2009 Scientific Report

VARI | 2009
We are pursuing the hypothesis that the distinct glycans and glycoproteins secreted by aggressive or tumor-initiation cancer
cells contribute to cancer progression through interactions with cells and proteins of the tumor environment. Evidence from our
laboratory suggests that these secretions produce a higher state of inflammation and weaker immune recognition of the cancer
cells. Our goals are to characterize the glycan alterations and their protein carriers that are unique to aggressive subsets of
cancer cells and to understand the mechanisms by which these molecules affect host cells and promote tumor progression.
In addition, we are investigating new strategies for treating cancer based on these observations. Targeting the functions of the
aggressive subpopulations of cancer cells could be highly effective.
External Collaborators
Michelle Anderson, Philip Andrews, Dean Brenner, Irwin Goldstein, Venkat Keshamouni, Gilbert Omenn, and Diane Simeone,
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Randall Brand and Anna Lokshin, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
William Catalona, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
Terry Du Clos, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
Ziding Feng and Samir Hanash, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington
Weimin Gao, Texas Tech University, Lubbock
William Hancock, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts
Michael A. Hollingsworth, University of Nebraska, Omaha
Raju Kucherlapati, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
Recent Publications
Wu, Yi-Mi, and Brian. Haab. In press. The nature and function of glycan alterations in pancreatic cancer. In Drug Discovery in
Pancreatic Cancer: Models and Techniques, Haiyong Han and Paul Grippo, eds. Springer Verlag.
Hung, K.E., V. Faca, K. Song, D. Sarracino, L.G. Richard, B. Krastins, S. Forrester, A. Porter, A. Kunin, U. Mahmood,
B.B. Haab, et al. 2009. Comprehensive proteome analysis of an Apc mouse model uncovers proteins associated with
intestinal tumorigenesis. Cancer Prevention and Research 2(3): 224–233.
Wu, Yi-Mi, D. David Novack, Gilbert S. Omenn and Brian B. Haab. 2009. Mucin glycosylation is altered by pro-inflammatory
signaling in pancreatic cancer cells. Journal of Proteome Research 8(4): 1876–1886.
Yue, Tingting, and Brian B. Haab. 2009. Microarrays in glycoproteomics research. Clinics in Laboratory Medicine
29(1): 15–29.
Chen, S., and B.B. Haab. 2008. Antibody microarrays for protein and glycan detection. In Clinical Proteomics, J. Van Eyk
and M. Dunn, eds. Weinheim, Germany: Wiley-VCH.
From left: Sinha, Antecki, Wu, Haab, Nelson, Maupin, VanOcker, Babins, Kluck, Yue
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