David R. Spriggs, M.D.


Physician Investigator (Cl)
Cancer Center, Mass General Research Institute
Professor in Residence of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Physician
Hematology-Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital

Education

MD University of Wisconsin Medical School 1977

Research Interests

ca125; cancer diagnosis; ovarian cancer

Research Narrative

The Spriggs laboratory has been focused on the proteins on the ovarian cancer cell surface and how those proteins regulate function in health and cancer. The serum cancer marker, CA125, has been used to manage ovarian cancer since the 1980’s but its function is not known. CA125 has been identified as the product of the tethered mucin MUC16. Our studies over the past several years have provided insights into the function of MUC16. It is now apparent that the MUC16 regulates functions like growth, invasion and metastatic disease through the structure of sugars (glycosylation) on the surface of normal and cancer cells. This regulation requires interaction with specialized sugar binding proteins, Galectins which are key components of the tumor microenvironment.