Ravi K Amaravadi, MD
The Amaravadi Lab focuses on the role of autophagy in cancer therapy. Cancer therapy has made major strides in the past 20 years, but eventually most cancers have the ability to survive the stress of cancer therapy and recur, leading to suffering and death. We and others have demonstrated that autophagy, the process by which organelles such as mitochondria and proteins are internally digested and recycled, promotes cancer cell survival in advanced cancers, and is a potentially key resistance mechanism that cancers use to survive cancer therapy. Our lab collaborates closely with other basic scientists, clinical researchers, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies so that we can test our hypotheses in cell lines, 3D culture, mouse models, and patients. We conduct basic laboratory research to understand fundamental aspects of autophagy in cancer biology, but we also have a translational focus. We are actively conducting innovative clinical trials intended to modulate autophagy to enhance effectiveness of existing therapies. Our funding comes largely from the National Cancer Institute, focused pharmaceutical collaborations, and private donations from patients and fundraising programs.