Patricia Scott, PhD

• University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center
• University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center GI Translational Working Group
• Integrated Biosciences Graduate Program
• Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Graduate Program, UMD
• American Association for Cancer Research

Our group studies colorectal cancer, the third most common cause of cancer deaths in the US. Colorectal cancer arises from the intestinal epithelial stem cell compartment. The stem cell compartment regulates the balance of proliferation, differentiation and cell death that maintains the epithelial layer lining the intestinal lumen. Disruption of this balance leads to colon cancer. Our research is aimed at understanding factors that cause cancer-causing disruption of the stem cell compartment.

A series of studies by our group identified two genes, KCNQ1 and CFTR, as colorectal cancer tumor suppressor genes. Initially, these genes were identified as a candidate colorectal cancer driver genes in a Sleeping Beauty transposon-mediated forward genetic screen. In follow-up studies, targeted intestinal-specific deletion of Cftr and Kcnq1 in the Apc^Min mouse model of intestinal tumorigenesis resulted in significantly more intestinal tumors. Most important, studies of human colon tumors demonstrated that diminished expression of either KCNQ1 or CFTR is associated with poorer prognosis.

KCNQ1 and CFTR are both expressed in the intestinal epithelial stem cell compartment. They encode ion channels expressed at the cell surface. As such, they in a position to influence the cellular processes that maintain the stem cell compartment. Our current research focuses on understanding how deficiency for KCNQ1 and CFTR disrupts the stem cell compartment and promotes the development of poor prognosis colon cancer.

See full list of publications at: PubMed

Recent publications:

Than BL, Linnekamp JF, Starr TK, Largaespada DA, Rod A, Zhang Y, Bruner V, Abrahante J, Schumann A, Luczak T, Niemczyk A, O'Sullivan MG, Medema JP, Fijneman RJ, Meijer GA, Van den Broek E, Hodges CA, Scott PM, Vermeulen L, Cormier RT. CFTR is a tumor suppressor gene in murine and human intestinal cancer. Oncogene. 2016 Aug 11;35(32):4179-87. PubMed PMID: 26751771; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4940277.

den Uil SH, Coupé VM, Linnekamp JF, van den Broek E, Goos JA, Delis-van Diemen PM, Belt EJ, van Grieken NC, Scott PM, Vermeulen L, Medema JP, Bril H, Stockmann HB, Cormier RT, Meijer GA, Fijneman RJ. Loss of KCNQ1 expression in stage II and stage III colon cancer is a strong prognostic factor for disease recurrence. Br J Cancer. 2016 Dec 6;115(12):1565-1574. PubMed PMID: 27855440; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5155368.

Than BL, Goos JA, Sarver AL, O'Sullivan MG, Rod A, Starr TK, Fijneman RJ, Meijer GA, Zhao L, Zhang Y, Largaespada DA, Scott PM, Cormier RT. The role of KCNQ1 in mouse and human gastrointestinal cancers. Oncogene. 2014 Jul 17;33(29):3861-8. PubMed PMID: 23975432; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3935979.

Than BL, Goos JA, Sarver AL, O'Sullivan MG, Rod A, Starr TK, Fijneman RJ, Meijer GA, Zhao L, Zhang Y, Largaespada DA, Scott PM, Cormier RT. The role of KCNQ1 in mouse and human gastrointestinal cancers. Oncogene. 2014 Jul 17;33(29):3861-8. PubMed PMID: 23975432; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3935979.