Susan Bellis , Ph . D .
Senior Scientist , O ’ Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center
Professor , Cell , Developmental and Integrative Biology , UAB Heersink School of Medicine
Anita Hjelmeland , Ph . D .
Scientist , O ’ Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center
Associate Professor , Cell , Developmental and Integrative Biology , UAB Heersink School of Medicine
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INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE ROLE OF GLYCOSYLATION IN THE CELLULAR BEHAVIOR OF GLIOBLASTOMA AND PANCREATIC CANCER
Senior Scientist Susan Bellis , Ph . D ., has been studying ST6GAL1 , an enzyme that adds a special sugar structure to glycoproteins , since 1998 , when she started her independent laboratory at UAB . Her work has shown that ST6GAL1 expression in cancer cells confers a cancer stem cell phenotype .
As a professor in the Department of Cell , Developmental and Integrative Biology , she was the first to show that the ST6GAL1 protein was upregulated in pancreatic cancer . Years later , she met Anita Hjelmeland , Ph . D ., a scientist at the O ’ Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center and an associate professor in the same department . The two scientists realized they shared a mutual interest in cancer stem cells .
“ We both work on especially lethal cancers , glioblastoma and pancreatic cancer ,” said Bellis . “ Current treatments for these malignancies are largely ineffective , therefore there is a need to ‘ think outside the box ’ and attack these cancers from new directions .”
Their collaboration , first supported by a pilot grant from their department , has
yielded important findings in how cancer cells behave .
“ Our studies with the Hjelmeland laboratory began several years ago when Anita discovered that ST6GAL1 is upregulated in glioblastoma . This was an exciting finding because it implicated ST6GAL1 in cancers other than epithelial malignancies . Anita ’ s group has since made rapid progress in elucidating ST6GAL1 ’ s role in promoting glioblastoma .”
Both investigators have received funding from the O ’ Neal Invests program , which enabled the maturation of their work , said Bellis . “ These investments in our collaboration have paid off , as we both have NIH funding for ST6GAL1-related projects , as well as many shared publications .” Hjelmeland agreed and shared that the continued reviews from the O ’ Neal Invests program were helpful for advancing the research and successfully leveraging it for external funding .
Although each researcher has distinct skills and strengths , they both have a strong interest in the fundamental molecular
pathways that drive tumor cell behavior . This has been central to their success in elucidating the function of ST6GAL1 in two very different cancers .
“ However , the strength of our collaboration is founded on more than our complementary expertise ,” said Bellis . “ I have treasured working with Anita because I have the highest regard for her as a scientist and colleague . She is a careful and deep-thinking researcher and a generous collaborator .”
Hjelmeland also highlighted the benefit of the collaboration for making these advancements in understanding brain tumors . “ Working together allowed us to take advantage of our different areas of expertise and build a research program that neither could do alone ,” she said . “ Even our very first experiments yielded interesting results that suggested how important ST6GAL1 could be in brain tumors . My students and I have been incredibly fortunate to learn from Susan and her trainees . I am very excited about our continuing collaborative research .” ❚■
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