Scripps Research Logo

Welcome to the Felding Laboratory

Research Mission: To understand mechanisms of cancer spreading and develop effective therapies to prevent and inhibit this process

Cross sectional diagram of breast


The main problem in cancer is its ability to spread from a primary tumor to distant organs. This process is called METASTASIS. It is the main cause of death in cancer patients.


Our Goal:
To develop treatments to prevent breast cancer spreading and to allow women with metastatic breast cancer to live a normal life and to control the cancer permanently with minimal or no side effects

Breast cancer can spread to the Lungs, Liver, Lymph Nodes, Bone, and Brain

Diagram of breast cancer metastasis		 Diagram of upper body

Metastasis occurs when cancer cells from a primary tumor enter the lymphatic system or the blood stream and colonize distant target organs

Our Strategy:
 Identify causes of cancer cell spreading and find out what the cells need to survive and GROW at their target sites.

Diagram of repairing the respiratory chain blocks

New Discovery: Defects in energy metabolism of breast cancer cells drive their growth in the breast and at distant sites.
Normalizing the energy pathway slows primary tumor development and stops metastatic growth in distant organs. 

arrowThis is a new strategy for effective therapy

Which metabolic defect can cause breast cancer aggressiveness?

  • We found a specific defect in tumor cell mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cell
  • This defect impairs cellular respiration
  • And disturbs the cellular redox balance
  • As a result, the cells grow faster, become more invasive, and cause metastasis
Diagram of metabolic defect

How does Normalization of Breast Cancer Cell Metabolism work?

Diagram of normalization of breast cancer cell metabolism
  • The mitochondrial defect disturbs the NAD+/NADH redox balance
  • NAD+ precursor treatment restores a normal balance

New Discovery: Normalization of energy metabolism halts breast cancer progression 
And strongly reduces the incidence of metastasis 

This strategy is a promising new approach  for prevention and therapy of breast cancer development and spreading.

right arrow

 Normalization of energy metabolism graph

Click here for Felding Lab Studies Handout, PDF

___________

Overview
___________

Research
___________

Lab Members
___________

Publications
___________

Links
___________

Contact
___________

Directions
___________