Irene Ganan-Gomez, Ph.D.
Department of Leukemia, Division of Cancer Medicine
About Dr. Irene Ganan-Gomez
Dr. Ganan-Gomez's pre-doctoral studies in the Department of Systems Biology at Universidad de Alcala (Madrid, Spain) focused on the molecula r mechanisms underlying resistance to cell death in myeloid leukemias. In this period, she had the opportunity to intern in the laboratory of Dr. Guillermo Garcia-Manero in the Department of Leukemia at MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC). Under Dr. Garcia-Manero’s supervision, she specialized in the pathogenesis of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) as she studied the involvement of epigenetic deregulation and innate immunity in MDS and conducted research on the role of microRNAs in this disease.
In 2014, Dr. Ganan-Gomez returned to MDACC as a Postdoctoral Fellow to continue her research on MDS pathogenesis with a focus on the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) origin of the disease, mentored by Dr. Simona Colla. Dr. Ganan-Gomez gained especial interest in HSC-intrinsic mechanisms that lead to the differentiation abnormalities that characterize the MDS phenotype and, particularly, in those that drive therapy failure and disease progression. In this period, she elucidated the role of specific HSC subpopulations in those processes and characterized molecular mechanisms involved. She successfully identified and validated specific molecular targets as key factors in MDS progression, and proposed different targeted therapeutic approaches to treat progressive disease.
Dr. Ganan-Gomez's current research is aimed at (a) understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the hematopoietic differentiation abnormalities characteristic of MDS in treatment-naïve patients and patients who fail standard therapy, and (b) unraveling the stem cell mechanisms driving pre-MDS syndromes such as idiopathic and clonal cytopenias of unknown significance.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Instructor, Department of Leukemia - Research, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Research Interests
My research focuses in the molecular pathogenesis and mechanisms of drug resistance of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), a heterogeneous group of hematologic malignancies that affect bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and result in inefficient blood production leading to multilineage cytopenias. Patients with MDS have very limited therapeutic options, which often fail and lead to an extremely poor prognosis, frequently associated with the progression of the disease to a fatal acute leukemia.
I am interested in the stem-cell specific mechanisms that induce differentiation defects and/or cell death and lead to inefficient hematopoiesis. Particularly, my work is focused on the role of HSCs as drivers of failure to conventional therapies and progression to leukemia in MDS patients. I have characterized the HSC-specific mechanisms involved in disease evolution, and identified and validated specific molecular targets as key factors in MDS progression. In line with these past discoveries, my current research is aimed at understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for the hematopoietic abnormalities that characterize MDS, both in treatment-naïve patients and in patients who have failed standard therapies. Additionally, I continue the study of HSC-intrinsic and microenvironment-related oncogenic mechanisms involved in the development of the so-called pre-MDS syndromes that present with inefficient hematopoiesis, such as idiopathic and clonal cytopenias of unknown significance.
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2013 | Universidad de Alcala, Alcala de Henares, ESP, PHD, Systems Biology |
| 2009 | Universidad de Alcala, Alcala de Henares, ESP, MS, Cell Signaling and Molecular Targets |
| 2008 | Universidad de Alcala, Alcala de Henares, ESP, BS, Pharmacy |
Postgraduate Training
| 2014-2019 | Research Fellowship, Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX |
Honors & Awards
| 2019 | UTMDACC Leukemia SPORE Career Enhancement Award, UTMDACC Leukemia SPORE Career Enhancement Program |
| 2016 | The Kimberly Patterson Fellowship in Leukemia Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Endowed Fellowship Award Program |
| 2011 | Jose Castillejo Travel Award for Research Internships in Foreign Institutions, Council of Science and Technology, Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, Spain |
| 2010 | Jose Castillejo Travel Award for Research Internships in Foreign Institutions, Council of Science and Technology, Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, Spain |
| 2009 | Introduction to Research Activity Award, Universidad de Alcala, Madrid, Spain |
| 2009 | Research Staff Training Award, Council of Science and Technology, Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, Spain |
| 2007 | Introduction to Research Award, Universidad de Alcala, Madrid, Spain |
Professional Memberships
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Bazinet A, Darbaniyan F, Jabbour E, Montalban-Bravo G, Ohanian M, Chien K, Kadia T, Takahashi K, Masarova L, Short N, Alvarado Y, Yilmaz M, Ravandi F, Andreeff M, Kanagal-Shamanna R, Ganan-Gomez I, Colla S, Qiao W, Huang X, McCue D, Mirabella B, Kantarjian H, Garcia-Manero G. Azacitidine plus venetoclax in patients with high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes or chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia: phase 1 results of a single-centre, dose-escalation, dose-expansion, phase 1-2 study. Lancet Haematol 9(10):e756-e765, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 36063832.
- Ganan-Gomez I, Yang H, Ma F, Montalban-Bravo G, Thongon N, Marchica V, Richard-Carpentier G, Chien K, Manyam G, Wang F, Alfonso A, Chen S, Class C, Kanagal-Shamanna R, Ingram JP, Ogoti Y, Rose A, Loghavi S, Lockyer P, Cambo B, Muftuoglu M, Schneider S, Adema V, McLellan M, Garza J, Marchesini M, Giuliani N, Pellegrini M, Wang J, Walker J, Li Z, Takahashi K, Leverson JD, Bueso-Ramos C, Andreeff M, Clise-Dwyer K, Garcia-Manero G, Colla S. Stem cell architecture drives myelodysplastic syndrome progression and predicts response to venetoclax-based therapy. Nat Med 28(3):557-567, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35241842.
- Thongon N, Ma F, Santoni A, Marchesini M, Fiorini E, Rose A, Adema V, Ganan-Gomez I, Groarke EM, Gutierrez-Rodrigues F, Chen S, Lockyer P, Schneider S, Bueso-Ramos C, Montalban-Bravo G, Class CA, Soltysiak KA, Pellegrini M, Sahin E, Bertuch AA, DiNardo CD, Garcia-Manero G, Young NS, Dwyer K, Colla S. Hematopoiesis under telomere attrition at the single-cell resolution. Nat Commun 12(1):6850, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34824242.
- Kanagal-Shamanna R, Montalban-Bravo G, Katsonis P, Sasaki K, Class CA, Jabbour E, Sallman D, Hunter AM, Benton C, Chien KS, Luthra R, Bueso-Ramos CE, Kadia T, Andreeff M, Komrokji RS, Al Ali NH, Short N, Daver N, Routbort MJ, Khoury JD, Patel K, Ganan-Gomez I, Wei Y, Borthakur G, Ravandi F, Do KA, Soltysiak KA, Lichtarge O, Medeiros LJ, Kantarjian H, Garcia-Manero G. Evolutionary Action Score Identifies a Subset of TP53-Mutated Myelodysplastic Syndrome with Favorable Prognosis. Blood Cancer J 11(3):52, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33677472.
- Montalban-Bravo G, Darbaniyan F, Kanagal-Shamanna R, Ganan-Gomez I, Class CA, Sasaki K, Naqvi K, Wei Y, Yang H, Soltysiak KA, Chien KS, Bueso-Ramos C, Do KA, Kantarjian H, Garcia-Manero G. Type I interferon upregulation and deregulation of genes involved in monopoiesis in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. Leuk Res 101:106511, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33517186.
- Chien KS, Class CA, Montalban-Bravo G, Wei Y, Sasaki K, Naqvi K, Ganan-Gomez I, Yang H, Soltysiak KA, Kanagal-Shamanna R, Do KA, Kantarjian HM, Garcia-Manero G. LILRB4 expression in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome based on response to hypomethylating agents. Leuk Lymphoma 61(6):1493-1499, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32036728.
- Montalban-Bravo G, Class CA, Ganan-Gomez I, Kanagal-Shamanna R, Sasaki K, Richard-Carpentier G, Naqvi K, Wei Y, Yang H, Soltysiak KA, Chien K, Bueso-Ramos C, Do KA, Kantarjian H, Garcia-Manero G. Transcriptomic Analysis Implicates Necroptosis in Disease Progression and Prognosis in Myelodysplastic Syndromes. Leukemia 34(3):872-881, 2020. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31719677.
- Montalban-Bravo G, Kanagal-Shamanna R, Sasaki K, Patel K, Ganan-Gomez I, Jabbour E, Kadia T, Ravandi F, DiNardo C, Borthakur G, Takahashi K, Konopleva M, Komrokji RS, DeZern A, Kuzmanovic T, Maciejewski J, Pierce S, Colla S, Sekeres MA, Kantarjian H, Bueso-Ramos C, Garcia-Manero G. NPM1 mutations define a specific subgroup of MDS and MDS/MPN patients with favorable outcomes with intensive chemotherapy. Blood Adv 3(6):922-933, 2019. PMID: 30902805.
- Wei Y, Zheng H, Bao N, Jiang S, Bueso-Ramos CE, Khoury J, Class C, Lu Y, Lin K, Yang H, Ganan-Gomez I, Starczynowski DT, Do KA, Colla S, Garcia-Manero G. KDM6B overexpression activates innate immune signaling and impairs hematopoiesis in mice. Blood Adv 2(19):2491-2504, 2018. PMID: 30275007.
- Montalban-Bravo G, Takahashi K, Patel K, Wang F, Xingzhi S, Nogueras GM, Huang X, Pierola AA, Jabbour E, Colla S, Gañan-Gomez I, Borthakur G, Daver N, Estrov Z, Kadia T, Pemmaraju N, Ravandi F, Bueso-Ramos C, Chamseddine A, Konopleva M, Zhang J, Kantarjian H, Futreal A, Garcia-Manero G. Impact of the number of mutations in survival and response outcomes to hypomethylating agents in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes or myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms. Oncotarget 9(11):9714-9727, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29515765.
- Yang H, Fang Z, Wei Y, Bohannan ZS, Gañán-Gómez I, Pierola AA, Paradiso LJ, Iwamura H, Garcia-Manero G. Preclinical activity of FF-10501-01, a novel inosine-5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase inhibitor, in acute myeloid leukemia. Leuk Res 59:85-92, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28599189.
- Marchesini M, Ogoti Y, Fiorini E, Aktas Samur A, Nezi L, D'Anca M, Storti P, Samur MK, Ganan-Gomez I, Fulciniti MT, Mistry N, Jiang S, Bao N, Marchica V, Neri A, Bueso-Ramos C, Wu CJ, Zhang L, Liang H, Peng X, Giuliani N, Draetta G, Clise-Dwyer K, Kantarjian H, Munshi N, Orlowski R, Garcia-Manero G, DePinho RA, Colla S. ILF2 Is a Regulator of RNA Splicing and DNA Damage Response in 1q21-Amplified Multiple Myeloma. Cancer Cell 32(1):88-100.e6, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28669490.
- Chamseddine AN, Cabrero M, Wei Y, Ganan-Gomez I, Colla S, Takahashi K, Yang H, Bohannan ZS, Garcia-Manero G. PDE4 Differential Expression Is a Potential Prognostic Factor and Therapeutic Target in Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndrome and Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia. Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk 16 Suppl:S67-73, 2016. PMID: 27521329.
- Cabrero M, Wei Y, Yang H, Ganan-Gomez I, Bohannan Z, Colla S, Marchesini M, Bravo GM, Takahashi K, Bueso-Ramos C, Garcia-Manero G. Down-regulation of EZH2 expression in myelodysplastic syndromes. Leuk Res 44:1-7, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 26970171.
- Cabrero M, Yu Y, Verma A, Yang H, Colla S, Jia Y, Zheng H, Bohannan Z, Ganan-Gomez I, Futreal A, Takahashi K, Chin L, Kantarjian H, Pellagatti A, Bowman T, Boultwood J, Garcia-Manero G, Wei Y. Downregulation of Protection of Telomeres 1 expression in myelodysplastic syndromes with 7q deletion. Br J Haematol 173(1):161-5, 2016. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26105212.
- Colla S, Ong DS, Ogoti Y, Marchesini M, Mistry NA, Clise-Dwyer K, Ang SA, Storti P, Viale A, Giuliani N, Ruisaard K, Ganan Gomez I, Bristow CA, Estecio M, Weksberg DC, Ho YW, Hu B, Genovese G, Pettazzoni P, Multani AS, Jiang S, Hua S, Ryan MC, Carugo A, Nezi L, Wei Y, Yang H, D'Anca M, Zhang L, Gaddis S, Gong T, Horner JW, Heffernan TP, Jones P, Cooper LJ, Liang H, Kantarjian H, Wang YA, Chin L, Bueso-Ramos C, Garcia-Manero G, DePinho RA. Telomere dysfunction drives aberrant hematopoietic differentiation and myelodysplastic syndrome. Cancer Cell 27(5):644-57, 2015. PMID: 25965571.
- Gañán-Gómez I, Estañ-Omaña MC, Sancho P, Aller P, Boyano-Adánez MC. Mechanisms of resistance to apoptosis in the human acute promyelocytic leukemia cell line NB4. Ann Hematol 94(3):379-92, 2015. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25322811.
- Gañán-Gómez I, Wei Y, Yang H, Pierce S, Bueso-Ramos C, Calin G, Boyano-Adánez Mdel C, García-Manero G. Overexpression of miR-125a in myelodysplastic syndrome CD34+ cells modulates NF-κB activation and enhances erythroid differentiation arrest. PLoS One 9(4):e93404, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24690917.
- Wei Y, Chen R, Dimicoli S, Bueso-Ramos C, Neuberg D, Pierce S, Wang H, Yang H, Jia Y, Zheng H, Fang Z, Nguyen M, Ganan-Gomez I, Ebert B, Levine R, Kantarjian H, Garcia-Manero G. Global H3K4me3 genome mapping reveals alterations of innate immunity signaling and overexpression of JMJD3 in human myelodysplastic syndrome CD34+ cells. Leukemia 27(11):2177-86, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23538751.
- Wei Y, Dimicoli S, Bueso-Ramos C, Chen R, Yang H, Neuberg D, Pierce S, Jia Y, Zheng H, Wang H, Wang X, Nguyen M, Wang SA, Ebert B, Bejar R, Levine R, Abdel-Wahab O, Kleppe M, Ganan-Gomez I, Kantarjian H, Garcia-Manero G. Toll-like receptor alterations in myelodysplastic syndrome. Leukemia 27(9):1832-40, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23765228.
- Attieh Y, Geng QR, Dinardo CD, Zheng H, Jia Y, Fang ZH, Gañán-Gómez I, Yang H, Wei Y, Kantarjian H, Garcia-Manero G. Low frequency of H3.3 mutations and upregulated DAXX expression in MDS. Blood 121(19):4009-11, 2013. PMID: 23660862.
- Sancho P, Galeano E, Estañ MC, Gañán-Gómez I, Boyano-Adánez Mdel C, García-Pérez AI. Raf/MEK/ERK signaling inhibition enhances the ability of dequalinium to induce apoptosis in the human leukemic cell line K562. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 237(8):933-42, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 22875343.
Invited Articles
- Gañán-Gómez I, Wei Y, Starczynowski DT, Colla S, Yang H, Cabrero-Calvo M, Bohannan ZS, Verma A, Steidl U, Garcia-Manero G. Deregulation of innate immune and inflammatory signaling in myelodysplastic syndromes. Leukemia 29(7):1458-69, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 25761935.
- Gañán-Gómez I, Wei Y, Yang H, Boyano-Adánez MC, García-Manero G. Oncogenic functions of the transcription factor Nrf2. Free Radic Biol Med 65:750-764, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23820265.
- Wei Y, Gañán-Gómez I, Salazar-Dimicoli S, McCay SL, Garcia-Manero G. Histone methylation in myelodysplastic syndromes. Epigenomics 3(2):193-205, 2011. PMID: 22122281.
Editorials
- Gañán-Gómez I, Bohannan ZS, Garcia-Manero G. p38 MAPK in MDS. Aging (Albany NY) 7(6):346-7, 2015. PMID: 26081220.
Abstracts
- Ganan-Gomez I, Yang H, Ma F, Pellegrini M, Clise-Dwyer K, Garcia-Manero G, Colla S. Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Reveals Distinct Hematopoietic Stem Cell Hierarchies in MDS. Blood 134(771), 2019. e-Pub 2019.
- Ganan-Gomez I, Alfonso A, Yang H, Santoni S, Marchica V, Fiorini E, Montalban-Bravo G, Ogoti Y, Manyam G, Jiang S, Bao N, Jackson C, Rose A, Kanagal-Shamanna R, Bueso-Ramos CE, Cambò B, Giuliani N, Crugnola M, Konopleva MY, Clise-Dwyer K, Garcia-Manero G, Colla. Cell-Type Specific Mechanisms of Hematopoietic Stem Cell (HSC) Expansion Underpin Progressive Disease in Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) and Provide a Rationale for Targeted Therapies. Blood, 2018.
- Ganan-Gomez I, Alfonso A, Ogoti Y, Yang H, Montalban-Bravo G, Yu AC, Silver S, Clise-Dwyer K, Garcia-Manero G, Colla S. Identification of the Specific Hematopoietic Stem Cell Populations Responsible for Failure to Hypomethylating Agents in Myelodysplastic Syndromes. Leukemia Research, 2017.
- Gañán-Gómez I, Alfonso A, Ogoti Y, Yang H, Montalban-Bravo G, Yu AC, Marchesini M, Bueso-Ramos CE, Takahashi K, Clise-Dwyer K, Garcia-Manero G, Colla S. Hematopoietic Architecture of MDS before and after Progression Reveals Two Biologically Distinct Disease Subtypes. Blood, 2016.
- Gañán-Gómez I, Ogoti Y, Marchesini M, Jiang S, Bao N, Clise-Dwyer K, Garcia-Manero G and Colla S. Study of the Effect of Azacytidine on the Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cell Compartments of MDS Patients and Mouse Models, 2016.
- Gañán-Gómez I, Ogoti Y, Marchesini M, Wei Y, Yang H, Jiang S, Bao N, Bueso-Ramos CE, Garcia-Manero G, Colla S. Effect of Azacytidine on the Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cell Compartments of MDS Mouse Models: Unveiling the Mechanisms of Remission and Relapse. Blood, 2015.
Grant & Contract Support
| Title: | Targeting hypomethylating agent resistance in myelodysplastic syndromes |
| Funding Source: | The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, MDS/AML Moon Shot Program, Flagship 2 |
| Role: | Postdoctoral Fellow |
| Title: | Targeting hypomethylating agent failure in myelodysplastic syndrome |
| Funding Source: | Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) |
| Role: | Postdoctoral Fellow |
| Title: | Targeting hypomethylating agent resistance in myelodysplastic syndrome |
| Funding Source: | The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, MDS/AML Moon Shot Program, Flagship 1 |
| Role: | Investigator |
| Title: | Understanding the role of the new MCL1 inhibitor AMG176 in overcoming hypomethylating agent resistance in MDS |
| Funding Source: | Amgen |
| Role: | Investigator |
| Title: | Targeting hypomethylating agent resistance in myelodysplastic syndromes |
| Funding Source: | The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, MDS/AML Moon Shot Program, Flagship 2 |
| Role: | Investigator |
| Title: | Targeting anti-apoptotic pathways in myelodysplastic syndromes at the time of progression |
| Funding Source: | Evans MDS Foundation, MDS Evans Discovery Grant |
| Role: | Investigator |
| Title: | Targeting Anti-Apoptotic Pathways in MDS at the Time of Progression |
| Funding Source: | The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, MDS/AML Moon Shot Program, Flagship 1 |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |