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Lee M. Ellis

Present Title & Affiliation

Primary Appointment

Chair, ASCO Cancer Research Committee, Alexandria, VA
Director, Colorectal Cancer Translational Research Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Professor of Surgery, Department of Surgical Oncology, Division of Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Research Interests

The overall goal of our laboratory is to investigate mechanisms of tumor growth and metastasis of gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies with a focus on angiogenesis. The primary tumor system under study in our laboratory is metastatic colorectal cancer, although we also study other tumor types including pancreatic adenocarcinoma, gastric cancer and carcinoid tumors.

For nearly 2 decades, our laboratory has investigated the role of VEGF in tumor growth, metastasis and angiogenesis. We have recently focused our efforts on determining the role of VEGF receptors on tumor cells. We are currently investigating the role of VEGF receptor-1, neuropilin-1 and neuropilin-2 on colon cancer cells. Investigations in these areas may help elucidate mechanisms of action of anti-VEGF therapy, which is currently approved for several tumor types by the FDA for patients with metastatic disease. In addition, we are currently investigating angiogenic mechanisms in specific organs relevant to colon cancer metastasis. A major focus of the laboratory is understanding the complex cross-talk of endothelial cells and tumors cells, and how this influences chemoresistance in the tumor microenvironment.

Continuing along our translational themes, we are studying mechanisms of resistance to standard chemotherapy for colon cancer. We have established chemotherapy resistant colon cancer and gastric cancer cell lines. Initial investigations demonstrated that oxaliplatin resistant colon cancer cells led to epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the cancer stem cell phenotype. We are now collaborating with John Zhang, adjunct appointment, Department of Cancer Biology, to understand metabolic alterations that occur in chemoresistant cell lines. Similarly, with the input of George Calin, we are studying miRNA alterations in chemoresistant cell lines.  Although targeted therapies for GI malignancies has demonstrated promise in clinical trials, we strongly believe that it is important to validate new targets for the next generation of anti-neoplastic regimens.


Education & Training

Degree-Granting Education

1983 University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, MD, Medicine

Postgraduate Training

1990-1992 Surgical Oncology Fellow, Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
1986-1988 Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Board Certifications

12/2009 American Board of Surgery

Experience/Service

Academic Appointments

Professor of Cancer Biology, Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2001-2013

Selected Publications

Peer-Reviewed Original Research Articles
1. Zhou Y, Tozzi F, Chen J, Fan F, Xia L, Wang J, Gao G, Zhang A, Xia X, Brasher H, Widger W, Ellis LM, Weihua Z. Intracellular ATP Levels Are a Pivotal Determinant of Chemoresistance in Colon Cancer Cells. Cancer Res 72(1):304-14, 2012. PMID: 22084398.
2. Bose D, Zimmerman LJ, Pierobon M, Petricoin E, Tozzi F, Parikh A, Fan F, Dallas N, Xia L, Gaur P, Samuel S, Liebler DC, Ellis LM. Chemoresistant colorectal cancer cells and cancer stem cells mediate growth and survival of bystander cells. Br J Cancer 105(11):1759-67, 2011. PMCID: PMC3242606.
3. Fan F, Samuel S, Gaur P, Lu J, Dallas NA, Xia L, Bose D, Ramachandran V, Ellis LM. Chronic exposure of colorectal cancer cells to bevacizumab promotes compensatory pathways that mediate tumour cell migration. Br J Cancer 104(8):1270-1277, 2011. PMCID: PMC3078594.
4. Gaur P, Sceusi EL, Samuel S, Xia L, Fan F, Zhou Y, Lu J, Tozzi F, Lopez-Berestein G, Vivas-Mejia P, Rashid A, Fleming JB, Abdalla EK, Curley SA, Vauthey JN, Sood AK, Yao JC, Ellis LM. Identification of cancer stem cells in human gastrointestinal carcinoid and neuroendocrine tumors. Gastroenterology 141(5):1728-37, 2011. PMCID: PMC3202668.
5. Samuel S, Fan F, Dang LH, Xia L, Gaur P, Ellis LM. Intracrine Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Signaling in Survival and Chemoresistance of Human Colorectal Cancer Cells. Oncogene 30(10):1205-1212, 2011. PMID: 21057529.
6. Samuel S, Gaur P, Fan F, Xia L, Gray MJ, Dallas NA, Bose D, Rodriguez-Aguayo C, Lopez-Berestein G, Plowman G, Bagri A, Sood AK, Ellis LM. Neuropilin-2 Mediated β-Catenin Signaling and Survival in Human Gastro-Intestinal Cancer Cell Lines. PLoS One 6(10):1-11, 2011. PMCID: PMC3197582.
7. Dallas NA, Xia L, Fan F, Gray MJ, Gaur P, van Buren G, Samuel S, Kim MP, Lim SJ, Ellis LM. Chemoresistant colorectal cancer cells, the cancer stem cell phenotype, and increased sensitivity to insulin-like growth factor-I receptor inhibition. Cancer Res 69(5):1951-7, 2009. PMID: 19244128.
8. Dallas NA, Xia L, Fan F, Gray MJ, Gaur P, Van Buren II G, Samuel S, Kim MP, Lim SJ, Ellis LM. Neuropilin-2-Mediated tumor growth and angiogenesis in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Clin Cancer Res 14(24):8052-60, 2008. PMID: 19088020.

Invited Articles
1. Jayson GC, Hicklin DJ, Ellis LM. Antiangiogenic therapy-evolving view based on clinical trial results. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 9(5):297-303, 2012. PMID: 22330688.
2. Begley CG, Ellis LM. Comment: Raise standards for preclinical cancer research. Nature 483:531-533, 2012.
3. Gonzalez-Angulo AM, Hortobagyi GN, Ellis LM. Targeted therapies: Peaking beneath the surface of recent bevacizumab trials. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 8(6):319-20, 6/2011. e-Pub 4/2011. PMID: 21556024.
4. Ellis LM, Fidler IJ. Finding the tumor copycat. Therapy fails, patients don't. Nat Med 16(9):974-5, 9/2010. PMID: 20823880.
5. Ellis LM, Reardon DA. Is there really a yin and yang to VEGF-targeted therapies? The Lancet Oncol 11(9):809-11, 2010.
6. Bose D, Meric-Bernstam F, Hofstetter W, Reardon DA, Flaherty KT, Ellis LM. Vascular endothelial growth factor targeted therapy in the perioperative setting: implications for patient care. Lancet Oncol 11(4):373-382, 2010. PMID: 20171141.
7. Ellis LM, Hicklin DJ. Resistance to targeted therapies: Refining anticancer therapy in the era of molecular oncology. Clin Cancer Res 15(24):7471-7478, 12/2009. PMID: 20008847.
8. Ellis LM, Reardon DA. The nuances of therapy. Nature 458:290-292, 2009.

Last updated: 3/6/2013