Paola Betancur, PhD
Assistant Professor
Radiation Oncology
School of Medicine
We are interested in understanding the mechanisms encoded in the DNA by which cancerous cells avoid being detected and destroyed by the host’s immune system.
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Toward this goal, we examine the interactions between epigenetic modifiers, transcription factors and the genomic enhancers of target genes that in response to inflammation abnormally activate the immune escape program within tumor or damaged cells during aging, after radiation and in response to infectious diseases. To accomplish our goal, we have long lasting collaborations across campus, at Stanford University and other recognized national and international institutions. With patients in mind, we are a research group dedicated to finding methods for improving the treatment of cancer by analyzing the DNA of individual patients. In the era of personalized medicine, this information is critical for understanding which therapy will be more effective for each patient, and for targeting specific cancer types, including cancer of the breast.
Education & Training
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- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Champion Training University of California San Francisco 2020
- Post-doctoral fellowship Cancer Immunology Stanford University 2017
- PhD Cell Biology California Institute of Technology 2010
- BS Biology Stony Brook University 2003
Interests
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- cancer immunology
- epigenetics
- innate immune system
- inflammation
Websites
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- Lab link (betancurlab.ucsf.edu)
Grants and Projects
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Publications (12)
Top publication keywords:
Inflammation MediatorsNeural CrestEnhancer Elements, GeneticSkullGene Regulatory NetworksNeural PlateUp-RegulationSOXE Transcription FactorsCD47 AntigenMyelin and Lymphocyte-Associated Proteolipid ProteinsGene Expression Regulation, DevelopmentalLigasesSOXB1 Transcription FactorsBreast NeoplasmsChick Embryo
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Abstract 4402: A genomic insertion/deletion variant activates immune escape and tumor promoting programs in breast cancer.
Cancer Research 2024 Paola Betancur, Carolina DiBenedetto, Daniza Diane Acenas, Anthony Rodriguez, Alysia Thach -
High-resolution Inference of Multiplexed Anti-HIV Gene Editing using Single-Cell Targeted DNA Sequencing.
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology 2024 Bouzidi MS, Dossani ZY, Di Benedetto C, Raymond KA, Desai S, Chavez LR, Betancur P, Pillai SK -
Enhancer Clusters Drive Type I Interferon-Induced TRAIL Overexpression in Cancer, and Its Intracellular Protein Accumulation Fails to Induce Apoptosis.
Cancers 2023 Di Benedetto C, Khan T, Serrano-Saenz S, Rodriguez-Lemus A, Klomsiri C, Beutel TM, Thach A, Walczak H, Betancur P -
NSMCE2, a novel super-enhancer-regulated gene, is linked to poor prognosis and therapy resistance in breast cancer.
BMC cancer 2022 Di Benedetto C, Oh J, Choudhery Z, Shi W, Valdes G, Betancur P -
Activation of JUN in fibroblasts promotes pro-fibrotic programme and modulates protective immunity.
Nature communications 2020 Cui L, Chen SY, Lerbs T, Lee JW, Domizi P, Gordon S, Kim YH, Nolan G, Betancur P, Wernig G
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A CD47-associated super-enhancer links pro-inflammatory signalling to CD47 upregulation in breast cancer.
Nature communications 2017 Betancur PA, Abraham BJ, Yiu YY, Willingham SB, Khameneh F, Zarnegar M, Kuo AH, McKenna K, Kojima Y, Leeper NJ, Ho P, Gip P, Swigut T, Sherwood RI, Clarke MF, Somlo G, Young RA, Weissman IL -
CD47-blocking antibodies restore phagocytosis and prevent atherosclerosis.
Nature 2016 Kojima Y, Volkmer JP, McKenna K, Civelek M, Lusis AJ, Miller CL, Direnzo D, Nanda V, Ye J, Connolly AJ, Schadt EE, Quertermous T, Betancur P, Maegdefessel L, Matic LP, Hedin U, Weissman IL, Leeper NJ -
Expression and function of transcription factor cMyb during cranial neural crest development.
Mechanisms of development 2014 Betancur P, Simões-Costa M, Sauka-Spengler T, Bronner ME -
A Sox10 enhancer element common to the otic placode and neural crest is activated by tissue-specific paralogs.
Development (Cambridge, England) 2011 Betancur P, Sauka-Spengler T, Bronner M -
Genomic code for Sox10 activation reveals a key regulatory enhancer for cranial neural crest.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2010 Betancur P, Bronner-Fraser M, Sauka-Spengler T -
Assembling neural crest regulatory circuits into a gene regulatory network.
Annual review of cell and developmental biology 2010 Betancur P, Bronner-Fraser M, Sauka-Spengler T -
c-Myb, Ets-1 and Sox9 directly activate a Sox10 core enhancer in delaminating cranial neural crest.
Developmental Biology 2009 Paola A. Betancur, Tatjana Sauka-Spengler, Marianne Bronner-Fraser