Titles and Affiliations
Director, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Director, Division of Hematology and Oncology
Professor of Medicine
Associate Director for Translational Research
Director for Precision Oncology
Member, BCRF Scientific Advisory Board
Research area
Understanding how age-related genetic mutations in blood cells influence breast cancer growth and metastasis
Impact
Cells that give rise to blood cells, known as hematopoietic stem cells, acquire genetic mutations as people age. Most of these mutations do not cause disease, however some can cause certain stem cells to produce an abnormal amount of blood cells. This condition is called clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP). CHIP can lead to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, blood cancer and has been linked to worse outcomes in breast cancer, but the reasons remain unclear.
Progress Thus Far
Dr. Park has shown that not all CHIP mutations have the same effect. Using patient data, his team found that the most common CHIP gene mutation doesn’t appear to negatively affect breast cancer outcomes, while other CHIP mutations are linked to worse outcomes. Using laboratory models engineered to carry CHIP mutations alongside triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), the team confirmed this pattern. The most common CHIP mutation did not cause tumors to grow or spread more readily, while the second most common CHIP mutation led to larger tumors and more metastases in the lungs. These findings highlight how specific CHIP mutations can alter the tumor environment, potentially accelerating cancer progression, while others appear to have no effect. Because therapies already exist that target CHIP cells, his research may lead to new treatment approaches.
What’s next
The team will further characterize their laboratory models to better understand how CHIP mutations shape the immune environment in and around breast tumors and will begin extending this work into human tissue studies using CHIP cells grown outside the body. This research aims to uncover the cellular mechanisms behind the different effects of these mutations and clarify their role in breast cancer progression.
Biography
Ben Ho Park, MD, PhD, an internationally renowned breast cancer expert, was recently appointed as the co-leader of the Breast Cancer Research Program, Associate Director for Translational Research and Director of Precision Oncology at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. Dr. Park is from Saginaw, MI and received his bachelor’s degree from The University of Chicago and then completed a dual MD-PhD training program at The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. After completing a residency in Internal Medicine and Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Training at The Hospital of The University of Pennsylvania, he finished a postdoctoral research fellowship in cancer genetics in the laboratory of Dr. Bert Vogelstein at Johns Hopkins University, and then joined the faculty in 2002 in the Breast Cancer Program. At Hopkins he was Professor of Oncology, Associate Director for Education and Research Training, as well as Associate Dean for Postdoctoral Affairs prior to joining the faculty at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
