Positions

Overview

  • The Van Meir research team strives to understand the molecular basis for human tumor development and develop new therapeutic agents with the ultimate goal of improving cancer patient treatment.

    To help cancer patients, decoding the molecular puzzle of how tumors develop is imperative. Cells form tumors when oncogenes are activated and tumor suppressors are inactivated, and Dr. Van Meir’s team is seeking ways to block oncogenes and reactivate silenced tumor suppressors to block tumor growth. His laboratory focuses on glioblastoma and medulloblastoma, two malignant brain tumors as well as uveal melanoma – a malignant eye tumor – which causes eye loss and metastasizes to the liver.

    Dr. Van Meir’s laboratory is located in the Wallace Tumor Institute building, part of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center (O’Neal) at UAB. The O’Neal is Alabama’s only cancer center designated by the NCI and is a national leader in driving cancer research, advancing new cancer treatments, engaging communities in cancer prevention and early detection initiatives, and training the next generation of cancer physicians and scientists. The laboratory has served as training ground for over 100 students, postdocs, medical fellows and junior faculty and the O’Neal provides a rich and stimulating scientific environment with access to many core facilities that accelerate research progress.

    Dr. Van Meir’s research has generated over 200 scientific publications in high impact international peer-reviewed journals and represents enormous gains in understanding many cancers and developing new treatments. Clinical trials based on these discoveries hope to shed light on novel cancer treatment options and medications. His laboratory has been continuously supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Defense and numerous private foundations over the last 20 years. Additional donor support is also critical in helping the Van Meir laboratory test novel high-risk ideas and generates critical proof-of-principle data that can then help leverage larger federal funding.
  • Selected Publications

    Academic Article

    Year Title Altmetric
    2022 Author Correction: Failure of human rhombic lip differentiation underlies medulloblastoma formation (Nature, (2022), 609, 7929, (1021-1028), 10.1038/s41586-022-05215-w)Nature.  612:E12. 2022
    2022 Failure of human rhombic lip differentiation underlies medulloblastoma formationNature.  609:1021-1028. 2022
    2022 Glioma progression is shaped by genetic evolution and microenvironment interactionsCell.  185:2184-2199.e16. 2022
    2022 Mice lacking full length Adgrb1 (Bai1) exhibit social deficits, increased seizure susceptibility, and altered brain developmentExperimental Neurology.  351. 2022
    2021 Ten-eleven translocation protein 1 modulates medulloblastoma progressionGenome Biology.  22. 2021
    2021 The transcriptional landscape of Shh medulloblastomaNature Communications.  12. 2021
    2021 Subgroup and subtype-specific outcomes in adult medulloblastomaActa Neuropathologica.  142:859-871. 2021
    2021 Targeting HIF-activated collagen prolyl 4-hydroxylase expression disrupts collagen deposition and blocks primary and metastatic uveal melanoma growthOncogene.  40:5182-5191. 2021
    2021 N-cadherin upregulation mediates adaptive radioresistance in glioblastomaJournal of Clinical Investigation.  131. 2021
    2021 Analysis of morphological characteristics of IDH-mutant/wildtype brain tumors using whole-lesion phenotype analysisNOA.  3. 2021
    2020 The advent of precision epigenetics for medulloblastoma.Oncoscience.  7:47-48. 2020
    2020 Pattern of Relapse and Treatment Response in WNT-Activated MedulloblastomaCell Reports Medicine.  1. 2020
    2020 A Chimeric Signal Peptide–Galectin-3 Conjugate Induces Glycosylation-Dependent Cancer Cell–Specific ApoptosisClinical Cancer Research.  26:2711-2724. 2020
    2020 Pan-cancer analysis of whole genomesNature.  578:82-93. 2020
    2020 Correction: EZH2 targeting reduces medulloblastoma growth through epigenetic reactivation of the BAI1/p53 tumor suppressor pathway (Oncogene, (2020), 39, 5, (1041-1048), 10.1038/s41388-019-1036-7)Oncogene.  39:1165. 2020
    2020 EZH2 targeting reduces medulloblastoma growth through epigenetic reactivation of the BAI1/p53 tumor suppressor pathwayOncogene.  39:1041-1048. 2020
    2019 Longitudinal molecular trajectories of diffuse glioma in adultsNature.  576:112-120. 2019
    2019 A simple genotyping method to detect small CRISPR-Cas9 induced indels by agarose gel electrophoresisScientific Reports.  9. 2019
    2019 Recurrent noncoding U1 snRNA mutations drive cryptic splicing in SHH medulloblastomaNature.  574:707-711. 2019
    2019 Recurrent noncoding U1 snRNA mutations drive cryptic splicing in SHH medulloblastoma.Nature.  574:707-711. 2019
    2019 Erratum: The Immune Landscape of Cancer (Immunity (2018) 48(4) (812–830.e14), (S1074761318301213), (10.1016/j.immuni.2018.03.023))Immunity.  51:411-412. 2019
    2019 Are Risk Factors for Growth of Choroidal Nevi Associated With Malignant Transformation? Assessment With a Validated Genomic BiomarkerAmerican Journal of Ophthalmology.  203:117-118. 2019
    2019 Arylsulfonamide 64B inhibits hypoxia/ HIF-induced expression of c-Met and CXCR4 and reduces primary tumor growth and metastasis of uveal melanomaClinical Cancer Research.  25:2206-2218. 2019
    2019 The expanding functional roles and signaling mechanisms of adhesion g protein–coupled receptorsAnnals of the New York Academy of Sciences.  1456:5-25. 2019
    2018 Rare but recurrent ROS1 fusions resulting from chromosome 6q22 microdeletions are targetable oncogenes in gliomaClinical Cancer Research.  24:6471-6482. 2018
    2018 Comprehensive Molecular Characterization of the Hippo Signaling Pathway in CancerCell Reports.  25:1304-1317.e5. 2018
    2018 A Pan-Cancer Analysis Reveals High-Frequency Genetic Alterations in Mediators of Signaling by the TGF-β SuperfamilyCell Systems.  7:422-437.e7. 2018
    2018 Comprehensive Analysis of Alternative Splicing Across Tumors from 8,705 PatientsCancer Cell.  34:211-224.e6. 2018
    2018 Erratum: Comprehensive Characterization of Cancer Driver Genes and Mutations (ARTICLE (2018) 173(2) (371–385), (S009286741830237X), (10.1016/j.cell.2018.02.060))Cell.  174:1034-1035. 2018
    2018 Erratum: The Cancer Genome Atlas Comprehensive Molecular Characterization of Renal Cell Carcinoma (Cell Reports (2018) 23(1) (313–326.e5) (S2211124718304364) (10.1016/j.celrep.2018.03.075))Cell Reports.  23:3698. 2018
    2018 Glioma through the looking GLASS: Molecular evolution of diffuse gliomas and the Glioma Longitudinal Analysis ConsortiumNeuro-Oncology.  20:873-884. 2018
    2018 BAI1 Suppresses Medulloblastoma Formation by Protecting p53 from Mdm2-Mediated DegradationCancer Cell.  33:1004-1016.e5. 2018
    2018 The Immune Landscape of CancerImmunity.  48:812-830.e14. 2018
    2018 A Comprehensive Pan-Cancer Molecular Study of Gynecologic and Breast CancersCancer Cell.  33:690-705.e9. 2018
    2018 Comparative Molecular Analysis of Gastrointestinal AdenocarcinomasCancer Cell.  33:721-735.e8. 2018
    2018 Genomic and Functional Approaches to Understanding Cancer AneuploidyCancer Cell.  33:676-689.e3. 2018
    2018 lncRNA Epigenetic Landscape Analysis Identifies EPIC1 as an Oncogenic lncRNA that Interacts with MYC and Promotes Cell-Cycle Progression in CancerCancer Cell.  33:706-720.e9. 2018
    2018 A Pan-Cancer Analysis of Enhancer Expression in Nearly 9000 Patient SamplesCell.  173:386-399.e12. 2018
    2018 An Integrated TCGA Pan-Cancer Clinical Data Resource to Drive High-Quality Survival Outcome AnalyticsCell.  173:400-416.e11. 2018
    2018 Cell-of-Origin Patterns Dominate the Molecular Classification of 10,000 Tumors from 33 Types of CancerCell.  173:291-304.e6. 2018
    2018 Comprehensive Characterization of Cancer Driver Genes and MutationsCell.  173:371-385.e18. 2018
    2018 Machine Learning Identifies Stemness Features Associated with Oncogenic DedifferentiationCell.  173:338-354.e15. 2018
    2018 Oncogenic Signaling Pathways in The Cancer Genome AtlasCell.  173:321-337.e10. 2018
    2018 Pathogenic Germline Variants in 10,389 Adult CancersCell.  173:355-370.e14. 2018
    2018 Perspective on Oncogenic Processes at the End of the Beginning of Cancer GenomicsCell.  173:305-320.e10. 2018
    2018 Driver Fusions and Their Implications in the Development and Treatment of Human CancersCell Reports.  23:227-238.e3. 2018
    2018 Genomic and Molecular Landscape of DNA Damage Repair Deficiency across The Cancer Genome AtlasCell Reports.  23:239-254.e6. 2018
    2018 Genomic, Pathway Network, and Immunologic Features Distinguishing Squamous CarcinomasCell Reports.  23:194-212.e6. 2018
    2018 Integrated Genomic Analysis of the Ubiquitin Pathway across Cancer TypesCell Reports.  23:213-226.e3. 2018
    2018 Machine Learning Detects Pan-cancer Ras Pathway Activation in The Cancer Genome AtlasCell Reports.  23:172-180.e3. 2018
    2018 Molecular Characterization and Clinical Relevance of Metabolic Expression Subtypes in Human CancersCell Reports.  23:255-269.e4. 2018
    2018 Pan-Cancer Analysis of lncRNA Regulation Supports Their Targeting of Cancer Genes in Each Tumor ContextCell Reports.  23:297-312.e12. 2018
    2018 Somatic Mutational Landscape of Splicing Factor Genes and Their Functional Consequences across 33 Cancer TypesCell Reports.  23:282-296.e4. 2018
    2018 Spatial Organization and Molecular Correlation of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes Using Deep Learning on Pathology ImagesCell Reports.  23:181-193.e7. 2018
    2018 Systematic Analysis of Splice-Site-Creating Mutations in CancerCell Reports.  23:270-281.e3. 2018
    2018 The Cancer Genome Atlas Comprehensive Molecular Characterization of Renal Cell CarcinomaCell Reports.  23:313-326.e5. 2018
    2018 Pan-cancer Alterations of the MYC Oncogene and Its Proximal Network across the Cancer Genome AtlasCell Systems.  6:282-300.e2. 2018
    2018 Scalable Open Science Approach for Mutation Calling of Tumor Exomes Using Multiple Genomic PipelinesCell Systems.  6:271-281.e7. 2018
    2018 Taking a HIF pill for old age diseases?Aging.  10:290-292. 2018
    2017 Purifying Properly Folded Cysteine-rich, Zinc Finger Containing Recombinant Proteins for Structural Drug Targeting Studies: the CH1 Domain of p300 as a Case Example.Bio-protocol.  7. 2017
    2017 Cancer therapy: Neutrophils traffic in cancer nanodrugsNature Nanotechnology.  12:616-618. 2017
    2017 Intertumoral Heterogeneity within Medulloblastoma SubgroupsCancer Cell.  31:737-754.e6. 2017
    2017 BAI1 orchestrates macrophage inflammatory response to HSV infection-implications for oncolytic viral therapyClinical Cancer Research.  23:1809-1819. 2017
    2017 Overcoming therapeutic resistance in glioblastoma: The way forwardJournal of Clinical Investigation.  127:415-426. 2017
    2017 A novel small-molecule arylsulfonamide causes energetic stress and suppresses breast and lung tumor growth and metastasisOncotarget.  8:99245-99260. 2017
    2017 Design and synthesis of benzopyran-based inhibitors of the hypoxia-inducible factor-1 pathway with improved water solubility 2017
    2017 Examining the structure-activity relationship of benzopyran-based inhibitors of the hypoxia inducible factor-1 pathwayBioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters.  27:1731-1736. 2017
    2017 Two new species of betatorqueviruses identified in a human melanoma that metastasized to the brainOncotarget.  8:105800-105808. 2017
    2016 Selective detection of the D-enantiomer of 2-hydroxyglutarate in the CSF of glioma patients with mutated isocitrate dehydrogenaseClinical Cancer Research.  22:6256-6265. 2016
    2016 Adhesion GPCRs in tumorigenesisHandbook of experimental pharmacology.  234:369-396. 2016
    2016 Therapeutic impact of cytoreductive surgery and irradiation of posterior fossa ependymoma in the molecular era: A retrospective multicohort analysisJournal of Clinical Oncology.  34:2468-2477. 2016
    2016 Prognostic value of medulloblastoma extent of resection after accounting for molecular subgroup: a retrospective integrated clinical and molecular analysis 2016
    2016 Divergent clonal selection dominates medulloblastoma at recurrenceNature.  529:351-357. 2016
    2016 A role for activated Cdc42 in glioblastoma multiforme invasionOncotarget.  7:56958-56975. 2016
    2016 BAI1: From cancer to neurological diseaseOncotarget.  7:17288-17289. 2016
    2015 Comprehensive, integrative genomic analysis of diffuse lower-grade gliomasNew England Journal of Medicine.  372:2481-2498. 2015
    2015 BAI1 regulates spatial learning and synaptic plasticity in the hippocampusJournal of Clinical Investigation.  125:1497-1508. 2015
    2015 Biology of advanced uveal melanoma and next steps for clinical therapeuticsPigment Cell and Melanoma Research.  28:135-147. 2015
    2015 Whole-genome and multisector exome sequencing of primary and post-treatment glioblastoma reveals patterns of tumor evolutionGenome Research.  25:316-327. 2015
    2014 Human brat ortholog TRIM3 is a tumor suppressor that regulates asymmetric cell division in glioblastomaCancer Research.  74:4536-4548. 2014
    2014 Erratum: The somatic genomic landscape of glioblastoma (Cell (2013) 155 (462-477))Cell.  157:753. 2014
    2014 Cytogenetic prognostication within medulloblastoma subgroupsJournal of Clinical Oncology.  32:886-896. 2014
    2014 P14ARF suppresses tumor-induced thrombosis by regulating the tissue factor pathwayCancer Research.  74:1371-1378. 2014
    2014 Tyr phosphorylation of PDP1 toggles recruitment between ACAT1 and SIRT3 to regulate the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex.Molecular Cell.  53:534-548. 2014
    2014 WNT activation by lithium abrogates TP53 mutation associated radiation resistance in medulloblastomaActa Neuropathologica Communications.  2. 2014
    2014 SapC-DOPS-induced lysosomal cell death synergizes with TMZ in glioblastomaOncotarget.  5:9703-9709. 2014
    2013 TERT promoter mutations are highly recurrent in SHH subgroup medulloblastomaActa Neuropathologica.  126:917-929. 2013
    2013 miR-21 in the Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) of Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF): A Platform for Glioblastoma Biomarker DevelopmentPLoS One.  8. 2013
    2013 The somatic genomic landscape of glioblastomaCell.  155:462. 2013
    2013 Subgroup-specific prognostic implications of TP53 mutation in medulloblastomaJournal of Clinical Oncology.  31:2927-2935. 2013
    2013 Brain-specific angiogenesis inhibitor-1 signaling, regulation, and enrichment in the postsynaptic densityJournal of Biological Chemistry.  288:22248-22256. 2013
    2013 Hypoxia inducible factor pathway inhibitors as anticancer therapeuticsFuture Medicinal Chemistry.  5:553-572. 2013
    2013 Design, synthesis and evaluation of the cytotoxicity of a N-mustard and paclitaxel conjugate prodrugJournal of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences.  22:137-143. 2013
    2012 Arylsulfonamide KCN1 inhibits in vivo glioma growth and interferes with HIF signaling by disrupting HIF-1α interaction with cofactors p300/CBPClinical Cancer Research.  18:6623-6633. 2012
    2012 A proprotein convertase/MMP-14 proteolytic cascade releases a novel 40kDa vasculostatin from tumor suppressor BAI1Oncogene.  31:5144-5152. 2012
    2012 Detection of "oncometabolite" 2-hydroxyglutarate by magnetic resonance analysis as a biomarker of IDH1/2 mutations in gliomaJournal of Molecular Medicine.  90:1161-1171. 2012
    2012 KCN1, a Novel Synthetic Sulfonamide Anticancer Agent: In Vitro and In Vivo Anti-Pancreatic Cancer Activities and Preclinical PharmacologyPLoS One.  7. 2012
    2012 Binding model for the interaction of anticancer arylsulfonamides with the p300 transcription cofactorACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters.  3:620-625. 2012
    2012 Design and in vitro activities of N -alkyl- N -[(8- R -2,2-dimethyl-2 H -chromen-6-yl)methyl]heteroarylsulfonamides, novel, small-molecule hypoxia inducible factor-1 pathway inhibitors and anticancer agentsJournal of Medicinal Chemistry.  55:6738-6750. 2012
    2012 Subgroup-specific structural variation across 1,000 medulloblastoma genomesNature.  487:49-56. 2012
    2012 Structure-activity relationship of 2,2-dimethyl-2H-chromene based arylsulfonamide analogs of 3,4-dimethoxy-N-[(2,2-dimethyl-2H-chromen-6-yl) methyl]-N-phenylbenzenesulfonamide, a novel small molecule hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) pathway inhibitor and anti-cancer agentBioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry.  20:4590-4597. 2012
    2012 The tumor microenvironment strongly impacts master transcriptional regulators and gene expression class of glioblastomaAmerican Journal of Pathology.  180:2108-2119. 2012
    2012 P14ARF inhibits human glioblastoma-induced angiogenesis by upregulating the expression of TIMP3Journal of Clinical Investigation.  122:1283-1295. 2012
    2012 5-D confocal imaging to visualize glioblastoma spheroid invasion into the extracellular matrixMicroscopy and Microanalysis.  18:180-181. 2012
    2012 Glioblastoma cancer stem-like cells: Implications for pathogenesis and treatmentCancer Journal.  18:100-106. 2012
    2011 Design and synthesis of novel small-molecule inhibitors of the hypoxia inducible factor pathwayJournal of Medicinal Chemistry.  54:8471-8489. 2011
    2011 Integrative, multimodal analysis of glioblastoma using TCGA molecular data, pathology images, and clinical outcomesIEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.  58:3469-3474. 2011
    2011 Sulfonamides as a new scaffold for hypoxia inducible factor pathway inhibitorsBioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters.  21:5528-5532. 2011
    2011 Overexpression of MBD2 in glioblastoma maintains epigenetic silencing and inhibits the antiangiogenic function of the tumor suppressor gene BAICancer Research.  71:5859-5870. 2011
    2011 Proteomics of gliomas: Initial biomarker discovery and evolution of technologyNeuro-Oncology.  13:926-942. 2011
    2011 At the crossroads of cancer and inflammation: Ras rewires an HIF-driven IL-1 autocrine loopJournal of Molecular Medicine.  89:91-94. 2011
    2011 A conspiracy of glioma and endothelial cells to invade the normal brainOncotarget.  2:1-4. 2011
    2011 Emerging roles for the BAI1 protein family in the regulation of phagocytosis, synaptogenesis, neurovasculature, and tumor developmentJournal of Molecular Medicine.  89:743-752. 2011
    2010 An integrative approach for in silico glioma researchIEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.  57:2617-2621. 2010
    2010 Exciting new advances in neuro-oncology: The avenue to a cure for malignant gliomaCA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.  60:166-193. 2010
    2010 Histidine-rich glycoprotein modulates the anti-angiogenic effects of vasculostatinAmerican Journal of Pathology.  176:2039-2050. 2010
    2010 Natural mutagenesis of human genomes by endogenous retrotransposonsCell.  141:1253-1261. 2010
    2009 Brain cancer propagating cells: biology, genetics and targeted therapiesTrends in Molecular Medicine.  15:519-530. 2009
    2009 Identification of a novel small molecule HIF-1α translation inhibitorClinical Cancer Research.  15:6128-6136. 2009
    2009 Tumor initiating cells in malignant gliomas: Biology and implications for therapyJournal of Molecular Medicine.  87:363-374. 2009
    2009 Epidermal growth factor receptor and PTEN modulate tissue factor expression in glioblastoma through JunD/activator protein-1 transcriptional activityCancer Research.  69:2540-2549. 2009
    2009 Stat3 activation is required for the growth of U87 cell-derived tumours in miceEuropean Journal of Cancer.  45:677-684. 2009
    2009 Vasculostatin inhibits intracranial glioma growth and negatively regulates in vivo angiogenesis through a CD36-dependent mechanismCancer Research.  69:1212-1220. 2009
    2008 Comprehensive genomic characterization defines human glioblastoma genes and core pathwaysNature.  455:1061-1068. 2008
    2008 BRCA1-associated protein-1 is a tumor suppressor that requires deubiquitinating activity and nuclear localizationCancer Research.  68:6953-6962. 2008
    2008 Engineering human tumor-specific cytotoxic T cells to function in a hypoxic environmentMolecular Therapy.  16:599-606. 2008
    2007 Erratum: Targeted cancer gene therapy using a hypoxia inducible factor-dependent oncolytic adenovirus armed with interleukin-4 (Cancer Research (2007) 67, (6872-6881))Cancer Research.  67:8422-8423. 2007
    2007 Targeted cancer gene therapy using a hypoxia inducible factor-dependent oncolytic adenovirus armed with interleukin-4Cancer Research.  67:6872-6881. 2007
    2007 Loss of NOTCH2 positively predicts survival in subgroups of human glial brain tumorsPLoS One.  2. 2007
    2007 Proteomic identification of biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of astrocytoma patientsJournal of Proteome Research.  6:559-570. 2007
    2006 Antitumor effect of 2-methoxyestradiol in a rat orthotopic brain tumor modelCancer Research.  66:11991-11997. 2006
    2006 Proteomic identification of the wt-p53-regulated tumor cell secretomeOncogene.  25:7650-7661. 2006
    2006 Inhibitors of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 signaling 2006
    2006 Proteomic analysis of cerebrospinal fluid discriminates malignant and nonmalignant disease of the central nervous system and identifies specific protein markersProteomics.  6:6277-6287. 2006
    2006 Attractin is elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with malignant astrocytoma and mediates glioma cell migrationClinical Cancer Research.  12:6331-6336. 2006
    2006 Early growth response gene-1 regulates hypoxia-induced expression of tissue factor in glioblastoma multiforme through hypoxia-inducible factor-1-independent mechanismsCancer Research.  66:7067-7074. 2006
    2006 'Pseudopalisading' necrosis in glioblastoma: A familiar morphologic feature that links vascular pathology, hypoxia, and angiogenesisJournal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology.  65:529-539. 2006
    2006 Genomic alterations in human malignant glioma cells associate with the cell resistance to the combination treatment with tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand and chemotherapyClinical Cancer Research.  12:2716-2729. 2006
    2005 Hypoxia inducible factor-1: A novel target for cancer therapy 2005
    2005 Vasculostatin, a proteolytic fragment of brain angiogenesis inhibitor 1, is an antiangiogenic and antitumorigenic factorOncogene.  24:3632-3642. 2005
    2005 Cancer scene investigation: How a cold virus became a tumor killerFuture Oncology.  1:247-258. 2005
    2005 Hypoxia and the hypoxia-inducible-factor pathway in glioma growth and angiogenesisNeuro-Oncology.  7:134-153. 2005
    2005 The role of interleukin-8 and its receptors in gliomagenesis and tumoral angiogenesisNeuro-Oncology.  7:122-133. 2005
    2005 PTEN and hypoxia regulate tissue factor expression and plasma coagulation by glioblastomaCancer Research.  65:1406-1413. 2005
    2005 Functional evolution of ADAMTS genes: Evidence from analyses of phylogeny and gene organizationBMC Ecology and Evolution.  5. 2005
    2005 Identification of a novel small-molecule inhibitor of the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 pathwayCancer Research.  65:605-612. 2005
    2004 Cancer therapy with a replicating oncolytic adenovirus targeting the hypoxic microenvironment of tumorsClinical Cancer Research.  10:8603-8612. 2004
    2004 Vaso-occlusive and prothrombotic mechanisms associated with tumor hypoxia, necrosis, and accelerated growth in glioblastomaLaboratory Investigation.  84:397-405. 2004
    2004 Genetic and hypoxic regulation of angiogenesis in gliomasJournal of Neuro-Oncology.  70:229-243. 2004
    2004 Absence of KLF6 gene mutations in human astrocytic tumors and cell lines [2]International Journal of Cancer.  111:642-643. 2004
    2004 Use of replicating oncolytic adenoviruses in combination therapy for cancerClinical Cancer Research.  10:5299-5312. 2004
    2004 Noscapine crosses the blood-brain barrier and inhibits glioblastoma growthClinical Cancer Research.  10:5187-5201. 2004
    2004 Tumor-specific gene expression using the survivin promoter is further increased by hypoxia 2004
    2004 Opening the chamber of peer-review secrets [2]Nature.  429:803. 2004
    2004 Microregional extracellular matrix heterogeneity in brain modulates glioma cell invasion 2004
    2004 PIKE (Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Enhancer)-A GTPase Stimulates Akt Activity and Mediates Cellular InvasionJournal of Biological Chemistry.  279:16441-16451. 2004
    2004 Emerging molecular therapies for brain tumors.Seminars in Oncology.  31:38-46. 2004
    2004 Replicative oncolytic herpes simplex viruses in combination cancer therapies 2004
    2004 Pseudopalisades in Glioblastoma Are Hypoxic, Express Extracellular Matrix Proteases, and Are Formed by an Actively Migrating Cell PopulationCancer Research.  64:920-927. 2004
    2004 Aberrant methylation and down-regulation of TMS1/ASC in human glioblastomaAmerican Journal of Pathology.  165:1151-1161. 2004
    2003 Inactivation of Wild-Type p53 Protein Function by Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species in Malignant Glioma CellsCancer Research.  63:8670-8673. 2003
    2003 Tumor suppressor p53 inhibits transcriptional activation of invasion gene thromboxane synthase mediated by the proto-oncogenic factor ets-1Oncogene.  22:7716-7727. 2003
    2003 Replicative oncolytic adenoviruses in multimodal cancer regimensHuman gene therapy. Clinical development.  14:933-946. 2003
    2003 Erratum: Angiomotin belongs to a novel protein family with conserved coiled-coil and PDZ binding domains (Gene (2002) 298 (69-77))Gene.  310:221. 2003
    2003 A novel hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) activated oncolytic adenovirus for cancer therapyOncogene.  22:2065-2072. 2003
    2003 Alterations in molecular pathways of diffusely infiltrating glial neoplasms: application to tumor classification and anti-tumor therapy (Review).International Journal of Oncology.  23:857-869. 2003
    2003 Brain angiogenesis inhibitor 1 is differentially expressed in normal brain and glioblastoma independently of p53 expressionAmerican Journal of Pathology.  162:19-27. 2003
    2003 Genetic modulation of hypoxia induced gene expression and angiogenesis: Relevance to brain tumorsFrontiers in Bioscience-Landmark2003
    2003 TRAIL Triggers Apoptosis in Human Malignant Glioma Cells Through Extrinsic and Intrinsic PathwaysBrain Pathology.  13:539-553. 2003
    2002 Angiomotin belongs to a novel protein family with conserved coiled-coil and PDZ binding domains.Gene.  298:69-77. 2002
    2002 Anoxia induces macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1) in glioblastoma cells independently of p53 and HIF-1Oncogene.  21:4212-4219. 2002
    2002 Initiation of human astrocytoma by clonal evolution of cells with progressive loss of p53 functions in a patient with a 283H TP53 germ-line mutation: Evidence for a precursor lesionCancer Research.  62:2897-2905. 2002
    2002 Geldanamycin induces degradation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α protein via the proteosome pathway in prostate cancer cellsCancer Research.  62:2478-2482. 2002
    2002 Overexpression of thrombospondin-1 reduces growth and vascular index but not perfusion in glioblastomaCancer Research.  62:1191-1195. 2002
    2002 Genetic and biologic progression in astrocytomas and their relation to angiogenic dysregulationAdvances in Anatomic Pathology.  9:24-36. 2002
    2001 Generation of bidirectional hypoxia/HIF-responsive expression vectors to target gene expression to hypoxic cells 2001
    2001 Restoration of endogenous wild-type p53 activity in a glioblastoma cell line with intrinsic temperature-sensitive p53 induces growth arrest but not apoptosisInternational Journal of Cancer.  94:35-43. 2001
    2001 Response of bovine endothelial cells to FGF-2 and VEGF is dependent on their site of origin: Relevance to the regulation of angiogenesisJournal of Cellular Biochemistry.  82:619-633. 2001
    2001 Homologs of gp91phox: Cloning and tissue expression of Nox3, Nox4, and Nox5Gene.  269:131-140. 2001
    2001 Quantitative real-time PCR does not show selective targeting of p14ARF but concomitant inactivation of both p16INK4A and p14ARF in 105 human primary gliomasOncogene.  20:1103-1109. 2001
    2001 Induction and intracellular regulation of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) mediated apotosis in human malignant glioma cellsCancer Research.  61:1162-1170. 2001
    2001 Glomeruloid microvascular proliferation orchestrated by VPF/VEGF: A new world of angiogenesis researchAmerican Journal of Pathology.  158:789-796. 2001
    2001 Thrombospondins and tumor angiogenesisTrends in Molecular Medicine.  7:401-407. 2001
    2000 Application of advances in molecular biology to the treatment of brain tumors.Current Oncology Reports.  2:425-433. 2000
    2000 p53 gene mutation and ink4a-arf-deletion appear to be two mutually exclusive events in human glioblastomaOncogene.  19:3816-3822. 2000
    2000 Thrombospondin-1 is downregulated by anoxia and suppresses tumorigenicity of human glioblastoma cellsJournal of Experimental Medicine.  191:1789-1797. 2000
    2000 Identification of the putative brain tumor antigen BF7/GE2 as the (De)toxifying enzyme microsomal epoxide hydrolaseCancer Research.  60:1403-1409. 2000
    1999 The PTEN lipid phosphatase domain is not required to inhibit invasion of glioma cellsCancer Research.  59:5479-5482. 1999
    1999 Cells with TP53 mutations in low grade astrocytic tumors evolve clonally to malignancy and are an unfavorable prognostic factorOncogene.  18:5870-5878. 1999
    1999 Regulation of interleukin-8 expression by reduced oxygen pressure in human glioblastomaOncogene.  18:1447-1456. 1999
    1999 Cytokines and brain tumor therapyEos (Rome, Italy).  19:12-18. 1999
    1999 Frequent Co-alterations of TP53, p16/CDKN2A, p14(ARF), PTEN tumor suppressor genes in human glioma cell linesBrain Pathology.  9:469-479. 1999
    1999 Roles of the functional loss of p53 and other genes in astrocytoma tumorigenesis and progressionNeuro-Oncology.  1:124-137. 1999
    1999 p53 and the CNS: Tumors and developmental abnormalitiesMolecular Neurobiology.  19:61-77. 1999
    1998 Predicting chemoresistance in human malignant glioma cells: The role of molecular genetic analysesInternational Journal of Cancer.  79:640-644. 1998
    1998 Spectromicroscopy of boron for the optimization of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) for cancerJournal of Physics D: Applied Physics.  31:2642-2647. 1998
    1998 Somatic deletion mapping on chromosome 10 and sequence analysis of PTEN/MMAC1 point to the 10q25-26 region as the primary target in low-grade and high-grade gliomasOncogene.  16:3331-3335. 1998
    1998 Absence of p53 gene mutations in a tumor panel representative of pilocytic astrocytoma diversity using a p53 functional assayInternational Journal of Cancer.  76:797-800. 1998
    1998 Genetic instability leads to loss of both p53 alleles in a human glioblastomaOncogene.  16:321-326. 1998
    1998 "Turcot's syndrome": phenotype of brain tumors, survival and mode of inheritance.International Journal of Cancer.  75:162-164. 1998
    1998 CD44 expression and growth factors.Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark.  3. 1998
    1998 Necrogenesis and Fas/APO-1 (CD95) expression in primary (de novo) and Secondary GlioblastomasJournal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology.  57:239-245. 1998
    1998 Pineoblastoma presenting in familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP): Random association, FAP variant or Turcot syndrome?British Journal of Neurosurgery.  12:576-578. 1998
    1998 p53 and brain tumors: From gene mutations to gene therapyBrain Pathology.  8:599-613. 1998
    1997 58. Angiogenesis development during the progression of human astrocytomaItalian Journal of Neurological Sciences.  18:258. 1997
    1997 Gene therapy for cancer: An explosion of new therapeutic strategiesMedecine et hygiene.  55:1527-1535. 1997
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    Chapter

    Year Title Altmetric
    2005 Cytokine expression and signaling in brain tumors.  194-242. 2005

    Research Overview

  • The Van Meir lab research interest lies in understanding the molecular basis for human tumor development and how we can use this knowledge to devise new therapeutics that will improve patient survival. We examine how (epi)genetic alterations and hypoxia induce changes in cell biology that promote tumor formation through cancer cell intrinsic and extrinsic signaling, including tumor angiogenesis. We have developed novel therapeutic approaches for cancer using oncolytic adenoviruses and anti-angiogenic molecules, and are currently developing novel small molecules to reprogram the tumor suppressor epigenome, reduce cancer therapy resistance and block the hypoxia-inducible factor pathway. We aim to translate these novel agents to testing in clinical trials with the hope to develop novel medicines for cancer treatment. The principal modeling systems we use are malignant brain (glioblastoma and medulloblastoma) and eye (metastatic uveal melanoma) cancers, although the experimental therapeutics we develop are applicable to the cure of many solid malignancies.
  • Education And Training

  • Doctor of Philosophy in Virology, University of Lausanne 1989
  • Full Name

  • Erwin Van Meir