Our Science – Hickstein Website

Dennis Hickstein, M.D.

Experimental Transplantation and Immunology Branch Head, Molecular Oncology and Gene Transfer Section Investigator 10 Center Drive Building 10 CRC, Room 3-3142 Bethesda, MD 20892-1203 Phone:   301-594-1718 Fax:   301-402-5054 E-Mail:   hicksted@mail.nih.gov

Biography

Dr. Hickstein was recruited to the National Cancer Institute in 2000 from the University of Washington School of Medicine where he was an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology. He is currently the head of Molecular Oncology and Gene Transfer in the Experimental Transplantation and Immunology Branch of the National Cancer Institute. His clinical interests are in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and gene transfer in to hematopoietic stem cells.

Research

Molecular Oncology and Gene Transfer

The research in our laboratory involves two areas of investigations. The first area of study focuses on gene transfer into hematopoietic stem cells with the ultimate goal of applying the techniques developed to the transfer of genes into the hematopoietic stem cells of individuals with leukemia and lymphoma. Our current studies have focused upon gene transfer into the peripheral blood stem cells on individuals with the genetic hematologic disease leukocyte adhesion deficiency or LAD. LAD provides an excellent model for assessing the efficacy of gene transfer into hematopoietic stem cells in that: (1) the disease is due to defects in a single gene, the leukocyte integrin CD18 subunit; (2) since the CD18 molecule is a membrane receptor, flow cytometry can be used to assess the efficacy of gene transfer; (3) very low levels of expression of CD18 will likely reverse the disease phenotype of several bacterial infections; and (4) the presence of a canine model of LAD provides the opportunity to test strategies for gene replacement in an appropriate, large-animal model prior to their application in humans with the disease. We have now initiated studies in canine LAD that are expected to form the basis for future clinical trials of gene transfer of CD18 in LAD. These studies are designed to achieve long-term gene correction of hematopoietic stem cells.
In the second area of study, we are developing zebrafish models of human cancer. We have now developed zebrafish models of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and Ewing's sarcoma, and we are currently a model of ovarian cancer.

This page was last updated on 8/4/2008.