Research Focus

The research program pursued by Antonio Iavarone seeks to unravel the biologic and genetic alterations driving subgroups of malignant brain tumors and exploit this information for rational therapeutic stratification. The Iavarone group identified master regulators of cancer initiation and progression in distinct sub-groups of brain tumors. They discovered the first example of oncogenic and tumor addicting gene fusions in glioblastoma (FGFR3-TACC3) and reported that FGFR3-TACC3 fusions trigger tumorigenesis through activation of oxidative phosphorylation. These fusions are among the most frequent chromosomal translocations across all types of human cancer and the FDA approved the targeting of these chromosomal translocations with FGFR inhibitors. Antonio Iavarone chaired the Pan-Glioma ATLAS-TCGA Working Group and the Neurofibromatosis 1 synodos that united international researchers to formulate guidelines for accurate diagnosis and prognosis of glioma patients. By using all the computational and experimental tools at disposal, they combine innovations in both areas to continue making transformative mechanistic discoveries and provide personalized therapeutics to increasing number of patients with deadly tumor types.