David Heber, MD, PhD

About David Heber, MD, PhD

Development of an Ex Vivo Bioassay to Examine Modulation of PSA-Positive Macrophage Invasiveness and Inflammatory Activities in Prostate Cancer Patients with Abdominal Obesity—The Identification of New Biomarkers May Be Able to Assess the Effectiveness of Diet and Lifestyle Changes
Macrophages are specialized white blood cells that scavenge invading microbes and dead cellular material. They are also involved in inflammation, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Accumulated abdominal fat and metabolic syndrome, two common findings in prostate cancer patients, activates macrophages. However, this activity is reversible with diet and lifestyle changes. This creative project proposes to study prostate cancer-associated macrophages both in the lab and in patients. These cancer-associated macrophages will be tested as a progression biomarker for successful alterations in lifestyle and might represent a meaningful endpoint for pharmacological intervention between obesity and inflammation.

Read the Progress Report for this award