Richard Lee

About Richard Lee

Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) detach from metastatic tumor sites and can be isolated from patient blood specimens. CTCs are good predictors of metastatic tumor biology. Dr. Lee proposes to study CTCs from the blood of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients to identify features that can predict response/resistance to specific treatments. RANKL and AR signaling pathways are two critical systems that drive prostate cancer progression and metastases to bone. Denosumab is an inhibitor of RANKL signaling and Abiraterone targets androgen receptor (AR) signaling. Both agents are FDA-approved. Dr. Lee proposes to study RANKL and AR signaling in CTCs from PCa patients and will study tumor response by assessing PSA and/or measurable disease responses. This work is a step forward in personalizing Denosumab and Abiraterone therapy for advanced CRPC patients. CTC analysis of drug sensitivity will inform better use of these two new and very promising treatments.