The Dlugosz lab has a long-standing interest in understanding the molecular and cellular basis of non-melanoma skin cancer.
Our current work addresses two types of non-melanoma skin cancer: Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC), the most common form of skin cancer; and Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC), a rare but highly aggressive form of skin cancer, linked in many cases to a viral infection. This work is based heavily on the development and characterization of novel mouse models of disease, and complemented by analysis of human tissue samples and cell lines.
Our BCC research centers upon defining the roles of deregulated activation of the Hedgehog pathway, and interacting signaling pathways, in BCC initiation and expansion; mechanisms underlying tumor heterogeneity; and the impact of aging on BCC development and treatment response and tumor dormancy.
Our MCC studies are dissecting the viral pathogenesis of this rare and deadly skin cancer. We identified a single Merkel cell polyomavirus protein as sufficient to drive tumor development in genetically-engineered mice. Using this mouse model of MCC, we are generating new insights into the initial steps of MCC development.
Associate Chair
Department of Dermatology
Professor of Dermatology
Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology
Dermatology
Dermatology
Dermatology
View our publications on Skin Cancer Biology research.
