Denise Laspina
Papers
2
Total Citations
145
H-Index
2
About
Denise Laspina is a pioneering translational researcher whose work bridges rare cancer biology and personalized medicine through innovative model systems. Her primary research areas include functional precision oncology, rare tumor genomics, and the development of personalized therapeutic platforms using Drosophila and patient-derived organoid models. Laspina’s most impactful contribution is the creation of "hindgut," a personalized platform that combines robotics-based drug screening with patient-specific biology. This platform was instrumental in identifying the combination of trametinib plus zoledronate as an effective therapy for a patient with KRAS-mutant metastatic colorectal cancer, leading to a strong partial response and 11 months of disease stability—a landmark achievement published in 2019 with 107 citations. She further demonstrated the power of Drosophila-based screening in a 2021 study (38 citations) by identifying a novel personalized therapy for adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare salivary gland cancer with limited treatment options. Laspina’s work exemplifies how creative, patient-centered approaches can uncover unexpected therapeutic vulnerabilities, offering new hope for individuals with hard-to-treat cancers. Her research continues to inspire the integration of invertebrate models into clinical decision-making.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2