Natasha J. Caplen, Ph.D.

Technological advances have revolutionized the genome-scale profiling of DNA copy number and sequence, DNA and chromatin modification, and gene expression and have substantially enhanced our understanding of the molecular changes that underlie many cancers. However, functionalizing these findings in a systematic manner remains a challenge. To address this challenge I, and others, developed experimental strategies for the discovery and elucidation of gene function by exploiting the RNA interference (RNAi) gene silencing mechanism to generate loss-of-function (LOF) phenotypes. My research interests build on my experience in the nucleic acid delivery/gene therapy research field, my work on the RNAi mechanism (including studies establishing the existence of RNAi in mammalian cells), and my independent and collaborative endeavors developing RNAi based analysis and screening approaches for the study of gene function.

My laboratory uses functional genetic approaches induced by RNAi and other DNA or RNA-based technologies to interrogate specific aspects of the genetic, transcriptional, and cell-signaling alterations observed in cancer cells. Current research is focused on the development of new treatment strategies for cancers driven by fusion oncoproteins. Fusion or chimeric oncoproteins represent a unique vulnerability as they are only expressed within tumor cells. However, little is known about how tumor cells co-opt cellular processes to express, from rearranged DNA, an in-frame fusion transcript encoding a chimeric functional protein and so we are using functional genetic approaches to identify genes required for the expression or activity of fusion oncoproteins. This work will further our understanding of how the expression of this important class of cancer oncogenes is regulated and how they may be optimally targeted.

Dr. Caplen received her Ph.D. from the University of London (Kings College Hospital Medical School), where her studies investigated the genetics of type I diabetes and its complications. Dr. Caplen's post-doctoral training began at St Mary's Hospital Medical School, Imperial College, where she focused on the development of gene therapy approaches for cystic fibrosis (CF). As a post-doctoral fellow, Dr. Caplen made significant contributions to the first pre-clinical and clinical studies of lipid-mediated gene therapy for CF. These early studies paved the way for ongoing efforts to develop gene therapy strategies for CF and other genetic and acquired diseases, including cancer. In 1996, Dr. Caplen came to the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) at NIH as a Visiting Fellow, where she initially conducted studies investigating hybrid viral vector systems for the delivery of genes. It was while at NHGRI that Dr. Caplen developed a research interest in the newly identified gene silencing mechanism, RNA interference (RNAi) leading to studies that contributed to establishing the presence of RNAi in mammalian cells. Dr. Caplen joined CCR, NCI in 2004 as a Senior Scientist, where she pioneered approaches for exploiting RNAi to investigate cancer biology and treatment and helped establish a trans-NIH facility for genome-wide RNAi screening. In January 2016, Dr. Caplen became a Tenure-Track Investigator in CCR’s Genetics Branch. Her current research examines fundamental mechanisms that regulate gene expression, focusing on the function of specific heterogenous nuclear ribonucleoproteins in the regulation of RNA biosynthesis and the discovery of cancer-specific dependencies, with a concentration on the study of EWSR1-fusion driven tumors.