Thuy Tran, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology)
Research & Publications
Biography
News
Extensive Research Description
As a physician-scientist and clinical investigator, my hope is to be able to move bench research efficiency to the clinic. Most importantly, I want to learn from the patients and their experience to inform my studies. My ultimate goal is to improve immune treatment options and quality of life for patients with metastatic malignancies.
My research focuses on understanding and improving clinical targets to overcome resistance to immune therapy. We are actively engaged in studies related to macrophage migration inhibitor factor (MIF) in melanoma as well as understanding complications from brain metastatic disease. I have focused on addressing neurologic complications of brain metastases or its treatment by (1) identifying mediators of metastasis-associated edema that can be given concurrently to further improve brain-active systemic therapies and patient outcomes, (2) identifying key immune cells driving radiation necrosis after treatment with stereotactic radiosurgery, and (3) determining key brain tumor infiltrating immune cell subsets and evaluating their effect on patient response and survival.
Coauthors
Research Interests
Blood-Brain Barrier; Clinical Trials as Topic; Drug Combinations; Melanoma; Neoplasm Metastasis; Immune Checkpoint Proteins
Selected Publications
- Lenvatinib or anti-VEGF in combination with anti-PD-1 differentially augments anti-tumor activity in melanomaTran T, Caulfield J, Zhang L, Schoenfeld D, Djureinovic D, Chiang V, Oria V, Weiss S, Olino K, Jilaveanu L, Kluger H. Lenvatinib or anti-VEGF in combination with anti-PD-1 differentially augments anti-tumor activity in melanoma. JCI Insight 2023, 8: e157347. PMID: 36821392, PMCID: PMC10132152, DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.157347.
- ASO Visual Abstract: Merkel Cell Carcinoma—Changing Practice Patterns and Impact on Recurrence-Free and Overall Survival at a Single Institution and NationallyEsposito A, Jacobs D, Ariyan S, Galan A, Kluger H, Clune J, Weiss S, Tran T, Olino K. ASO Visual Abstract: Merkel Cell Carcinoma—Changing Practice Patterns and Impact on Recurrence-Free and Overall Survival at a Single Institution and Nationally. Annals Of Surgical Oncology 2021, 28: 736-737. DOI: 10.1245/s10434-021-10784-7.
- Clinical Significance of PDCD4 in Melanoma by Subcellular Expression and in Tumor-Associated Immune CellsTran TT, Rane CK, Zito CR, Weiss SA, Jessel S, Lucca L, Lu BY, Oria VO, Adeniran A, Chiang VL, Omay SB, Hafler DA, Kluger HM, Jilaveanu LB. Clinical Significance of PDCD4 in Melanoma by Subcellular Expression and in Tumor-Associated Immune Cells. Cancers 2021, 13: 1049. PMID: 33801444, PMCID: PMC7958624, DOI: 10.3390/cancers13051049.
- Melanoma brain metastases have lower T-cell content and microvessel density compared to matched extracranial metastasesWeiss SA, Zito C, Tran T, Heishima K, Neumeister V, McGuire J, Adeniran A, Kluger H, Jilaveanu LB. Melanoma brain metastases have lower T-cell content and microvessel density compared to matched extracranial metastases. Journal Of Neuro-Oncology 2020, 152: 15-25. PMID: 32974852, PMCID: PMC7910371, DOI: 10.1007/s11060-020-03619-0.
- Elective Colectomy in a Patient with Active Ulcerative Colitis and Metastatic Melanoma Enabling Successful Treatment with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors.Perdigoto AL, Tran T, Patel N, Clark P, Patell K, Stamatouli AM, Reddy V, Clune J, Herold KC, Robert ME, Kluger HM. Elective Colectomy in a Patient with Active Ulcerative Colitis and Metastatic Melanoma Enabling Successful Treatment with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. Clinical Oncology Case Reports 2020, 3 PMID: 33778814, PMCID: PMC7993656.
- 19. PLEKHA5 REGULATES TUMOR GROWTH IN METASTATIC MELANOMAOria V, Zhang H, Zhu H, Deng G, Zito C, Rane C, Zhang S, Weiss S, Tran T, Adeniran A, Zhang F, Zhou J, Kluger Y, Bosenberg M, Kluger H, Jilaveanu L. 19. PLEKHA5 REGULATES TUMOR GROWTH IN METASTATIC MELANOMA. Neuro-Oncology Advances 2020, 2: ii3-ii3. PMCID: PMC7401364, DOI: 10.1093/noajnl/vdaa073.009.
- Pembrolizumab for management of patients with NSCLC and brain metastases: long-term results and biomarker analysis from a non-randomised, open-label, phase 2 trialGoldberg SB, Schalper KA, Gettinger SN, Mahajan A, Herbst RS, Chiang AC, Lilenbaum R, Wilson FH, Omay SB, Yu JB, Jilaveanu L, Tran T, Pavlik K, Rowen E, Gerrish H, Komlo A, Gupta R, Wyatt H, Ribeiro M, Kluger Y, Zhou G, Wei W, Chiang VL, Kluger HM. Pembrolizumab for management of patients with NSCLC and brain metastases: long-term results and biomarker analysis from a non-randomised, open-label, phase 2 trial. The Lancet Oncology 2020, 21: 655-663. PMID: 32251621, PMCID: PMC7380514, DOI: 10.1016/s1470-2045(20)30111-x.
- [11C]Methionine and [11C]PBR28 as PET Imaging Tracers to Differentiate Metastatic Tumor Recurrence or Radiation NecrosisTran TT, Gallezot JD, Jilaveanu LB, Zito C, Turcu G, Lim K, Nabulsi N, Huang H, Huttner A, Kluger HM, Chiang VL, Carson R. [11C]Methionine and [11C]PBR28 as PET Imaging Tracers to Differentiate Metastatic Tumor Recurrence or Radiation Necrosis. Molecular Imaging 2020, 19: 1536012120968669. PMID: 33147119, PMCID: PMC7649862, DOI: 10.1177/1536012120968669.
- Complications associated with immunotherapy for brain metastases.Tran TT, Jilaveanu LB, Omuro A, Chiang VL, Huttner A, Kluger HM. Complications associated with immunotherapy for brain metastases. Current Opinion In Neurology 2019, 32: 907-916. PMID: 31577604, PMCID: PMC7398556, DOI: 10.1097/wco.0000000000000756.
- PLEKHA5 regulates tumor growth in metastatic melanomaZhang H, Zhu H, Deng G, Zito CR, Oria VO, Rane CK, Zhang S, Weiss SA, Tran T, Adeniran A, Zhang F, Zhou J, Kluger Y, Bosenberg MW, Kluger HM, Jilaveanu LB. PLEKHA5 regulates tumor growth in metastatic melanoma. Cancer 2019, 126: 1016-1030. PMID: 31769872, PMCID: PMC7147081, DOI: 10.1002/cncr.32611.
- RBTT-07. A PHASE 2 TRIAL OF PEMBROLIZUMAB AND BEVACIZUMAB IN MELANOMA BRAIN MET PATIENTSKluger H, Forsyth P, Khushalani N, Eroglu Z, Sznol M, Tran T, Jilaveanu L, Cohen J, Hegde U, Wei W, Mahajan A, Goldberg S, Chiang V, Weiss S. RBTT-07. A PHASE 2 TRIAL OF PEMBROLIZUMAB AND BEVACIZUMAB IN MELANOMA BRAIN MET PATIENTS. Neuro-Oncology 2019, 21: vi220-vi220. PMCID: PMC6847787, DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noz175.919.
- Perilesional edema in brain metastases: potential causes and implications for treatment with immune therapyTran TT, Mahajan A, Chiang VL, Goldberg SB, Nguyen DX, Jilaveanu LB, Kluger HM. Perilesional edema in brain metastases: potential causes and implications for treatment with immune therapy. Journal For ImmunoTherapy Of Cancer 2019, 7: 200. PMID: 31362777, PMCID: PMC6668163, DOI: 10.1186/s40425-019-0684-z.
- Long-Term Survival of Patients With Melanoma With Active Brain Metastases Treated With Pembrolizumab on a Phase II TrialKluger HM, Chiang V, Mahajan A, Zito CR, Sznol M, Tran T, Weiss SA, Cohen JV, Yu J, Hegde U, Perrotti E, Anderson G, Ralabate A, Kluger Y, Wei W, Goldberg SB, Jilaveanu LB. Long-Term Survival of Patients With Melanoma With Active Brain Metastases Treated With Pembrolizumab on a Phase II Trial. Journal Of Clinical Oncology 2018, 37: 52-60. PMID: 30407895, PMCID: PMC6354772, DOI: 10.1200/jco.18.00204.
- Perilesional edema and blood vessel characteristics in brain metastases and implications for treatment with immune therapy.Tran T, Jilaveanu L, Mahajan A, Goldberg S, Nguyen D, Chiang V, Kluger H. Perilesional edema and blood vessel characteristics in brain metastases and implications for treatment with immune therapy. Journal Of Clinical Oncology 2018, 36: 9572-9572. DOI: 10.1200/jco.2018.36.15_suppl.9572.
- Loss of the α2β1 integrin alters human papilloma virus-induced squamous carcinoma progression in vivo and in vitro.Tran T, Barlow B, O'Rear L, Jarvis B, Li Z, Dickeson K, Dupont W, Zutter M. Loss of the α2β1 integrin alters human papilloma virus-induced squamous carcinoma progression in vivo and in vitro. PloS One 2011, 6: e26858. PMID: 22046385, PMCID: PMC3203166, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0026858.
- A nonstop mutation in the factor (F)X gene of a severely haemorrhagic patient with complete absence of coagulation FX.Ameri A, Machiah DK, Tran TT, Channell C, Crenshaw V, Fernstrom K, Khachidze M, Duncan A, Fuchs S, Howard TE. A nonstop mutation in the factor (F)X gene of a severely haemorrhagic patient with complete absence of coagulation FX. Thrombosis And Haemostasis 2007, 98: 1165-9. PMID: 18064309, DOI: 10.1160/th07-02-0125.