Michael F. Clarke, M.D.
Academic Appointments
- Professor, Medicine - Oncology
- Member, Bio-X
- Member, Stanford Cancer Institute
Key Documents
Contact Information
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Clinical Offices
Inst for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Med 265 Campus Dr, Rm G2021A, MC 5461 Stanford, CA 94305 Tel Work (650) 736-8568Inst for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Med 265 Campus Dr, Rm G2021A, MC 5461 Stanford, CA 94305 Tel Work (650) 736-8568
- Academic Offices
Personal Information EmailNot for medical emergencies or patient use
Professional Overview
Clinical Focus
- Cancer
- Colorectal Cancer
- Oncology (Cancer)
- Medical Oncology
Honors and Awards
- Rackham Award, University of Michigan (-)
- American Society of Clinical Investigation, - (-)
- American Association of Physicians, - (-)
Professional Education
| Internship: | University Of Missouri MO (6/1978) |
| Fellowship: | National Cancer Institute - Center Cancer Research MD (07/1983) |
| Medical Education: | Indiana University School of Medicine IN (4/1977) |
| Board Certification: | Medical Oncology, American Board of Internal Medicine (1983) |
| Board Certification: | Internal Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine (1980) |
| M.D.: | Indiana University (1977) |
Postdoctoral Advisees
Maddalena Adorno, Shang Cai, Diane Heiser, Taichi Isobe, Junichi Matsubara, Michael Rothenberg, Shaheen Sikandar, Maider Zabala Ugalde, Mark Zarnegar
Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations
Industry Relationships
Stanford is committed to ethical and transparent interactions with our industrial and other commercial partners. It is our policy to disclose payments (exclusive of travel support) from, and/or equity in, companies or other commercial entities to Stanford faculty of $5,000 or more in total value, as well as any equity in a privately held company, when the faculty member also has institutional responsibilities related to his or her interactions with the company. View Full Information
Scientific Focus
Current Research Interests
Dr. Michael F. Clarke is the Associate Director of the Stanford Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine. In addition to his clinical duties in the division of Oncology, Dr. Clarke maintains a laboratory focused on two areas of research: i) the control of self-renewal of normal stem cells and their malignant counterparts; and ii) the identification and characterization of cancer stem cells. A central issue in stem cell biology is to understand the mechanisms that regulate self-renewal of hematopoietic stem cells, which are required for hematopoiesis to persist for the lifetime of the animal. Until recently, the molecular mechanisms that regulate adult stem cell self-renewal were not known. His laboratory recently found that the proto-oncogene Bmi-1 regulates stem cell self-renewal via an epigenetic mechanism. By investigating the pathways upstream and downstream of Bmi1, the laboratory is actively investigating the molecular pathways that regulate self-renewal.
Cancers arise as a result of a series of genetic mutations. A better understanding of the consequences of these mutations on the underlying biology of the neoplastic cells will help to focus the development of more effective therapies. Solid tumors such as breast cancers contain heterogeneous populations of neoplastic cells. Dr. Clarkes group has developed a technique that allows the isolation and characterization of tumorigenic and non-tumorigenic populations of cancer cells present in human breast, colon and head and neck cancer tumors. Only a small minority of cancer cells had the capacity to form new tumors in a xenograft model. This tumorigenic cell population could be identified prospectively and consistently had definable and identical phenotype. The tumorigenic cells displayed stem cell-like properties in that they were capable of generating new tumors containing additional stem cells as well as regenerating the phenotypically mixed populations of non-tumorigenic cells present in the original tumor. Effective treatment of cancer will require therapeutic strategies that are able to target and eliminate this tumorigenic subset of cells. The laboratory is pursuing the identification of cancer stem cells in other tumors so that they can be studied. Dr. Clarkes laboratory will provide other members of the program with the expertise to identify and isolate cancer stem cells from solid tumors of epithelial origin. Finally, the laboratory is actively pursuing how cancer stem cells self-renew to maintain themselves and escape the genetic constraints on unlimited self-renewal that regulate normal stem cell numbers. Differences in self-renewal pathways between normal and malignant stem cells could be targeted by new therapeutic agents to eliminate cancer stem cells.
Publications
- MicroRNA-30c inhibits human breast tumour chemotherapy resistance by regulating TWF1 and IL-11. Nat Commun. 2013: 1393
- Identification of a cKit(+) colonic crypt base secretory cell that supports Lgr5(+) stem cells in mice. Gastroenterology. 2012; (5): 1195-1205.e6
- Innate immune response to homologous rotavirus infection in the small intestinal villous epithelium at single-cell resolution. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012; (50): 20667-72
- Remodeling of endogenous mammary epithelium by breast cancer stem cells. Stem Cells. 2012; (10): 2114-27
- Stimulation of natural killer cells with a CD137-specific antibody enhances trastuzumab efficacy in xenotransplant models of breast cancer. J Clin Invest. 2012; (3): 1066-75
- The CD47-signal regulatory protein alpha (SIRPa) interaction is a therapeutic target for human solid tumors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012; (17): 6662-7
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