Research Knowledgebase

Mark D. Pegram, M.D. Professor of Medicine View full faculty profile

Description of Research

Dr. Pegram’s current research focuses on understanding the molecular pathways that regulate how HER-2 signals cell growth. He was a co-investigator on the landmark research and clinical trials that led to the development of Herceptin, the first FDA approved targeted therapy for use in early stage HER-2 positive breast cancers. Nearly 20 per cent of women with breast cancer have these types of tumors with higher tendency for fast growth and higher recurrence rate, as compared to tumors that do not overproduce HER-2. Dr. Pegram’s main research interests are finding new ways to tackle this pathway and the development of new drugs to block it.

Dr. Pegram will work with the Braman Family Breast Cancer Institute at UM/Sylvester's current leadership to integrate the efforts of basic scientists with those of clinicians to bring the Institute's scientific discoveries to clinical applications as soon as possible.

Selected Cancer-Related Publications

Blackwell KL, Pegram MD, Tan-Chiu E, Schwartzberg LS, Arbushites MC, Maltzman JD, Forster JK, Rubin SD, Stein SH, Burstein HJ. Single-agent lapatinib for HER2-overexpressing advanced or metastatic breast cancer that progressed on first- or second-line trastuzumab-containing regimens. Ann Oncol 20:1026-1031, 2009. PubMed link

Johnston S, Pippen J Jr, Pivot X, Lichinitser M, Sadeghi S, Dieras V, Gomez HL, Romieu G, Manikhas A, Kennedy MJ, Press MF, Maltzman J, Florance A, O'Rourke L, Oliva C, Stein S, Pegram M. Lapatinib Combined With Letrozole Versus Letrozole and Placebo As First-Line Therapy for Postmenopausal Hormone Receptor-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer. J Clin Oncol 27:5538-5546, 2009. PubMed link

Storniolo AM, Pegram MD, Overmoyer B, Silverman P, Peacock NW, Jones SF, Loftiss J, Arya N, Koch KM, Paul E, Pandite L, Fleming RA, Lebowitz PF, Ho PT, Burris HA 3rd. Phase I dose escalation and pharmacokinetic study of lapatinib in combination with trastuzumab in patients with advanced ErbB2-positive breast cancer. J Clin Oncol 26:3317-23, 2008. PubMed link

Taylor C, Hershman D, Shah N, Suciu-Foca N, Petrylak DP, Taub R, Vahdat L, Cheng B, Pegram M, Knutson KL, Clynes R. Augmented HER-2 specific immunity during treatment with trastuzumab and chemotherapy. Clin Cancer Res 13:5133-43, 2007. PubMed link

Wolff AC, Hammond ME, Schwartz JN, Hagerty KL, Allred DC, Cote RJ, Dowsett M, Fitzgibbons PL, Hanna WM, Langer A, McShane LM, Paik S, Pegram MD, Perez EA, Press MF, Rhodes A, Sturgeon C, Taube SE, Tubbs R, Vance GH, van de Vijver M, Wheeler TM, Hayes DF; American Society of Clinical Oncology/College of American Pathologists guideline recommendations for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 testing in breast cancer. American Society of Clinical Oncology; College of American Pathologists. J Clin Oncol;25(1):118-45,2007. PubMed link

Leader of Multidisciplinary Research Program, Breast Cancer Program.

For full description of Multidisciplinary Research Program(s), Molecular Therapeutics Program, Breast Cancer Program.