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Beth Helmink, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.S.

Department of Surgical Oncology, Division of Surgery

About Dr. Beth Helmink

Beth Helmink, MD PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgical Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Her clinical practice focuses on the care of patients with peritoneal surface malignancies. This includes peritoneal mesothelioma, appendiceal neoplasms/cancers, as well as peritoneal metastases from colorectal, ovarian and other advanced cancers. She offers cytoreductive surgery with or without heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) to appropriate patients. Dr. Helmink was born and raised in Illinois. She received both her medical degree and PhD in Immunology from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. She completed her General Surgery training at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, followed by both a clinical and research fellowship in Complex General Surgical Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Her research focuses on the anti-tumor immune response with regards to peritoneal malignancy and the role of microbes in the peritoneal dissemination of cancer.

Primary Appointment

Assistant Professor, Department of Surgical Oncology, Division of Surgery, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment

Assistant Professor, Department of Surgical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Research Interests

Broadly, I am interested in better understanding the anti-tumor immune response in peritoneal malignancies. My work focuses on improving our understanding of:

unique immune cells and organization of the human peritoneal cavity in healthy individuals and patients
immune components of different types of peritoneal tumors
aspects of the gut and tumor microbiome that affect peritoneal dissemination of disease

Clinical Interests

I am interested in all peritoneal malignancy including peritoneal mesothelioma as well as metastases resulting from peritoneal dissemination of appendiceal, colorectal, and ovarian tumors as well as other primary malignancies.

Education & Training

Degree-Granting Education

2012	Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, US, MD
2012	Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, US, Ph.D. in Immunology
2000	Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, US, BS in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology

Postgraduate Training

2018-2019	Research Fellowship, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
2017-2020	Clinical Fellowship, Complex General Surgical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
2012-2017	Clinical Residency, General Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee

Licenses & Certifications

2021	Complex General Surgical Oncology
2017	American Board of Surgery
2016	Texas Medical Board

Experience & Service

Faculty Academic Appointments

Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 2020 - 2022

Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities

IRB Vice Chair, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 2025 - Present

Other Professional Positions

Executive Officer, Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, Chicago, IL, 2024 - Present

Intramural Institutional Committee Activities

Member, Academic Review Committee, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2025 - Present

Member, IRB, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2024 - Present

Member, Blood Transfusion Committee, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2023 - 2025

Member, Scientific Review Committee, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2023 - 2024

Member, T32 Program Steering Committee, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2022 - Present

Extramural Institutional Committee Activities

Examiner, General Surgery Certifying Exam, American Board of Surgery, 2025 - Present

Member, Cancer Research Foundation, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2023 - Present

Consultant, General Surgery Certifying Exam Skin & Soft Tissue Committee, American Board of Surgery, 2023 - Present

Honors & Awards

2024	Toomim Award for the Leading Clinical Research Faculty Learning Series, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
2022	Faculty Teaching Appreciation Award, Washington University School of Medicine General Surgery Residency
2022 - Present	Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS), American College of Surgeons
2021	Scholar in Cancer Immunology, Arthur L. Irving Family Foundation
2021	Bursky Research Scholar, Washington University School of Medicine
2020	APP Fellow of the Year Award, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
2019 - 2020	Eva Lotzova Memorial Basic/Translational Research Award, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
2019	Thomas H. and Mayme P. Scott Fellowship in Cancer Research, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
2018	Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) Travel Award, Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC)
2016	Frist Global Health Leader, Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health
2012	Samson F. Wennerman Prize in Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine
2012	Alpha Omega Alpha, Washington University School of Medicine
2010	Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Fellowship, Washington University School of Medicine
2003	Barry M. Goldwater Scholar, Goldwater Foundation

Professional Memberships

Society for the Surgery of the Alimentary Tract

2023 - Present

Association for Academic Surgery

2023 - Present

Society for the Immunotherapy of Cancer

2017 - Present

Society for Surgical Oncology

2016 - Present

Selected Presentations & Talks

Local Presentations

2023. Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy; A Primer for Surgeons. Invited. Grand Rounds. Houston, Texas, US.

Regional Presentations

2019. Determinants of the response to and toxicity of immunotherapy. Invited. Determinants of the response to and toxicity of immunotherapy. Nashville, TN, US.

National Presentations

2025. Biomarker Based Treatment Stratification for Peritoneal Surface Malignancies. Panelist. SSO 2025. Tampa, FL, US.
2024. Role of Immotherapy in Peritoneal Malignancy. Invited. Digestive Disease Week 2024. Washington DC, US.
2020. Redefining the role of B-cells and tertiary lymphoid structures in melanoma. Invited. North American Vascular Biology Organization (NAVBO), US.
2019. The role of the gut microbiome in the response to and toxicity of immune checkpoint blockade in cancer. Invited. 2019 AAD Annual Meeting. Washington DC, US.

International Presentations

2019. Bringing concepts to clinic--the role of the gut microbiome in the response to immune checkpoint blockade in melanoma patients. Invited. Bringing concepts to clinic--the role of the gut microbiome in the response to immune checkpoint blockade in melanoma patients. London, GB.
2019. Raising the efficacy in immunotherapy of melanoma: what are we going to achieve?. Invited. Raising the efficacy in immunotherapy of melanoma: what are we going to achieve?. Paris, FR.
2019. The gut microbiome affects anti-tumor immune responses. Invited. The gut microbiome affects anti-tumor immune responses. Paris, FR.
2019. The impact of the gut microbiome in the response to immunotherapy in melanoma. Invited. The impact of the gut microbiome in the response to immunotherapy in melanoma. Madrid, ES.
2019. Bringing concepts to clinic--the role of the gut microbiome in the response to and toxicity of immune checkpoint blockade in cancer. Invited. Bringing concepts to clinic--the role of the gut microbiome in the response to and toxicity of immune checkpoint blockade in cancer. Ettal, DE.
2019. Bringing concepts to clinic--the role of the gut microbiome in the response to and toxicity of immune checkpoint blockade in cancer. Invited. Bringing concepts to clinic--the role of the gut microbiome in the response to and toxicity of immune checkpoint blockade in cancer. Brisbane, AU.
2019. B-cells and tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) contribute to immune checkpoint blockade response in melanoma. Invited. B-cells and tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) contribute to immune checkpoint blockade response in melanoma. Paris, FR.
2018. Role of the gut microbiome in the response to immunotherapy in cancer. Invited. Role of the gut microbiome in the response to immunotherapy in cancer. Mar del Plata, AR.

Formal Peers

2024. The Surgical Management of Peritoneal Malignancies. Houston, Texas, US.
2023. Building an Academic Foundation Webinar: Interviewing for Your First Job, US.
2023. PreCancer Atlas: From Biology to Cancer Interception, US.
2023. The Current Role of Cytoreduction and HIPEC in GI Cancers. Houston, Texas, US.
2021. The Role of HIPEC in Ovarian Cancer, US.

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Grant & Contract Support

Date:	2024 - 2026
Title:	Influences of the Local Immune Response and the Microbiome in Peritoneal Metastases of GI Origin
Funding Source:	American Surgical Association
Role:	PI

Date:	2024 - 2025
Title:	Defining the role of seed and soil in peritoneal metastasis evolution
Funding Source:	NIH
Role:	Co-I
ID:	1R01CA279054-01A1

Date:	2023 - Present
Title:	Excecutive Officer for the Procedural Based Therapeutics Program for Alliance
Funding Source:	NCI
Role:	Key

Date:	2023 - 2024
Title:	The Influence of the Peritoneal Immune Response in Colorectal Cancer
Funding Source:	UTMDACC GI SPORE CEP Program
Role:	PI
ID:	PID 128722

Date:	2022 - 2023
Title:	Young Investigator Award
Funding Source:	Cancer Research Foundation of America
Role:	PI

Selected Publications

Peer-Reviewed Articles

Song, Y, Allam, J, Beaty, K, Willett, A, Taggart, MW, Malpica, A, Royal, RE, Mansfield, PF, Huey, RW, Raghav, KS, Fournier, KF, Helmink, BA. Perioperative outcomes of cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy following neoadjuvant systemic therapy for high-volume peritoneal mesothelioma. Surgical Oncology Insight 3(1), 2026. e-Pub 2026.
Anderson BJ, Moss CE, Lee DD, Czepielewski RS, Helmink BA, Onufer EJ, Davis DL, Strickland MR, Kurashima K, Jain AK, Coon JJ, Randolph GJ, Overmyer KA. Proteomic and Lipidomic Atlas of Gut-Associated Lymph and Venous Depots in Female Piglets. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, 2026. e-Pub 2026. PMID: 41568461.
Seldomridge AN, White MG, Scally C, Royal RE, Routbort M, Iorgulescu J, Overman MJ, Lee SM, Foo WC, Taggart MW, Song Y, Mansfield PF, Fournier KF, Shen JP, Helmink BA. Clinicopathologic and Molecular Characteristics of High-Grade Appendiceal Mucinous Neoplasms. Ann Surg Oncol, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 41225239.
Marincola Smith P, Lie JJ, Seldomridge A, Galbraith NJ, Ramamurthy J, Song Y, Helmink BA, Mansfield PF, Fournier KF, White MG. Repeat Cytoreductive Surgery for Colorectal Cancer Metastatic to the Peritoneal Cavity. Ann Surg Oncol, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 41015624.
White MG, Smith PM, Bhutiani N, Helmink B, Galbraith N, Kopetz S, Overman M, Mansfield P, Fournier K, Uppal A. Long-Term Cytoreduction Outcomes With or Without Heated Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy For Colorectal Peritoneal Metastases. J Am Coll Surg 241(1):28-37, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 39945444.
Su DG, Brown LM, Bansal VV, Bakkila B, Concors SJ, Turaga KK, Gunderson C, Bergsland E, Strosberg JR, Halfdanarson TR, Metz DC, Kunstman JW, Kunz PL, Gangi A. Consensus Guideline for the Management of Peritoneal Metastases from Neuroendocrine Neoplasms. Ann Surg Oncol, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40560496.
Godfrey EL, Mahoney F, Bansal VV, Su DG, Hanna DN, Lopez-Ramirez F, Baron E, Turaga KK, Benson AB 3rd, Setia N, Winer JH, Gunderson CG, Shah R, Magge DR, Solsky I, Eng C, Eng OS, Shergill A, Shen JP, Misdraji J, Foote MB, Luo W. Consensus Guideline for the Management of Patients with Appendiceal Tumors, Part 2: Appendiceal Tumors with Peritoneal Involvement. Ann Surg Oncol, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40560501.
Godfrey EL, Mahoney F, Bansal VV, Su DG, Hanna DN, Lopez-Ramirez F, Baron E, Turaga KK, Benson AB 3rd, Cusack J, Winer JH, Gunderson CG, Misdraji J, Shah R, Magge DR, Solsky I, Eng C, Eng OS, Shergill A, Shen JP, Foote MB. Consensus Guideline for the Management of Patients with Appendiceal Tumors, Part 1: Appendiceal Tumors Without Peritoneal Involvement. Ann Surg Oncol, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40560498.
Marincola Smith, P, Seldomridge, AN, Chiang, YJ, White, MG, Song, Y, Scally, CP, Mansfield, PF, Fournier, KF, Helmink, BA. Outcomes following diagnostic laparoscopy in patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis deemed ineligible for cytoreduction and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) due to disease burden. Surgical Oncology Insight 2(2), 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40740309.
Fallon, EA, Awiwi, M, Bhutiani, N, Helmink, BA, Scally, CP, Mansfield, PF, Fournier, KF, Vikram, R, Uppal, A, White, MG. Peritoneal Cancer Index Correlates with Radiographic Assessment of Colorectal Carcinomatosis. Annals of surgical oncology 32(4):2923-2931, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 39730964.
Ito, I, Pattalachinti, V, Yousef, A, Chowdhury, S, Fanaeian, M, Haque, EU, Gunes, BB, Yousef, M, Salle, ER, Zeineddine, MA, Ji, S, Li, R, Wang, W, Helmink, BA, Taggart, MW, White, MG, Fournier, KF, Fowlkes, NW, Shen, JY. Development and characterization of orthotopic patient-derived xenograft models of peritoneal metastatic mucinous appendiceal adenocarcinoma. ESMO Gastrointestinal Oncology 7, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 41069644.
White, MG, Zeineddine, MA, Fallon, EA, Zeineddine, F, Dansby, J, Chowdhury, S, Hornstein, N, Yousef, A, Yousef, M, Bhutiani, N, Gu, Y, Kee, BK, Dasari, NV, Overman, MJ, Raghav, KS, Kopetz, S, Uppal, A, Taggart, MW, Newhook, TE, Fournier, KF, Helmink, BA, Drusbosky, L, Shen, JY. The Landscape of ctDNA in Appendiceal Adenocarcinoma. Clinical Cancer Research 31(3):551-560, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 39679931.
Rebeck, ON, Wallace, MJ, Prusa, J, Ning, J, Evbuomwan, EM, Rengarajan, S, Habimana-Griffin, L, Kwak, S, Zahrah, D, Tung, J, Liao, J, Mahmud, B, Fishbein, SR, Ramirez Tovar, ES, Mehta, R, Wang, B, Gorelik, MG, Helmink, BA, Dantas, G. A yeast-based oral therapeutic delivers immune checkpoint inhibitors to reduce intestinal tumor burden. Cell Chemical Biology 32(1):98-110.e7, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 39571582.
Gunes, BB, Hornstein, N, Wang, M, Yousef, M, Fanaeian, M, Yousef, A, Chowdhury, S, Zeineddine, MA, Haymaker, CL, Helmink, BA, Fournier, KF, Shen, JY. Single-cell RNA sequencing of appendiceal adenocarcinoma reveals a low proportion of epithelial cells and a fibroblast enriched tumor microenvironment. ESMO Gastrointestinal Oncology 6, 2024. e-Pub 2024.
Ayabe RI, Beaty K, Newhook TE, Cao HST, Tzeng CD, Helmink BA, Uppal A, Vauthey JN, Fournier KF, White MG. Incomplete Cytoreduction and Need for Major Hepatectomy Predict Shorter Survival in Patients Undergoing Combined Cytoreductive Surgery and Hepatectomy for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. Ann Surg Oncol 31(10):6366-6368, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38971956.
Di Luccia B, Molgora M, Khantakova D, Jaeger N, Chang HW, Czepielewski RS, Helmink BA, Onufer EJ, Fachi JL, Bhattarai B, Trsan T, Rodrigues PF, Hou J, Bando JK, da Silva CS, Cella M, Gilfillan S, Schreiber RD, Gordon JI, Colonna M. TREM2 deficiency reprograms intestinal macrophages and microbiota to enhance anti-PD-1 tumor immunotherapy. Sci Immunol 9(95):eadi5374, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38758808.
Canales-Herrerias P, Uzzan M, Seki A, Czepielewski RS, Verstockt B, Livanos AE, Raso F, Dunn A, Dai D, Wang A, Al-Taie Z, Martin J, Laurent T, Ko HM, Tokuyama M, Tankelevich M, Meringer H, Cossarini F, Jha D, Krek A, Paulsen JD, Taylor MD, Nakadar MZ, Wong J, Erlich EC, Mintz RL, Onufer EJ, Helmink BA, Sharma K, Rosenstein A, Ganjian D, Chung G, Dawson T, Juarez J, Yajnik V, Cerutti A, Faith JJ, Suarez-Farinas M, Argmann C, Petralia F, Randolph GJ, Polydorides AD, Reboldi A, Colombel JF, Mehandru S. Gut-associated lymphoid tissue attrition associates with response to anti-alpha4beta7 therapy in ulcerative colitis. Sci Immunol 9(94):eadg7549, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38640252.
Yousef A, Yousef M, Zeineddine MA, More A, Fanaeian M, Chowdhury S, Knafl M, Edelkamp P, Ito I, Gu Y, Pattalachinti V, Naini ZA, Zeineddine FA, Peterson J, Alfaro K, Foo WC, Jin J, Bhutiani N, Higbie V, Scally CP, Kee B, Kopetz S, Goldstein D, Strach M, Williamson A, Aziz O, Barriuso J, Uppal A, White MG, Helmink B, Fournier KF, Raghav KP, Taggart MW, Overman MJ, Shen JP. Serum Tumor Markers and Outcomes in Patients With Appendiceal Adenocarcinoma. JAMA Netw Open 7(2):e240260, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38416491.
Bhutiani, N, Grotz, TE, Concors, SJ, White, MG, Helmink, BA, Raghav, KS, Taggart, MW, Beaty, K, Royal, RE, Overman, MJ, Matamoros Jr, A, Scally, CP, Rafeeq, S, Mansfield, PF, Fournier, KF. Repeat Cytoreduction and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy for Recurrent Mucinous Appendiceal Adenocarcinoma. Annals of surgical oncology 31(1):614-621, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 37872456.
Han J, Gallerand A, Erlich EC, Helmink BA, Mair I, Li X, Eckhouse SR, Dimou FM, Shakhsheer BA, Phelps HM, Chan MM, Mintz RL, Lee DD, Schilling JD, Finlay CM, Allen JE, Jakubzick CV, Else KJ, Onufer EJ, Zhang N, Randolph GJ. Human serous cavity macrophages and dendritic cells possess counterparts in the mouse with a distinct distribution between species. Nat Immunol 25(1):155-165, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38102487.
Bhutiani N, Helmink BA, Zeineddine M, Uppal A, Shen JP, Spickard E, White MG. Utility of Circulating Tumor DNA in Appendiceal Tumors. J Gastrointest Surg 27(12):3071-3073, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37709990.
White MG, Bhutiani N, Helmink BA, Taggart M, Foo WC, Mansfield PF, Fournier KF, Scally CP. Treatment Variation and Long-Term Outcomes of Low-Grade Appendiceal Neoplasms. Ann Surg Oncol 30(13):8138-8143, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37702905.
Bhutiani N, White MG, Kim BJ, Scally CP, Helmink BA, Mansfield PF, Fournier KF, Royal RE. Decreasing Environmental Operating Room Chemotherapy Levels Following Heated Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) Through Implementation of Standard Protocols. Ann Surg Oncol 30(12):6981-6982, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37624514.
Woeltje MM, Evanoff AB, Helmink BA, Culbertson DL, Maleta KM, Manary MJ, Trehan I. Community-based management of acute malnutrition for infants under 6 months of age is safe and effective: analysis of operational data. Public Health Nutr 26(1):1-10, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 34915944.
Uppal A, Helmink B, Grotz TE, Konishi T, Fournier KF, Nguyen S, Taggart MW, Shen JP, Bednarski BK, You YN, Chang GJ. What is the Risk for Peritoneal Metastases and Survival Afterwards in T4 Colon Cancers?. Ann Surg Oncol 29(7):4224-4233, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35307803.
Vellano CP, White MG, Andrews MC, Chelvanambi M, Witt RG, Daniele JR, Titus M, McQuade JL, Conforti F, Burton EM, Lastrapes MJ, Ologun G, Cogdill AP, Morad G, Prieto P, Lazar AJ, Chu Y, Han G, Khan MAW, Helmink B, Davies MA, Amaria RN, Kovacs JJ, Woodman SE, Patel S, Hwu P, Peoples M, Lee JE, Cooper ZA, Zhu H, Gao G, Banerjee H, Lau M, Gershenwald JE, Lucci A, Keung EZ, Ross MI, Pala L, Pagan E, Segura RL, Liu Q, Borthwick MS, Lau E, Yates MS, Westin SN, Wani K, Tetzlaff MT, Haydu LE, Mahendra M, Ma X, Logothetis C, Kulstad Z, Johnson S, Hudgens CW, Feng N, Federico L, Long GV, Futreal PA, Arur S, Tawbi HA, Moran AE, Wang L, Heffernan TP, Marszalek JR, Wargo JA. Androgen receptor blockade promotes response to BRAF/MEK-targeted therapy. Nature 606(7915):797-803, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35705814.
Spencer CN, McQuade JL, Gopalakrishnan V, McCulloch JA, Vetizou M, Cogdill AP, Khan MAW, Zhang X, White MG, Peterson CB, Wong MC, Morad G, Rodgers T, Badger JH, Helmink BA, Andrews MC, Rodrigues RR, Morgun A, Kim YS, Roszik J, Hoffman KL, Zheng J, Zhou Y, Medik YB, Kahn LM, Johnson S, Hudgens CW, Wani K, Gaudreau PO, Harris AL, Jamal MA, Baruch EN, Perez-Guijarro E, Day CP, Merlino G, Pazdrak B, Lochmann BS, Szczepaniak-Sloane RA, Arora R, Anderson J, Zobniw CM, Posada E, Sirmans E, Simon J, Haydu LE, Burton EM, Wang L, Dang M, Clise-Dwyer K, Schneider S, Chapman T, Anang NAS, Duncan S, Toker J, Malke JC, Glitza IC, Amaria RN, Tawbi HA, Diab A, Wong MK, Patel SP, Woodman SE, Davies MA, Ross MI, Gershenwald JE, Lee JE, Hwu P, Jensen V, Samuels Y, Straussman R, Ajami NJ, Nelson KC, Nezi L, Petrosino JF, Futreal PA, Lazar AJ, Hu J, Jenq RR, Tetzlaff MT, Yan Y, Garrett WS, Huttenhower C, Sharma P, Watowich SS, Allison JP, Cohen L, Trinchieri G, Daniel CR, Wargo JA. Dietary fiber and probiotics influence the gut microbiome and melanoma immunotherapy response. Science 374(6575):1632-1640, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34941392.
Zhang N, Kim SH, Gainullina A, Erlich EC, Onufer EJ, Kim J, Czepielewski RS, Helmink BA, Dominguez JR, Saunders BT, Ding J, Williams JW, Jiang JX, Segal BH, Zinselmeyer BH, Randolph GJ, Kim KW. LYVE1+ macrophages of murine peritoneal mesothelium promote omentum-independent ovarian tumor growth. J Exp Med 218(12), 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34714329.
Lu Y, Ng AHC, Chow FE, Everson RG, Helmink BA, Tetzlaff MT, Thakur R, Wargo JA, Cloughesy TF, Prins RM, Heath JR. Resolution of tissue signatures of therapy response in patients with recurrent GBM treated with neoadjuvant anti-PD1. Nat Commun 12(1):4031, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34188042.
Galvani E, Mundra PA, Valpione S, Garcia-Martinez P, Smith M, Greenall J, Thakur R, Helmink B, Andrews MC, Boon L, Chester C, Gremel G, Hogan K, Mandal A, Zeng K, Banyard A, Ashton G, Cook M, Lorigan P, Wargo JA, Dhomen N, Marais R. Stroma remodeling and reduced cell division define durable response to PD-1 blockade in melanoma. Nat Commun 11(1):853, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32051401.
Helmink BA, Reddy SM, Gao J, Zhang S, Basar R, Thakur R, Yizhak K, Sade-Feldman M, Blando J, Han G, Gopalakrishnan V, Xi Y, Zhao H, Amaria RN, Tawbi HA, Cogdill AP, Liu W, LeBleu VS, Kugeratski FG, Patel S, Davies MA, Hwu P, Lee JE, Gershenwald JE, Lucci A, Arora R, Woodman S, Keung EZ, Gaudreau PO, Reuben A, Spencer CN, Burton EM, Haydu LE, Lazar AJ, Zapassodi R, Hudgens CW, Ledesma DA, Ong S, Bailey M, Warren S, Rao D, Krijgsman O, Rozeman EA, Peeper D, Blank CU, Schumacher TN, Butterfield LH, Zelazowska MA, McBride KM, Kalluri R, Allison J, Petitprez F, Fridman WH, Sautès-Fridman C, Hacohen N, Rezvani K, Sharma P, Tetzlaff MT, Wang L, Wargo JA. B cells and tertiary lymphoid structures promote immunotherapy response. Nature 577(7791):549-555, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 31942075.
Innes CL, Hesse JE, Morales AJ, Helmink BA, Schurman SH, Sleckman BP, Paules RS. DNA damage responses in murine Pre-B cells with genetic deficiencies in damage response genes. Cell Cycle 19(1):67-83, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 31757180.
Wang Y, Wiesnoski DH, Helmink BA, Gopalakrishnan V, Choi K, DuPont HL, Jiang ZD, Abu-Sbeih H, Sanchez CA, Chang CC, Parra ER, Francisco-Cruz A, Raju GS, Stroehlein JR, Campbell MT, Gao J, Subudhi SK, Maru DM, Blando JM, Lazar AJ, Allison JP, Sharma P, Tetzlaff MT, Wargo JA, Jenq RR. Fecal microbiota transplantation for refractory immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated colitis. Nat Med 24(12):1804-1808, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 30420754.
Tubbs AT, Dorsett Y, Chan E, Helmink B, Lee BS, Hung P, George R, Bredemeyer AL, Mittal A, Pappu RV, Chowdhury D, Mosammaparast N, Krangel MS, Sleckman BP. KAP-1 promotes resection of broken DNA ends not protected by γ-H2AX and 53BP1 in G1-phase lymphocytes. Mol Cell Biol 34(15):2811-21, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24842905.
Innes CL, Hesse JE, Palii SS, Helmink BA, Holub AJ, Sleckman BP, Paules RS. DNA damage activates a complex transcriptional response in murine lymphocytes that includes both physiological and cancer-predisposition programs. BMC Genomics 14(1):163, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23496831.
Helmink BA, Tubbs AT, Dorsett Y, Bednarski JJ, Walker LM, Feng Z, Sharma GG, McKinnon PJ, Zhang J, Bassing CH, Sleckman BP. H2AX prevents CtIP-mediated DNA end resection and aberrant repair in G1-phase lymphocytes. Nature 469(7329):245-9, 2011. e-Pub 2011. PMID: 21160476.
Reavie L, Della Gatta G, Crusio K, Aranda-Orgilles B, Buckley SM, Thompson B, Lee E, Gao J, Bredemeyer AL, Helmink BA, Zavadil J, Sleckman BP, Palomero T, Ferrando A, Aifantis I. Regulation of hematopoietic stem cell differentiation by a single ubiquitin ligase-substrate complex. Nat Immunol 11(3):207-15, 2010. e-Pub 2010. PMID: 20081848.
Yin B, Savic V, Juntilla MM, Bredemeyer AL, Yang-Iott KS, Helmink BA, Koretzky GA, Sleckman BP, Bassing CH. Histone H2AX stabilizes broken DNA strands to suppress chromosome breaks and translocations during V(D)J recombination. J Exp Med 206(12):2625-39, 2009. e-Pub 2009. PMID: 19887394.
Savic V, Yin B, Maas NL, Bredemeyer AL, Carpenter AC, Helmink BA, Yang-Iott KS, Sleckman BP, Bassing CH. Formation of dynamic gamma-H2AX domains along broken DNA strands is distinctly regulated by ATM and MDC1 and dependent upon H2AX densities in chromatin. Mol Cell 34(3):298-310, 2009. e-Pub 2009. PMID: 19450528.
Helmink BA, Bredemeyer AL, Lee BS, Huang CY, Sharma GG, Walker LM, Bednarski JJ, Lee WL, Pandita TK, Bassing CH, Sleckman BP. MRN complex function in the repair of chromosomal Rag-mediated DNA double-strand breaks. J Exp Med 206(3):669-79, 2009. e-Pub 2009. PMID: 19221393.
Bredemeyer AL, Helmink BA, Innes CL, Calderon B, McGinnis LM, Mahowald GK, Gapud EJ, Walker LM, Collins JB, Weaver BK, Mandik-Nayak L, Schreiber RD, Allen PM, May MJ, Paules RS, Bassing CH, Sleckman BP. DNA double-strand breaks activate a multi-functional genetic program in developing lymphocytes. Nature 456(7223):819-23, 2008. e-Pub 2008. PMID: 18849970.
Bredemeyer AL, Sharma GG, Huang CY, Helmink BA, Walker LM, Khor KC, Nuskey B, Sullivan KE, Pandita TK, Bassing CH, Sleckman BP. ATM stabilizes DNA double-strand-break complexes during V(D)J recombination. Nature 442(7101):466-70, 2006. e-Pub 2006. PMID: 16799570.
Helmink BA, Friesen JA. Characterization of a lipid activated CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase from Drosophila melanogaster. Biochim Biophys Acta 1683(1-3):78-88, 2004. e-Pub 2004. PMID: 15238222.
Helmink BA, Braker JD, Kent C, Friesen JA. Identification of lysine 122 and arginine 196 as important functional residues of rat CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase alpha. Biochemistry 42(17):5043-51, 2003. e-Pub 2003. PMID: 12718547.

Invited Articles

Borthwick Bowen M, Helmink BA, Wargo JA, Yates MS. TIME for Bugs: The Immune Microenvironment and Microbes in Precancer. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 16(9):497-505, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37428011.
Alspach E, Chow RD, Demehri S, Guerriero JL, Gujar S, Hartmann FJ, Helmink BA, Hudson WH, Ho WJ, Ma L, Maier BB, Maltez VI, Miller BC, Moran AE, Parry EM, Pillai PS, Rafiq S, Reina-Campos M, Rosato PC, Rudqvist NP, Ruhland MK, Sagiv-Barfi I, Sahu AD, Samstein RM, Schürch CM, Sen DR, Thommen DS, Wolf Y, Zappasodi R. Supporting the Next Generation of Scientists to Lead Cancer Immunology Research. Cancer Immunol Res 9(11):1245-1251, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34544686.
Helmink BA, Boughey JC, Roland CL. Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy—Results in Melanoma Show Promise and Pave the Way for Other Solid Tumors. ACS Bulletin, 2021. e-Pub 2021.
Helmink BA, Roland CL, Kiernan CM, Wargo JA. Toxicity of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Considerations for the Surgeon. Ann Surg Oncol 27(5):1533-1545, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 31965370.
Helmink B, Wargo JA. Neoadjuvant therapy for melanoma: is it ready for prime time?. Lancet Oncol 20(7):892-894, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31171445.
Helmink BA, Gaudreau PO, Wargo JA. Immune Checkpoint Blockade across the Cancer Care Continuum. Immunity 48(6):1077-1080, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29924973.

Review Articles

Butensky SD, Bansal VV, Su DG, Waheed MT, Nikiforchin A, Gomez-Mayorga JL, Olecki E, Radomski SN, Sun B, Turaga KK, Gunderson CG, Lacy J, Badgwell BD, In H, Kennedy T, Yoon HH, Greer JB, Sundar R, Woo Y. Consensus Guideline for the Management of Gastric Cancer with Synchronous Peritoneal Metastases. Ann Surg Oncol, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40560499.
Schultz KS, Bansal VV, Wach MM, Bhutiani N, Godley FA 4th, Wang JJ, Waheed MT, Buchheit JT, Papai E, Campbell S, Schleimer LE, Su DG, Turaga KK, Gunderson CG, White MG, Uppal A, Raghav KPS, Labow DM, Sarpel U, Shergill AP, Shen JP, Eng C, Foote MB, Baumgartner JM. Consensus Guideline for the Management of Colorectal Cancer with Peritoneal Metastases. Ann Surg Oncol, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40560497.
Brown LM, Wilkins SG, Bansal VV, Su DG, Gomez-Mayorga J, Turaga KK, Gunderson CG, Lee B, Nash GM, Hays JL, Raghav KP, Husain AL, Kluger MD, Zauderer MG, Kindler HL, Alexander HR. Consensus Guideline for the Management of Peritoneal Mesothelioma. Ann Surg Oncol, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40560500.
Bansal VV, Godfrey EL, Sadjadi J, Bello RJ, Kwakman R, Abreu AA, Vudatha V, Sparkman BK, Freudenberger DC, Su DG, Turaga KK, Micic D, Malec M, Tun S, Polite B, Lambert LA, Greenbaum A, Gunderson CG, Smith TJ, Kopecky KE, Powers BD, Maduekwe UN, Ward EP. Consensus Guideline for the Management of Malignant Gastrointestinal Obstruction in Patients with Peritoneal Surface Malignancies. Ann Surg Oncol, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40560502.
Fernandez, E, Wargo, J, Helmink, BA. The Microbiome and Cancer. JAMA 333(24):2188-2196, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40354071.
Helmink BA, Ansstas G, Fields RC. Biomarker-Driven Prognostication in Merkel Cell Carcinoma: A Paradigm for Personalized Therapy. Ann Surg Oncol 29(3):1498-1501, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 34787738.
Morad G, Helmink BA, Sharma P, Wargo JA. Hallmarks of response, resistance, and toxicity to immune checkpoint blockade. Cell 185(3):576, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35120665.
McAllister F, Khan MAW, Helmink B, Wargo JA. The Tumor Microbiome in Pancreatic Cancer: Bacteria and Beyond. Cancer Cell 36(6):577-579, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31951558.
Helmink BA, Khan MAW, Hermann A, Gopalakrishnan V, Wargo JA. The microbiome, cancer, and cancer therapy. Nat Med 25(3):377-388, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30842679.
McQuade JL, Daniel CR, Helmink BA, Wargo JA. Modulating the microbiome to improve therapeutic response in cancer. Lancet Oncol 20(2):e77-e91, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30712808.
Gopalakrishnan V, Helmink BA, Spencer CN, Reuben A, Wargo JA. The Influence of the Gut Microbiome on Cancer, Immunity, and Cancer Immunotherapy. Cancer Cell 33(4):570-580, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29634945.
Helmink BA, Sleckman BP. The response to and repair of RAG-mediated DNA double-strand breaks. Annu Rev Immunol 30:175-202, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 22224778.

Editorials

Seldomridge AN, Helmink BA. ASO Author Reflections: An Evolving Understanding of High-Grade Appendiceal Mucinous Neoplasms. Ann Surg Oncol, 2025. PMID: 41269539.
Gupta P, Godfrey EL, Schultz KS, Yu LJ, Bansal VV, Gomez-Mayorga J, Papageorge M, Proussaloglou EM, Su DG, Merl MY, Ward E, Sood D, Magge DR, Senthil M, Kopecky KE, Turaga KK, Sarpel U, Peritoneal Surface Malignancies Consortium Group. Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy: A Call to Study Reproductive Safety for Healthcare Workers. Ann Surg Oncol 32(12):8568-8572, 2025. PMID: 40877725.
Bansal VV, Witmer HDD, Childers CP, Su DG, Turaga KK, Peritoneal Surface Malignancies Consortium Group. When Benchmarks Fail Us: A Case Study in Cytoreductive Surgery. Ann Surg Oncol 32(1):19-23, 2025. PMID: 39460818.

Abstracts

Han J, Gallerand A, Seldomridge A, Fallon EA, Mintz RL, Eckhouse SR, Dimou FM, Shakhsheer BA, Phelps HM, Onufer EJ, Zhang N, Randolph GJ, Helmink BA. Distinct Immune Features in the Peritoneal Cavity Shape the Ecosystem of Gastrointestinal Cancer Metastasis. American Association of Immunologists, 2025.
Folkert IW, Lie JJ, Bhutiani N, Das P, Song Y, Mansfield PF, Royal RE, Scally CP, Dineen SP, Fournier KF, Helmink BA. Multidisciplinary management of locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the appendix. Society for Surgical Oncology, 2025.
Seldomridge AN, Song Y, Mansfield P, White MG, Scally CP, Shen JP, Foo WC, Taggart MW, Fournier KF, Helmink BA. Clinical outcomes for high-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasms. Advanced Cancer Therapies, 2025.
Smith PM, Seldomridge A, Chiang Y, White MG, Scally C, Mansfield PF, Fournier KF, Helmink BA. Outcomes Following “Failed” Diagnostic Laparoscopy in Patients with Peritoneal Carcinomatosis not Amenable to Cytoreduction and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC). Advanced Cancer Therapies, 2025.
Fallon EA, Melendez B, Singh BB, Segura RL, Ingram DR, Wani K, Fong LW, Damania A, Orellana V, Fanaeian M, Ajami NJ, Losh JS, Lazar AJ, Raghav K, Shen JP, Taggart M, Wargo JA, White MG, Helmink BA. Utilizing spatial transcriptomics to define potential biomarkers of immune checkpoint blockade in appendiceal cancer – a proof of concept pilot study. Society for the Immunotherapy of Cancer, 2024.
Shen JP, Ichiaki I, Yousef AMG, White MG, Fournier KF, Helmink BA. A phase I/II study of intraperitoneal (IP) paclitaxel (PTX) in patients with metastatic appendiceal adenocarcinoma. ASCO, 2024.
White MG, Bhutiani N, Concors SJ, Helmink BA, Scally CP, Zeineddine M, Yousef AMG, Raghav K, Mansfield P, Uppal A, Shen JP, Fournier KF. Utility of circulating tumoral DNA in Appendiceal Tumors. Advanced Cellular Therapies, 2023.
Bhutiani N, Concors SJ, White MG, Rafeeq S, Helmink BA, Scally CP, Mansfield P, Fournier KF. Repeat Cytoreduction and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy for Recurrent Mucinous Appendiceal Adenocarcinoma: A Viable Treatment Strategy with Demonstrable Benefit. Advanced Cellular Therapies, 2023.
Uppal A, Helmink BA, Grotz TE, Fournier KF, Nguyen S, Taggart M, Shen J-P YC, Bednarski BK, You YN, Chang, GJ. What is the risk for peritoneal recurrence in T4 colon cancers?. Society for Surgical Oncology, 2021.
Helmink BA, Reddy SM, Ong S, Bailey MD, Bahrami AS, Wargo JA, Tetzlaff MT. NanoString GeoMxTM digital spatial profiling further defines the role of B-cells in the response to immune checkpoint blockade. AACR, 2019.
Reddy S, Helmink BA, Gao J, Zhang S, Yizhak K, Sade-Feldman M, Fridman WH, Sautes- Fridman C, Hacohen N, Allison J, Sharma P, Wang L, Wargo JA. B-cells and tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) predict response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). Society for the Immunotherapy of Cancer, 2018.
Helmink BA, Gopalakrishnan V, Davies MA, Hwu P, Tawbi H, Glitza IC, Wargo JA. Variation of the gut microbiome of complete responders to immune checkpoint blockade and healthy individuals – implications for clinical trial design. Society for the Immunotherapy of Cancer, 2018.
Gopalakrishnan V, Spencer C, McQuade J, Andrews MC, Helmink BA, Daniel-MacDougall CR, Cohen L, Wargo JA. The gut microbiome of metastatic melanoma patients initiating systemic therapy is influenced by host factors including diet, probiotic and antibiotic use. Society for the Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC), 2018.

Book Chapters

Ahmad SA, Xia BT, Bailey CE, Abbott DE, Helmink BA, Daly MC, Thota R, Schlegal C, Winer LK, Ahmad SA, Al Humaidi AH, Parikh AA. An update on gastric cancer. In: Curr Probl Surg. 10, 449-90, 2016.
Helmink BA, Snyder RA, Idrees K, Merchant NB, Parikh AA. Advances in the Surgical Management of Resectable and Borderline Resectable Pancreas Cancer. In: Surg Oncol Clin N Am. 2, 287-310, 2016.
Helmink BA, Bailey CE, & Tarpley JL. Small Bowel Tumors. In: Current Surgical Therapy. 12th, 121-127, 2016.

Web Publications

Lee A, Fields RC, Helmink BA. Applications of Genomics in the Care of Melanoma Patients, 2022.