Intercellular metabolic crosstalk as an immunotherapy target in brain tumors

Dr. Dionysios C. Watson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Watson’s work is focused on understanding and targeting interactions within the tumor microenvironment to develop new treatments for solid tumors. He leads the NIH-funded DiscoverTME research laboratory at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and specializes in head-neck and thoracic medical oncology, offering his expertise to a diverse patient population. After earning his medical degree, Dr. Watson trained in medical oncology at Case Western Reserve University and pursued postdoctoral research at the Cleveland Clinic. There, he uncovered a novel process in glioblastoma, a highly aggressive brain cancer, showing how tumor cells establish physical connections with surrounding brain tissue to acquire mitochondria. This discovery provided new insights into how glioblastoma cells enhance their survival and resistance to treatment.

Through DiscoverTME, Dr. Watson and his team are dedicated to identifying vulnerabilities in the tumor microenvironment, with a particular focus on metabolic and immune interactions. He aims to develop innovative therapeutic approaches to improve treatment of brain tumors, especially glioblastoma, with the ultimate goal of identifying new targets for therapy.