Kohtz Research

Two male scientists in lab coats focused on a microscope, conducting experiments in a professional laboratory environment.The Kohtz laboratory works on mechanisms controlling remission and recurrence of breast and other cancers after treatment. The time between successful treatment and remission of a tumor and its subsequent recurrence is referred to as the disease-free interval (DFI), and during this period remnant tumor cells are thought to remain in a quiescent state referred to as tumor cellular dormancy. Dauer is a hypobiotic state of developmental arrest that nematodes such as C. elegans can adopt in response to unfavorable environmental conditions. Our work has found that the Dauer state of C. elegans may serve as a powerful model for analyzing tumor cellular dormancy and identifying novel therapeutics to prevent tumor recurrence and extend disease-free survival. The Unkempt (UNK) gene is strongly expressed in dauer, and we observed that UNK expression in breast cancers is positively associated with the length of the DFI. The UNK gene encodes a zinc-finger protein that binds mRNA and inhibits translation and/or drives the breakdown of the bound RNA. We are identifying genes that are targeted by UNK for translational inhibition, and determining whether experimental inhibition of these targets promotes tumor cellular dormancy. Genes identified in these studies will be considered potential targets for next-generation therapeutics that can extend DFI. In addition, we have found that UNK functions in a complex with mTOR-Raptor-HECA to negatively regulate cellular metabolism. Studies in progress are aimed at determining how negative regulation of metabolism by UNK may result in attenuation of cancer stem cell formation.
View Stave Kohtz's recent publications

Kohtz lab staff and volunteers

Members of the Kohtz lab consist of:

  • Graduate student (Ph.D.), Itzel Rosas Gutierrez.
  • Summer Medical Student Scholars (2024), Tim Mirteymur Seyidov.
  • Technician (part-time), Avery Ward.

Kohtz lab location

The Kohtz laboratory is housed in the Research Laboratory building at 2630 Denison Drive, south of the main campus.

Interested in joining?

If you have questions or are interested in the Kohtz lab, please reach out to Stave Kohtz or call 989-444-3907 (cell).