Sadhana Jackson, M.D.
- Center for Cancer Research
- National Cancer Institute
- Building 10, Room 7D45
- Bethesda, MD 20892
- 301-594-7037
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Dr. Jackson’s research interests center on evaluating the blood-brain barrier (BBB) of malignant gliomas. Her clinical and translational research focuses on transiently disrupting the BBB by pharmacologic means, in an effort to improve cytotoxic therapy to the central nervous system. She uses brain microdialysis, pharmacokinetic analysis, and preclinical models to study central nervous system (CNS) pharmacology. Dr. Jackson also leads collaborative preclinical and clinical studies focused on understanding BBB integrity in normal brain and malignant gliomas with the goal of developing novel treatment strategies for brain tumor patients.
Dr. Jackson is a Pediatric Neuro-oncologist and an Adjunct Investigator in CCR's Pediatric Oncology Branch.
Areas of Expertise
Information for Patients
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Sadhana Jackson, M.D.
Clinical Trials
Research
One of the major obstacles to effectively treating central nervous system (CNS) tumors is the integrity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The BBB prevents systemic drug delivery from reaching the brain and brain tumor tissue. While previous studies have mainly focused on circumventing the BBB, very few agents or mechanisms have been explored that modulate the tumor microenvironment to enhance effective therapies for malignant brain tumors.
Dr. Jackson's studies focus on understanding the heterogeneity of BBB permeability amongst malignant tumor cells and the role of the supportive BBB in tumor growth. Her collaborative laboratory and clinical investigations center around BBB biology, cancer biology, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics related to optimal CNS drug delivery.
Publications
The effect of an adenosine A(2A) agonist on intra-tumoral concentrations of temozolomide in patients with recurrent glioblastoma
The effect of regadenoson on the integrity of the human blood-brain barrier, a pilot study
Targeting WNT Signaling for Multifaceted Glioblastoma Therapy
SNO 2020 diversity survey: defining demographics, racial biases, career success metrics and a path forward for the field of neuro-oncology
High-risk Medulloblastoma-Balancing the High Stakes of Molecular Profiling to Enhance Treatment Responsivity
Biography
Sadhana Jackson, M.D.
Dr. Sadhana Jackson attended Hampton University where she received her Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology. She then obtained her MD from Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) and subsequently completed a residency in Pediatrics at Orlando Health. After completing a fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, she finished her training at Johns Hopkins for a joint fellowship in pediatric neuro-oncology and clinical pharmacology.
Dr. Sadhana Jackson is a board-certified pediatrician and pediatric hematologist/oncologist with clinical expertise and research efforts related to the blood-brain barrier and malignant glioma. Her clinical practice focuses on drug delivery of systemic agents for pediatric malignant brain tumor patients. As a tenure-track Investigator in NINDS and NCI, Dr. Jackson ties her clinical practice to her research efforts focused on understanding the heterogeneous permeability of the blood-brain barrier amongst malignant gliomas. With her laboratory and clinical studies, her team aims to modulate the tumor microenvironment to enhance effective treatments to the CNS for malignant gliomas. She has extensive experience with use of intracerebral microdialysis to evaluate optimal drug entry to malignant tumors. Using exquisite tools to measure drug concentrations and agents to transiently disrupt the BBB, her research aims to maximize therapies for prolonged survival in aggressive pediatric brain tumors.
