Daniel Nouri Nejad
Daniel Nouri Nejad completed his BMSc Honours Specialization in Physiology at Western University in 2017 and is currently in his first year MSc under the supervision of Dr. Silvia Penuela. Pannexin 1 (PANX1) belongs to a family of glycoprotein channels that form conduits for signalling molecules. Aberrant expression of PANX1 has been reported in a variety of tumour types, particularly melanoma. We have previously shown that loss of Panx1 expression attenuated melanoma tumour progression. In addition, a recent report has indicated that a PANX1 mutation enriched in breast cancer cell lines enhanced their metastatic cell survival. There are six PANX1 somatic mutations reported in melanoma patient biopsies that have not been previously characterized. His work will focus on assessing the functional impact these mutations have on human melanoma tumour progression. He will also study the role of PANX1 in the immunogenicity of melanoma tumours. It has been previously reported that PANX1 mediates ATP release and the activation of inflammasomes, both of which influence immune cell infiltration of melanoma tumours. This work will elucidate PANX1 as a potential target in conjunction with immunotherapy in patients with melanoma.
