The Kornblum lab is one of the original discoverers of stem cell like cells in brain cancer (Hemmati et al, PNAS). The lab has gone on to identify mechanisms by which these cells resist therapies and propagate tumors. Recent studies have been directed at using single cell technology to identify the molecular pathways driving brain cancer cells in patients and how these molecular pathways differ between patients (Alvarado et al., Cancer Research Communications) and in different areas of tumors (Patel et al., Biorxiv). The lab has developed a bank of patient-derived cells that are used throughout the world in the study of brain tumors.

Recent studies from the Kornblum lab have highlighted the importance of brain tumor vascular cells in promoting brain tumor growth (Ghochani et al., Cell Reports). Ongoing studies are identifying additional specific factors and how they interact with brain tumor cells as well as the immune system. In a surprising finding, the lab has also found that one of the mainstays of treatments for brain tumors, radiation, converts brain cancer stem cells to vascular cells through an epigenetic process (Muthukrishnan et al., Nature Communications). These new vascular cells provide trophic support to the remaining cells and interact with the immune system to promote tumor growth.

The lab helped to identify the autism-associated gene, PTEN pathway as a key regulator of neural stem cell growth (Groszer et al., Science). In studies led by Dr. Le Belle, the lab has since gone on to study how the environment influences this pathway to promote neural stem cell proliferation and the development of autism like behaviors (Le Belle et al., Cell Stem Cell and Stem Cell Reports). In ongoing studies we are seeking methods to treat these defects in mature animals

The Kornblum lab has a long history in aiding studies of neural repair in stroke, brain trauma and spinal cord injury. In ongoing investigations with Dr. Leif Havton of Mount Sinai School of Medicine, we are studying the potential of human motor neuron progenitors to replace lost motor neurons.