agarwal A., Blucher A., Borate U., Bryant J., Burke R., Carlos A., Carpenter R., Carroll J., Chang B.H., Coblentz C., d'Almeida A., Cook R., Danilov A., Dao K.T., Degnin M., Devine D., Dibb J., Edwards D.K.t., Eide C.A., English I., Glover J., Henson R., Ho H., Jemal A., Johnson K., Johnson R., Junio B., Kaempf A., Leonard J., Lin C., Liu S.Q., Lo P., Loriaux M.M., Luty S., Macey T., MacManiman J., Martinez J., Mori M., Nelson D., Nichols C., Peters J., Ramsdill J., Rofelty A., Schuff R., Searles R., Segerdell E., Smith R.L., Spurgeon S.E., Sweeney T., Thapa A., Visser C., Wagner J., Watanabe-Smith K., Werth K., Wolf J., White L., Yates A., Zhang H., Cogle C.R., Collins R.H., Connolly D.C., Deininger M.W., Drusbosky L., Hourigan C.S., Jordan C.T., Kropf P., Lin T.L., Martinez M.E., Medeiros B.C., Pallapati R.R., Pollyea D.A., Swords R.T., Watts J.M., Weir S.J., Wiest D.L., Winters R.M., McWeeney S.K., Druker B.J., Functional genomic landscape of acute myeloid leukaemia. Nature. 562(7728): 526-531, 2018. PMC6280667. 43.070

Perales-Puchalt A., Svoronos N., Rutkowski M.R., Allegrezza M.J., Tesone A.J., Payne K.K., Wickramasinghe J., Nguyen J.M., O'Brien S.W., Gumireddy K., Huang Q., Cadungog M.G., Connolly D.C., Tchou J., Curiel T.J., Conejo-Garcia J.R., Follicle-stimulating hormone receptor is expressed by most ovarian cancer subtypes and is a safe and effective immunotherapeutic target. Clin Cancer Res. 23(2): 441-453, 2017. PMC5241180. 8.911

Gritsina G, Xiao F, O'Brien SW, Gabbasov R, Maglaty MA, Xu RH, Thapa RJ, Zhou Y, Nicolas E, Litwin S, Balachandran S, Sigal LJ, Huszar D, Connolly DC. Targeted Blockade of JAK/STAT3 Signaling Inhibits Ovarian Carcinoma Growth. Mol Cancer Ther 2015;14:1035-47. PubMed

Liu H, Xiao F, Serebriiskii IG, O'Brien SW, Maglaty MA, Astsaturov I, Litwin S, Martin LP, Proia DA, Golemis EA, Connolly DC. Network Analysis Identifies an HSP90-Central Hub Susceptible in Ovarian Cancer. Clinical Cancer Research 2013;Published OnlineFirst July 30, 2013; doi:10.1158/1078-0432. CCR-13-1115.abstract. PubMed

Do TV, Xiao F, Bickel LE, Klein-Szanto AJ, Pathak HB, Hua X, Howe C, O'Brien SW, Maglaty M, Ecsedy JA, Litwin S, Golemis EA, Schilder RJ, Godwin AK, Connolly DC. Aurora kinase A mediates epithelial ovarian cancer cell migration and adhesion. Oncogene 2014;33:539-49. PubMed

Hensley HH, Roder NA, O'Brien SW, Bickel LE, Xiao F, Litwin S, Connolly DC. Combined in vivo molecular and anatomic imaging for detection of ovarian carcinoma-associated protease activity and integrin expression in mice. Neoplasia 2012;14:451-62. PubMed

Quinn BA, Xiao F, Bickel L, Martin L, Hua X, Klein-Szanto A, Connolly DC. Development of a syngeneic mouse model of epithelial ovarian cancer. J Ovarian Res 2010;3:24. PubMed

Quinn BA, Brake T, Hua X, Baxter-Jones K, Litwin S, Ellenson LH, Connolly DC. Induction of ovarian leiomyosarcomas in mice by conditional inactivation of Brca1 and p53. PLoS One 2009;4:e8404. PubMed

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