Prof Reizes joined Journal of Ovarian Research as an Associate Editor in 2022 and is now a Senior Editor on the board
What first inspired you to pursue a career in ovarian research, and what has kept you engaged in the field?
In 2016, a gynecologic oncology clinical fellow knocked on my office door requesting an opportunity to join the lab for his year long research as a component of his fellowship requirement. At the time, my lab was focused on triple negative breast cancer. As we discussed the fellow’s potential research projects, it became evident that gynecologic cancers are understudied and an area of clinical need. For ovarian cancer patients, current chemotherapy is able to successfully reduce the tumor burden, yet most women will recur within 6-24 month at which point the cancer will recur and the patient will succumb to their disease.
Looking back on your career so far, what achievement are you most proud of, and why?
There is no one achievement that stands above the others. My research philosophy is focused on solving problems. I have not shied away from challenging problems. This has led to discoveries of new mechanisms driving obesity, tumor suppressor in the gut microbiome, and identifying a new location and function for a well-studied protein originally considered to strictly reside at the cell surface. I hope to instill that risk taking approach to my mentees and importantly to trust the data.
What do you consider to be the most exciting development in ovarian research today?
Over the past decade, the field has developed an understanding of the cell of origin for High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer. This is significant leap provides critical insights on approaches to treat and prevent these otherwise deadly malignancies. The findings of the fallopian tube cell of origin is not simply a basic science advance, it is supported by clinical data showing that removal of the fallopian tubes, salpingectomy, is sufficient to lower cancer risk. This is clear support for the presence of the cell of origin in the fallopian tube.
How has the field changed since you began your career, and what change has surprised you the most?
The field has developed a deeper understanding of the tumor immune microenvironment. This appreciation of the tumor immune lymphocytes has provided a new focus on immune targeted therapeutics to improve patient outcomes. Despite this understanding, immune based strategies have failed to improve patient survival. Ovarian tumors are considered immune “cold” tumors lacking active infiltrating T cells and low mutation derived immunogenicity. This “cold” barrier has led to limited options for using immune therapies for ovarian cancer. Approaches to overcome this barrier are greatly needed.
What is one research question in ovarian biology that you hope will be answered during your lifetime?
The question that is the focus of my lab, is overcoming chemoresistance. Clinically, ovarian cancer are treated with chemotherapy following interval debulking surgery. Patients respond to therapy with some experiencing complete remission. Most patients will develop resistance to chemotherapy and result in poor overall survival. It is this question that I would like to see addressed. Why do some patients respond to chemotherapy and others not, is a critical question given the utility of chemotherapy in clinical management of ovarian cancer patients.
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