Lan Coffman, MD, PhD

Dr. Coffman is a physician-scientist actively conducting laboratory-based and translational research and maintaining a specialized clinical practice focused on the medical treatment of ovarian cancer.

Dr. Coffman’s research focuses on understanding and targeting the cancer-supporting stromal tissues which are critical to the survival, growth, and spread of ovarian cancer. Specifically, Dr, Coffman’s lab studies a critical non-malignant component of the ovarian cancer microenvironment, the carcinoma-associated mesenchymal stem cell (CA-MSC). CA-MSCs are stromal progenitor cells that significantly increase cancer growth, enrich the cancer stem cell pool and increase chemotherapy resistance.  The lab studies how CA-MSCs are formed and develop tumor-supporting properties. The lab also focuses on identifying important tumor cell:CA-MSC interactions which mediate CA-MSC’s pro-tumorigenic functions and have the potential for translation into new therapeutic targets. Additionally, the lab studies the role of the tumor microenvironment in ovarian cancer metastasis. New evidence demonstrates high-grade serous ovarian cancer, the most common and deadly form of ovarian cancer, likely arises in the fallopian tube and the ovary is a critical initial site of metastasis. The Coffman lab developed three novel mouse models of ovarian cancer metastasis which demonstrate ovarian cancer is capable of hematogenous spread with a unique tropism for the ovary. Further, initial metastasis to the ovary appears to be critical for the development of intra-abdominal metastasis implicating unique aspects of the ovary microenvironment in propagating metastasis. How CA-MSCs impact the development of ovarian cancer metastasis and the metastatic microenvironment is an active area of investigation. The ultimate goal of this research is to translate novel laboratory findings into powerful therapeutic approaches for the prevention and treatment of ovarian cancer.