Mary
J.C. Hendrix, MD
President
and Scientific Director
Children's Memorial Research Center
Medical Research Institute Council Professor,
Rober H.
Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center
To contact Dr. Hendrix:
e-mail: mjchendrix@childrensmemorial.org
Dr. Hendrix’s website
Research Interests:
The scientific objectives of Dr. Mary Hendrix’s laboratory include
identifying genes which contribute to cancer metastasis and other related
diseases which exhibit similar biological activities. The major goal is to
define important structure/function relationships, which provide the biological
basis for new therapeutic strategies. Recent studies, in collaboration with
the National Human Genome Research Institute at NIH, have generated molecular
classification(s) of specific tumors, and have provided new prognostic markers
and novel targets for therapeutic intervention. In addition, these studies
have identified certain genes that are dysregulated during cancer progression
and are also aberrant during development, resulting in birth defects. Current
research activities focus on elucidating how regulatory molecules and phenotype
control genes govern cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix interactions, epithelial/mesenchymal
transitions, and motility. Specific projects include signal transduction events
initiated by cell adhesion molecules and growth factors; factors regulating
interconversion of the tumor cell phenotype; novel three-dimensional analysis
of cellular invasion through extracellular matrices; regulation of matrix
metalloproteinases by tumor and stromal cell interactions; tumor angiogenesis
and vasculogenesis; and role of the microenvironment in maintaining and inducing
an aberrant cellular phenotype.