The Cardiothoracic Translational Research Laboratory is focused on turning a deeper understanding of the complex biology of cancer and heart failure into a new generation of cellular and molecular therapies. The lab’s cancer research focuses on untangling the mystery of metastasis, a pathologic phenomenon that remains both poorly understood and still responsible for most cancer deaths. Heart failure, in turn, affects more than 5 million Americans and is already the greatest single economic burden in American health care, yet no existing therapies can either halt or reverse the disease process.

Michael J. Mann, M.D. is the Lab Director. His group is analyzing the molecular basis of metastasis to the lungs through careful analysis of human tumor specimens. Via comparison of the complex molecular responses of both primary cancers in their original locations and metastatic lesions in the same patients, they have begun to reveal a pattern of gene activity that may yield both more precise diagnosis of and revolutionary new therapies for metastatic disease.
The Cardiac wing of the Translational Research Lab has been studying the molecular underpinnings of heart failure over the past decade, and has made several fundamental observations regarding the balance of molecular signals that can push a heart either toward compensatory adaptation or relentless failure. By combining cutting edge reconstructive surgery with novel molecular intervention, the group hopes to provide a strong scientific foundation for the clinical development of unprecedented human therapies.