Michael Deel

Background

About Michael Deel

I am a clinician-scientist in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at Duke University. My current research focuses on finding novel ways to target fusion-gene positive rhabdomyosarcoma (FP-RMS). FP-RMS is among the most difficult to cure cancers in children and young adults. It is driven by balanced chromosomal translocations t(2;13) or t(1;13) resulting in PAX3/7-FOXO1 fusion oncoproteins. As inherently disordered transcription factors without drug binding sites, PAX3/7-FOXO1 are currently not viable therapeutic targets. My lab uses a variety of biochemical assays, cell culture and murine models to investigate mechanisms of regulation of the transcriptional activity of these aberrant oncoproteins, as well as the mechanisms that regulate cancer cell stemness and chemoresistance. Using fusion-positive rhabdomyosarcoma as a platform, I am more broadly seeking to understand the molecular, genetic, and epigenetic mechanisms that regulate pediatric sarcomas driven by chromosomal translocations. Ultimately, my main goal is that these studies will inform novel therapeutic approaches targeting the transcriptional programs of fusion oncoproteins.