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Steven K. Libutti, M.D.

Surgery Branch Head, Tumor Angiogenesis Section Senior Investigator MD Phone:   301-496-5049 Fax:   301-402-1788 E-Mail:   steven_libutti@nih.gov Link: Other Homepage

Biography

Dr. Libutti received his A.B. from Harvard University and his M.D. from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University. He completed his surgical residency at the Presbyterian Hospital in New York and a fellowship in surgical oncology and endocrine surgery in the Surgery Branch of the National Cancer Institute. After completing his training, he joined the staff of the Surgery Branch and is currently a tenured senior investigator and the section chief of the Tumor Angiogenesis Section. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the NCI representative to their Commission on Cancer, a fellow of the Society of Surgical Oncology, and the Society of University Surgeons. He is a member of the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons. Dr. Libutti is studying tumor neovascular formation and the interaction between tumor cells, endothelial cells and the components of the tumor microenvironment. His clinical expertise is in the management of malignancies of the liver, pancreas, and GI tract, and in applying laparoscopic surgery to managing patients with malignancies. In addition, Dr. Libutti is an internationally recognized expert in endocrine surgery and provides surgical consultation and treatment for patients with disorders of the thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal glands, and for endocrine tumors arising in the pancreas. Dr. Libutti has received numerous awards related to his work including the NCI Technology Transfer Award, the NCI Director's Gold Star Award, the NCI Director's Innovation Award and the NIH Director's Award.

Research

View Dr. Libutti's Current Clinical Trials

Tumor Angiogenesis and Studies of the Tumor Microenvironment

The goal of the Tumor Angiogenesis Section is to develop novel cancer therapies through a better understanding of the tumor microenvironment. The interaction of a tumor and its vasculature is critical for both tumor growth and the spread of tumor cells to distant organs. The process of new vessel development within the tumor is termed angiogenesis and is required for tumors to grow larger than a few millimeters. In order to better understand the relationship between the tumor and its blood supply, our research is focused on the interaction between tumor-derived factors and endothelial cells developing in the context of the tumor microenvironment. By understanding this interaction we hope to be able to design novel treatment strategies to inhibit both the growth and the spread of tumors. We are currently studying a variety of tumor-derived factors with effects on tumor-associated vasculature. These include vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endothelial cell monocyte-activating polypeptide II (EMAP-II). These cytokines appear to be produced in varying amounts by tumors and have direct effects on the tumor neovasculature. Our approach to the study of these interactions has been through the utilization of a variety of in vitro and in vivo model systems. We are using gene expression profiling to understand the changes that occur in endothelial cells exposed to tumor-derived factors. The laboratory is developing techniques, which allow us to isolate endothelial cells from tumor tissue. This has resulted in our ability to study tumor-derived endothelial cells directly, and has led to our observation that tumor associated endothelial cells have epigenetic changes compared to normal endothelial cells from the same tissue type. This approach has also allowed us to identify specific genes such as DOC1, which appear to play a role in the control of endothelial cell responses to angiogenesis inhibitors. We are also using noninvasive imaging techniques, including dynamic MRI and PET, to map changes in tumor blood flow within tumors both in animal models and in our patients on clinical trials. A variety of inhibitors of tumor angiogenesis are being actively studied. These include both recombinant proteins derived from naturally occurring substances as well as small molecules designed to act on specific pathways. Various methods of delivering these agents, including gene therapy approaches and the use of tumor targeted nanoparticles are being pursued. Our overall goal is to translate a better understanding of tumor cell-endothelial cell interactions, within the context of the tumor microenvironment, into better therapies for our patients with cancer.

This page was last updated on 6/11/2008.