Janusz Rak, MD, PhD

Primary Axis: 
Cancer
Email: 
Email contact form
Research Focus: 

Research includes how tumors interact with blood vessels. This is important because cancer can be treated by obliterating tumor blood vessel growth and already three agents with such (antiangiogenic) activity have been approved in for human use since 2004 (Avastin, Sutent and Sorafenib). Dr. Rak's laboratory has a particular interest in a molecule that can simultaneously cause vascular growth and blood clotting and is called tissue factor (TF). This molecule is regulated by cancer causing genes (oncogenes) expressed in malignant cells. This causes two detrimental effects, namely triggers formation of new blood vessels in the tumor and makes blood abnormally prone to clotting outside of it. His team works to develop strategies to stop these processes by blocking the production and activity of TF in cancer.

Keywords: 
Angiogenesis, atreriogenesis, blood vessels, thrombosis, oncogenes, EGFR, HER-2, ras, VEGF, tissue factor, microvesicles
Location: 
Montreal Children's Hospital
Publications:
Al-Nedawi K, Meehan B, Micallef J, Lhotak V, May L, Guha A, Rak J. Intercellular transfer of the oncogenic EGFRvIII via tumor cell derived microvesicles. Nature Cell Biology 10(5): 619-624; 2008.
Yu JL, May L, Lhotak V, Shahrzad S, Shirasawa S, Weitz JI, Coomber B, Mackman N, Rak J. Oncogenic events regulate tissue factor expression in colorectal cancer cells: Implications for tumor progression and angiogenesis. Blood 105: 1734-1741; 2005.
Viloria-Petit A, Miguerol L, Gertsenstein M, Yu J, Sheehan C, May L, Lobe C, Nagy A, Kerbel RS, Rak J. Contrasting effects of VEGF gene disruption in embryonic stem cell-derived teratomas versus adult fibrosarcoma cells. EMBO Journal 22(16): 4091-4102; 2003.

News Releases

Cancer cells spread by releasing "bubbles", according to an MUHC study

A new fundamental mechanism of how tumour cells communicate has just been discovered by the team of Dr. Janusz Rak at the Research ...

... read more