Research Resident Spotlight - August 2024
Anthony Casabianca, MD
PGY8
Tell us a little about your path to Surgery Residency.
I have been a part of surgical laboratories, since early in my undergraduate training. I knew I wanted to pursue a research career, and I knew I loved working with my hands. So a surgery residency was a no-brainer for me. In medical school I witnessed surgeons leading the teams taking care of the sickest patients. I felt that surgical training offered the most comprehensive approach to medicine, and the most opportunity for academic and research growth. I particularly liked how many doors general surgery training opens. I could pursue any subspecialty, an academic or community career, with abundant research and academic opportunities.
What was your motivation to pursue research during your residency?
Once I entered surgical training. I became interested in surgical oncology. I learned early on that there will always be questions left unanswered by our best medical science. The frustration of not having better therapeutic options for complicated oncology patients could be countered by research. I saw research as an important tool to better understand my patients outcomes and provide a pathway to better understanding of cancer and cancer therapeutics.
Who is your research mentor?
Darren Carpizo, MD, PhD
Professor of Surgery and Chief,
Division of Surgical Oncology
Principal Investigator: Carpizo Lab
W
hat does the role of mentorship in research mean to you?
Mentorship in research is critical to success. Clinical training can be very regimented, scheduled, and with specific training targets. This is not the case in research where it is easy to get lost in the vast breadth of highly specialized topics. A mentor who understands your specific research and professional goals can help you navigate the complicated and often confusing academic landscape to meet your specific targets, even if you haven’t realized what they are yet.
What is your research focus?
We studied the mechanisms of pancreatic cancer dormancy and metastases in a novel murine model of the disease. We utilize an antibody targeting Netrin-1, to affect cancer metastases, improve survival, and inhibit tumor niche formation.
What are your recent presentations/awards/manuscripts?
Pu
blications:
Dudgeon, C., Casabianca, A.S. Harris, C., Ogier, C., Bellina, M., Fiore, S., Bernet, A., Ducaroudge, B., Su, X., Pitarressi, J., Hezel, A., De, S., Narrow, W., Soliman, F., Shields, C., Costa, D., Prela, O., Wang, L., Astsaturov, I., Mehlen, P., Carpizo, D. (2023, Nov). Netrin-1 feedforward mechanism promotes pancreatic cancer liver metastasis via hepatic stellate cell activation, retinoid, and ELF3 signaling. Cell Reports, 42(11), 113369. Cited in PubMed; PMID: 37922311.
Casabianca, A.S., Dudgeon, C., Harris, C., Astsaturov, I., Ogier, C., Pitarresi, J., Mehlen, P., Carpizo, D.R., (2023, March 22). Anti-Net rin-1 Therapy Inhibits Metastases and Improves Survival in Pancreatic Cancer [Oral Presentation]. Society of Surgical Oncology SSO 2023 - International Conference on Surgical Cancer Care/Boston, MA, USA.
Casabianca, A.S., Dudgeon, C., Harris, C., Astsaturov, I., Ogier, C., Su, X., Pitarresi, J., Narrow, W., Soliman, F., Withers, T., Mehlen, P., Carpizo D.R.. (2022, November 13). Retinoic acid produced by hepatic stellate cells facilitates Netrin-1 mediated pancreatic cancer metastasis [Oral Presentation]. AACR Special Conference on Pancreatic Cancer/Boston, MA, USA.
Awards:
The Owen H. Wangensteen Scientific Forum Excellence in Research Award: American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2020, Chicago, II.3
What are your future goals?
Starting in 2025, I will capstone my training beginning my Complex General Surgical Oncology fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh.
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