Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, United States
Christopher Hubert, PhD
Research Associate, Biomedical Engineering
Lerner Research Institute
Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, OH, USA
Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH, USA
Lab Phone: x56471
Hubert Lab: ND4-22b
Mail stop: ND20
Pronouns: he/him/his
Website: https://www.lerner.ccf.org/bme/hubert/
The Hubert Lab is exploring and exploiting the unique biology of the different cell populations within brain tumors. We use advanced, 3-dimensional, and patient-direct (not just patient-derived) models to study the brain tumor cell community with single-cell resolution. Our novel 3D organoid cultures, or “mini-tumors”, better recapitulate the diversity and microenvironmental biology of human tumors than traditional cultures. We have developed ways to isolate and functionally test cells from spatially distinct niches, and have leveraged this capability to identify unique and non-overlapping cancer vulnerabilities in different cell populations growing together in a tumor. We are now combining this data with novel 3D small molecule screening to pair multiple niche-specific targets with drugs that effectively shut these targets down. This allows us to create rationally-designed combination therapies to more completely eradicate the disease.
To truly change the outcomes for brain tumor patients, we must improve our ability to faithfully model and retain the cellular behaviors found within patient tumors, and we must be able to study these interacting cell populations at a granular level. Our lab is therefore focused on: A) developing brain tumor models that better mimic tumors within patients, B) studying cell-cell and cell-environment interplay within tumor stem cell niches, and C) the specific targeting and destruction of individual cell populations within brain tumors.