Damon Runyon Researchers

New drugs that target metabolic pathways have shown promise for the treatment of cancer, but the benefits of these drugs have been restricted to rare patients whose cancers have mutations in specific metabolic enzymes. Dr. Intlekofer identified a metabolic pathway whereby subpopulations of genetically identical cancer cells produce a metabolite called L-2-hydroxyglutarate (L-2HG) that induces stem cell-like properties associated with resistance to anti-cancer therapies. He is investigating the mechanisms by which L-2HG regulates the identity and function of cancer stem cells in order to determine whether targeting the L-2HG pathway represents a broadly applicable strategy for treating cancer.