Violet Hering L&S Biological Sciences
PPDPF-Mediated Proliferation and Radiation Response in Glioblastoma
Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive primary brain tumor with poor prognosis. Resistance to radiotherapy (RT) is a major barrier to improving patient outcomes, yet genetic mechanisms that enable GBM cells to survive treatment remain poorly understood. Functional genomic screening identified Pancreatic Progenitor Cell Differentiation and Proliferation Factor (PPDPF) as a potential regulator of radiation response, but its function in brain tumors is unknown. Based on my preliminary RNA sequencing data, I hypothesize that PPDPF acts as a downstream effector of DNA damage signaling that limits GBM proliferation and promotes sensitivity to RT.
To test this hypothesis, I will pursue two aims. I plan to validate PPDPF’s growth suppression phenotype using CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) gene knockdown and measure cell growth and cell cycle progression. I will then determine the role of PPDPF in GBM radiation resistance by assessing clonogenic survival of PPDPF-suppressed GBM cells following RT. Understanding how PPDPF regulates tumor growth may reveal an unrecognized driver of GBM progression, identifying a new therapeutic target and leading to more effective treatment for brain cancer.
Message To Sponsor
Thank you so much for your generous support of my research this summer! I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to study the genetic mechanisms of radiotherapy resistance in glioblastoma, a major hurdle in neuro-oncology. This fellowship allows me to apply functional genomics to identify new therapeutic targets, marking a significant milestone in my development as a scientist. I am honored to contribute to work that addresses an urgent medical challenge and aims to improve patient outcomes.