I trained both as a scientist and as a physician and, throughout my career, I have focused on the treatment and biology of ovarian cancer (OvCa). My Ph.D. thesis was on the role of proteases in ovarian cancer and my clinical fellowship involved a special emphasis on the treatment of patients with this disease. As a surgeon and clinician, I am familiar with the presentation of ovarian cancer in patients, and experience the incredible obstacles we face in its treatment. In the laboratory, I have built the research infrastructure necessary for effective ovarian cancer research.
The Lengyel lab has elucidated, at least in part, the first critical steps of ovarian cancer metastasis by paying close attention to the host microenvironment. We have collected the 25 most commonly used ovarian cancer cell lines from all over the world, including those which are chemotherapy resistant. We have established several mouse models for OvCa, and using a genetic mouse model (K-rasG12D/+/Pten-/- -- established by Dr. Tyler Jacks), a syngeneic orthotopic mouse model using mouse OvCa cells (ID8 -- established by K. Roby), and several xenograft ip models using primary and cultured human OvCa cells. I have also established a prospective OvCa tissue bank and, together with 2 gynecologic pathologists, we have assembled 13 tissue arrays including normal tissue, borderline tumor and primary tumor, & corresponding metastasis. As a surgeon, the main focus of my practice is patients with OvCa; therefore, I will be able to enroll a substantial number of patients on the proposed clinical trial and have the infrastructure in place to collect the tissue required for the translational studies.
My clinical experience treating ovarian cancer, together with my laboratory, which focuses on OvCa biology, gives me a unique opportunity and obligation to find new treatments that can benefit patients with ovarian cancer.
University of Munich
Munich
M.D. - M.D.
06/1992
Prolactin Receptor-Mediated Internalization of Imaging Agents Detects Epithelial Ovarian Cancer with Enhanced Sensitivity and Specificity.
Sundaram KM, Zhang Y, Mitra AK, Kouadio JK, Gwin K, Kossiakoff AA, Roman BB, Lengyel E, Piccirilli JA. Prolactin Receptor-Mediated Internalization of Imaging Agents Detects Epithelial Ovarian Cancer with Enhanced Sensitivity and Specificity. Cancer Res. 2017 04 01; 77(7):1684-1696.
PMID: 28202518
Proteomics reveals NNMT as a master metabolic regulator of cancer-associated fibroblasts.
Eckert MA, Coscia F, Chryplewicz A, Chang JW, Hernandez KM, Pan S, Tienda SM, Nahotko DA, Li G, Blaženovic I, Lastra RR, Curtis M, Yamada SD, Perets R, McGregor SM, Andrade J, Fiehn O, Moellering RE, Mann M, Lengyel E. Proteomics reveals NNMT as a master metabolic regulator of cancer-associated fibroblasts. Nature. 2019 May; 569(7758):723-728.
PMID: 31043742
Multi-level Proteomics Identifies CT45 as a Chemosensitivity Mediator and Immunotherapy Target in Ovarian Cancer.
Coscia F, Lengyel E, Duraiswamy J, Ashcroft B, Bassani-Sternberg M, Wierer M, Johnson A, Wroblewski K, Montag A, Yamada SD, López-Méndez B, Nilsson J, Mund A, Mann M, Curtis M. Multi-level Proteomics Identifies CT45 as a Chemosensitivity Mediator and Immunotherapy Target in Ovarian Cancer. Cell. 2018 09 20; 175(1):159-170.e16.
PMID: 30241606
Fibroblasts Mobilize Tumor Cell Glycogen to Promote Proliferation and Metastasis.
Curtis M, Kenny HA, Ashcroft B, Mukherjee A, Johnson A, Zhang Y, Helou Y, Batlle R, Liu X, Gutierrez N, Gao X, Yamada SD, Lastra R, Montag A, Ahsan N, Locasale JW, Salomon AR, Nebreda AR, Lengyel E. Fibroblasts Mobilize Tumor Cell Glycogen to Promote Proliferation and Metastasis. Cell Metab. 2019 01 08; 29(1):141-155.e9.
PMID: 30174305
Adipocyte-induced CD36 expression drives ovarian cancer progression and metastasis.
Ladanyi A, Mukherjee A, Kenny HA, Johnson A, Mitra AK, Sundaresan S, Nieman KM, Pascual G, Benitah SA, Montag A, Yamada SD, Abumrad NA, Lengyel E. Adipocyte-induced CD36 expression drives ovarian cancer progression and metastasis. Oncogene. 2018 04; 37(17):2285-2301.
PMID: 29398710
Loss of BRCA1 in the Cells of Origin of Ovarian Cancer Induces Glycolysis: A Window of Opportunity for Ovarian Cancer Chemoprevention.
Chiyoda T, Hart PC, Eckert MA, McGregor SM, Lastra RR, Hamamoto R, Nakamura Y, Yamada SD, Olopade OI, Lengyel E, Romero IL. Loss of BRCA1 in the Cells of Origin of Ovarian Cancer Induces Glycolysis: A Window of Opportunity for Ovarian Cancer Chemoprevention. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2017 Apr; 10(4):255-266.
PMID: 28264838
Genomics of Ovarian Cancer Progression Reveals Diverse Metastatic Trajectories Including Intraepithelial Metastasis to the Fallopian Tube.
Eckert MA, Pan S, Hernandez KM, Loth RM, Andrade J, Volchenboum SL, Faber P, Montag A, Lastra R, Peter ME, Yamada SD, Lengyel E. Genomics of Ovarian Cancer Progression Reveals Diverse Metastatic Trajectories Including Intraepithelial Metastasis to the Fallopian Tube. Cancer Discov. 2016 12; 6(12):1342-1351.
PMID: 27856443
A prospective study evaluating diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) in the detection of peritoneal carcinomatosis in suspected gynecologic malignancies.
Fehniger J, Thomas S, Lengyel E, Liao C, Tenney M, Oto A, Yamada SD. A prospective study evaluating diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) in the detection of peritoneal carcinomatosis in suspected gynecologic malignancies. Gynecol Oncol. 2016 07; 142(1):169-175.
PMID: 27103176
Patterns and utility of routine surveillance in high grade endometrial cancer.
Hunn J, Tenney ME, Tergas AI, Bishop EA, Moore K, Watkin W, Kirschner C, Hurteau J, Rodriguez GC, Lengyel E, Lee NK, Yamada SD. Patterns and utility of routine surveillance in high grade endometrial cancer. Gynecol Oncol. 2015 Jun; 137(3):485-9.
PMID: 25838164
Mesothelial cells promote early ovarian cancer metastasis through fibronectin secretion.
Kenny HA, Chiang CY, White EA, Schryver EM, Habis M, Romero IL, Ladanyi A, Penicka CV, George J, Matlin K, Montag A, Wroblewski K, Yamada SD, Mazar AP, Bowtell D, Lengyel E. Mesothelial cells promote early ovarian cancer metastasis through fibronectin secretion. J Clin Invest. 2014 Oct; 124(10):4614-28.
PMID: 25202979