Christina M. Annunziata, M.D., Ph.D.
- Center for Cancer Research
- National Cancer Institute
- Building 10 - Magnuson CC, Room 12N226
- Bethesda, MD 20892-1906
- 240-760-6125
- annunzic@mail.nih.gov
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Dr. Annunziata left CCR in July 2023. Dr. Annunziata established mechanisms underlying NF-kappaB molecular signal transduction in ovarian cancer. Her genomic profiling and functional screens identified both downstream targets and upstream regulators of this pathway, defining subgroups of patients whose cancers depend on NF-kappaB, and opening up possibilities for novel therapies to treat ovarian cancer. Her clinical trials emphasized collection of patient samples to better understand both predictive and pharmacodynamic markers of treatment response.
Areas of Expertise
Information for Patients
Learn more about our clinical trials and the highly specialized care teams that lead them.
Christina M. Annunziata, M.D., Ph.D.
Research
The NF-kB family of gene transcription factors is expressed in many tissue types, but has been studied most extensively in the context of the immune system and related cancers. Aberrant NF-kB signaling also has been identified in tumors of epithelial origin including breast, colon, lung and ovarian carcinomas. A systematic approach discovered IKKe, a cellular enzyme involved in triggering NF-kB signaling, as an oncogene in breast cancer. Research studies suggested the importance of these proteins in the propagation of ovarian cancer, but the significance and the mechanism of NF-kB signaling in ovarian cancer are unknown.
Our clinical focus in ovarian cancer inspired me to explore the NF-kB pathway in this malignancy at a scientific level. The stimulus for NF-kB signaling in cancer cells may be intrinsic or extrinsic to the cell. In certain cases, the cells may acquire individual genetic abnormalities of NF-kB regulators, thereby providing an intrinsic mechanism of cell-autonomous NF-kB activity. This type of mechanism was identified in breast cancer, lymphoma and myeloma. A second mechanism of NF-kB activation in ovarian cancer could be provided by signals from cells in the environment surrounding the tumor. Inflammatory proteins, growth factors, and adhesion molecules have been associated with NF-kB activation in several tissue types. Our lab defined and characterized the molecular mechanisms and the biological relevance of NF-kB activity in ovarian cancer. We proposed that NF-kB signaling defines a subset of ovarian cancer susceptible to therapeutic targeting of this pathway. Specific interruption of the pathway will isolate NF-kB as a mechanism for the growth and survival of ovarian cancer cells.
Our initial experiments identified a subset of ovarian cancer cell lines that are dependent on NF-kB signaling for growth and survival. A detailed understanding of the individual NF-kB components involved in ovarian cancer identified patients who may benefit from NF-kB blockade, and provided specific guidance to the development of future therapeutic agents or combinations. Our laboratory was interested in developing rational combinations of targeted therapies for ovarian malignancies. Combination therapy has been a mainstay of cancer treatment. Therapy targeted at sequential points in a biochemical pathway critical for cell survival has the potential to effectively eliminate the cancer cell. We employed novel high-throughput screening techniques to identify critical interactions with the NF-kB pathway that are important for the growth and survival of ovarian cancers.
Publications
- Bibliography Link
- View Dr. Annunziata's PubMed Summary.
Germline and Somatic Tumor Testing in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: ASCO Guideline
Efficacy and Safety of Avelumab for Patients With Recurrent or Refractory Ovarian Cancer: Phase 1b Results From the JAVELIN Solid Tumor Trial.
A phase I study of the PD-L1 inhibitor, durvalumab, in combination with a PARP inhibitor, olaparib, and a VEGFR1-3 inhibitor, cediranib, in recurrent women's cancers with biomarker analyses.
NFκB Promotes Ovarian Tumorigenesis via Classical Pathways That Support Proliferative Cancer Cells and Alternative Pathways That Support ALDH+ Cancer Stem-like Cells.
Molecular Pathways: The Balance between Cancer and the Immune System Challenges the Therapeutic Specificity of Targeting Nuclear Factor-κB Signaling for Cancer Treatment.
Biography
Christina M. Annunziata, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Annunziata left CCR in July 2023. Dr. Annunziata is a graduate of Georgetown University Medical School where she also completed graduate school and residency training in internal medicine. She came to NCI for medical oncology training in the Medical Oncology Branch. Dr. Annunziata joined the laboratory of Dr. Louis Staudt in the Metabolism Branch to investigate NF-kappaB signaling in multiple myeloma. She returned to the Medical Oncology Branch to extend her study of these molecular pathways in the ovarian cancer model, and she maintains her clinical focus in the translational clinical studies of ovarian cancer. Dr. Annunziata now directs clinical operations for the Women's Malignancies Branch and received tenure from NIH in 2020. Dr. Annunziata holds board certification for the practice of medical oncology. Dr. Annunziata is a participating member in the Gynecologic Oncology Group, the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Society for Clinical Oncology, and the Society of Gynecologic Oncology. She serves as course director for the Women's Malignancies Lecture Series in the Women's Malignancies Branch, and Associate Editor for the international journal, BMC Cancer.