Curtis R Pickering, PhD
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Division of Surgery
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Associate Professor, Department of Head and Neck Surgery - Research, Division of Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Research Interests
My research program is focused on the translational genomics of head and neck cancer. This lethal and debilitating disease is still treated primarily with surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation. Our goal is to improve the treatment of head and neck cancer by understanding the genomic alterations that drive the disease.
Our translational research process starts with patient samples or data from previous patient studies, i.e. TCGA. We have recently characterized the spectrum of genomic alterations in oral tongue cancer and squamous skin cancer. These studies identified numerous genes of unknown clinical and functional relevance; including NOTCH1, CASP8, FAT1 and AJUBA. These top candidate alterations are now being studied functionally in the laboratory. We are also performing high-throughput functional genomic screens to rapidly detect additional key genes. Finally, pathway analysis has suggested that many of these genes regulate squamous differentiation, and this hypothesis is being investigated in a 3-dimensional organotypic raft culture system.
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2012 | University of Texas Health Science Center, MD Anderson Cancer Center GSBS, Houston, TX, USA, Certificate, Clinical and Translational Research for Biomedical Scientists |
| 2008 | University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA, PHD, Cell Biology |
| 2001 | Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA, BS, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology |
Postgraduate Training
| 1999-2001 | Student, Howard Hughes Undergraduate Research Scholars Program, National Food Safety Toxicology Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI |
Experience & Service
Academic Appointments
Assistant Professor, Department of Head and Neck Surgery - Research, Division of Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2014 - 2020
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Chahoud J, Gleber-Netto FO, McCormick BZ, Rao P, Lu X, Guo M, Morgan MB, Chu RA, Martinez-Ferrer M, Eterovic AK, Pickering CR, Pettaway CA. Whole Exome Sequencing in Penile Squamous Cell Carcinoma Uncovers Novel Prognostic Categorization and Drug Targets Similar to Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Clin Cancer Res 27(9):2560-2570, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33441293.
- Uzunparmak B, Gao M, Lindemann A, Erikson K, Wang L, Lin E, Frank SJ, Gleber-Netto FO, Zhao M, Skinner HD, Newton J, Sikora AG, Myers JN, Pickering CR. Caspase-8 loss radiosensitizes head and neck squamous cell carcinoma to SMAC mimetic-induced necroptosis. JCI Insight 5(23), 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 33108350.
- Hah JH, Zhao M, Pickering CR, Frederick MJ, Andrews GA, Jasser SA, Fooshee DR, Milas ZL, Galer C, Sano D, William WN, Kim E, Heymach J, Byers LA, Papadimitrakopoulou V, Myers JN. HRAS mutations and resistance to the epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor erlotinib in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells. Head Neck 36(11):1547-54, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24123531.
- Bailey AM, Zhan L, Maru D, Shureiqi I, Pickering CR, Kiriakova G, Izzo J, He N, Wei C, Baladandayuthapani V, Liang H, Kopetz S, Powis G, Guo GL. FXR silencing in human colon cancer by DNA methylation and KRAS signaling. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 306(1):G48-58, 2014. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 24177031.
- Pickering CR, Shah K, Ahmed S, Rao A, Frederick MJ, Zhang J, Unruh AK, Wang J, Ginsberg LE, Kumar AJ, Myers JN, Hamilton JD. CT imaging correlates of genomic expression for oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 34(9):1818-22, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23764725.
- Gadhikar MA, Sciuto MR, Alves MV, Pickering CR, Osman AA, Neskey DM, Zhao M, Fitzgerald AL, Myers JN, Frederick MJ. Chk1/2 inhibition overcomes the cisplatin resistance of head and neck cancer cells secondary to the loss of functional p53. Mol Cancer Ther 12(9):1860-73, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23839309.
- Wu X, Bhayani MK, Dodge CT, Nicoloso MS, Chen Y, Yan X, Adachi M, Thomas L, Galer CE, Jiffar T, Pickering CR, Kupferman ME, Myers JN, Calin GA, Lai SY. Coordinated targeting of the EGFR signaling axis by microRNA-27a*. Oncotarget 4(9):1388-98, 2013. PMID: 23963114.
- Mroz EA, Tward AD, Pickering CR, Myers JN, Ferris RL, Rocco JW. High intratumor genetic heterogeneity is related to worse outcome in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer 119(16):3034-42, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23696076.
- Pickering CR, Zhang J, Yoo SY, Bengtsson L, Moorthy S, Neskey DM, Zhao M, Ortega Alves MV, Chang K, Drummond J, Cortez E, Xie TX, Zhang D, Chung W, Issa JP, Zweidler-McKay PA, Wu X, El-Naggar AK, Weinstein JN, Wang J, Muzny DM, Gibbs RA, Wheeler DA, Myers JN, Frederick MJ. Integrative genomic characterization of oral squamous cell carcinoma identifies frequent somatic drivers. Cancer Discov 3(7):770-81, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23619168.
- Sandulache VC, Skinner HD, Ow TJ, Zhang A, Xia X, Luchak JM, Wong LJ, Pickering CR, Zhou G, Myers JN. Individualizing antimetabolic treatment strategies for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma based on TP53 mutational status. Cancer 118(3):711-21, 2012. e-Pub 2011. PMID: 21720999.
- Zhao M, Sano D, Pickering CR, Jasser SA, Henderson YC, Clayman GL, Sturgis EM, Ow TJ, Lotan R, Carey TE, Sacks PG, Grandis JR, Sidransky D, Heldin NE, Myers JN. Assembly and initial characterization of a panel of 85 genomically validated cell lines from diverse head and neck tumor sites. Clin Cancer Res 17(23):7248-64, 2011. e-Pub 2011. PMID: 21868764.
- Sano D, Xie TX, Ow TJ, Zhao M, Pickering CR, Zhou G, Sandulache VC, Wheeler DA, Gibbs RA, Caulin C, Myers JN. Disruptive TP53 mutation is associated with aggressive disease characteristics in an orthotopic murine model of oral tongue cancer. Clin Cancer Res 17(21):6658-70, 2011. e-Pub 2011. PMID: 21903770.
- Agrawal N, Frederick MJ, Pickering CR, Bettegowda C, Chang K, Li RJ, Fakhry C, Xie TX, Zhang J, Wang J, Zhang N, El-Naggar AK, Jasser SA, Weinstein JN, Treviño L, Drummond JA, Muzny DM, Wu Y, Wood LD, Hruban RH, Westra WH, Koch WM, Califano JA, Gibbs RA, Sidransky D, Vogelstein B, Velculescu VE, Papadopoulos N, Wheeler DA, Kinzler KW, Myers JN. Exome sequencing of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma reveals inactivating mutations in NOTCH1. Science 333(6046):1154-7, 2011. e-Pub 2011. PMID: 21798897.
- Sandulache VC, Ow TJ, Pickering CR, Frederick MJ, Zhou G, Fokt I, Davis-Malesevich M, Priebe W, Myers JN. Glucose, not glutamine, is the dominant energy source required for proliferation and survival of head and neck squamous carcinoma cells. Cancer 117(13):2926-38, 2011. e-Pub 2011. PMID: 21692052.
- Frederick MJ, VanMeter AJ, Gadhikar MA, Henderson YC, Yao H, Pickering CC, Williams MD, El-Naggar AK, Sandulache V, Tarco E, Myers JN, Clayman GL, Liotta LA, Petricoin EF, Calvert VS, Fodale V, Wang J, Weber RS. Phosphoproteomic analysis of signaling pathways in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patient samples. Am J Pathol 178(2):548-71, 2011. PMID: 21281788.
- Fordyce C, Fessenden T, Pickering C, Jung J, Singla V, Berman H, Tlsty T. DNA damage drives an activin a-dependent induction of cyclooxygenase-2 in premalignant cells and lesions. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 3(2):190-201, 2010. e-Pub 2009. PMID: 20028875.
Invited Articles
- Loyo M, Li RJ, Bettegowda C, Pickering CR, Frederick MJ, Myers JN, Agrawal N. Lessons learned from next-generation sequencing in head and neck cancer. Head Neck 35(3):454-63, 2013. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 22907887.
Editorials
- Pickering CR, Myers JN. Bcl-2 inhibition or FBXW7 mutation sensitizes solid tumor cells to HDAC inhibition in vitro but could prove difficult to validate in patients. Cancer Discov 3(3):258-9, 2013. PMID: 23475877.
Grant & Contract Support
| Title: | Identification of Clinically Relevant Targets for Radiosensitization |
| Funding Source: | Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) |
| Role: | Co-Principal Investigator |
| Title: | KNIT: A Knowledge Integration Tool for Hypothesis Generator |
| Funding Source: | Baylor College of Medicine |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |
| Title: | A Knowledge Integration Tool for Biological Discovery |
| Funding Source: | Baylor College of Medicine |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |
| Title: | Rapid and Sensitive Diagnostic Testing for Somatic Mutations in Cancer |
| Funding Source: | Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |
| Title: | Translating Genomic Alterations into Novel Therapeutic Targets in Head and Neck Cancer through Computational and Functional Approaches |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NIDCR |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |
| Title: | Spore in Head and Neck Cancer - Comprehensive Genomic Characterization of HNSCC Arising in HIV-Infected Individuals |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NIDCR sub through Johns Hopkins University |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |
| Title: | Synthetic Lethal Targeting of CREBBP/EP300 in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NIDCR |
| Role: | Co-Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Deep Learning Image Analysis Algorithms to Improve Oral Cancer Risk Assessment for Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NIDCR |
| Role: | Co-Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Genomic and Immune Targeting of Oral Leukoplakia to Prevent Progression to Cancer |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NIDCR |
| Role: | Co-Principal Investigator |