The Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center and Systems Biology will host special guest speaker, Matthew Garnett, PhD, (Hosted by: Harris Wang and Anil K. Rustgi, MD) Senior Faculty Member at Wellcome Sanger Institute.
Title: "Charting Synthetic Lethality: Werner (WRN) helicase and the Cancer Dependency Map"
Abstract:
The challenge of advancing precision oncology demands systematic strategies to address the low success rates in cancer drug development. We leverage large-scale functional genomics, including genome-wide CRISPR–Cas9 screens across heterogeneous cancer models, to comprehensively map cancer cell dependencies—or specific vulnerabilities.
Using a rigorous, unbiased target prioritisation framework, we identified Werner (WRN) helicase as a highly promising therapeutic target in tumours deficient in DNA mismatch repair (MMR). This discovery has progressed rapidly to the clinic, with five ongoing Phase I trials evaluating WRN-targeted medicines.
In this seminar, I will trace the journey from the initial discovery of WRN helicase as a synthetic-lethal target, through studies elucidating the molecular basis of WRN synthetic lethality, to our ongoing unpublished efforts supporting the clinical development of WRN inhibitors to maximise their therapeutic potential.
The seminar will thus span the continuum from large-scale screening and target discovery to drug development and emerging insights into mechanisms of drug resistance.
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If you would like to meet with him during his visit, please fill out this doodle form.
Please provide your availability by Tuesday, November 25th end of day.
