Head and neck cancer research Laboratory

Our Vision

We aim to find innovative therapeutic approaches and diagnostic methods to better overcome challenges encountered in clinical practice. These approaches will be based on thorough and comprehensive investigation of biologic and molecular processes in head and neck cancer

Our Team

  • Dr. Nidal Muhanna, Lab PI, Department of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery and Maxillofacial Surgery;General Medicine; Sackler Faculty of Medicine
  • Dr. Dor Rafael, Lab manager

  • Dr. Galya Lerman

  • Bar Kamhin

  • Dr. Razan Masarwr- Phd student
  • Haya Kravitz- PhD student

  • Dr. Alexandra Dorman
  • Dr .Liyona Kampel Furman
  • Dr. Narin Carmel
  • Dr. Yotam Lior

Research

targeting and siRNA-based gene silencing

This is done via exosomes and lipid-based nanpoparticles (LNPs) as endogenous and synthetic (respectively) delivery systems.

(exosomes or LNPs) targeting

toward cancer cells for therapeutic, diagnostics and other applications.

more specifically CAF’s, in order to examine the relationship between cancer cells and fibroblasts, for the prevention of key steps in cancer growth.

(EV’s) of human embryonic stem cells (hESC), in hope to harness them as a therapeutic delivery tool.

The lab is using cutting edge molecular tools and technologies to examine the genetic signature of recurrent disease.

to detect cancer circDNA

Designing novel molecular tools to detect cancer circDNA in blood samples and saliva (“liquid biopsy”) before any physical signs appears. These tools will also be used to monitor cancer recurrence or metastases

.

Highlight Publications

The Effect of Diathermy Power Settings on Oral Cavity Mucosal Contraction: A Rat Model. Warshavsky A , Shivatzki S , Kampel L , Leider-Trejo L , Shapira U,  Muhanna N, Ungar OJ , Fliss DM , Kaplan I , Horowitz G .
Laryngoscope 2021 May;131(5)

Assessment of a liposomal CT/optical contrast agent for image-guided head and neck surgery Muhanna N , Eu D  Chan HH , Daly M, Fricke IB, Douglas CM , Townson JL , Zheng J , Allen C , Jaffray DA , Irish JC
Nanomedicine November 2020:102327;

role of parotidectomy for advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Kampel L , Dorman A , Horovitz G , Warshavsky A , Gutfeld O , Muhanna N
. The Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2021 Jan 6. Online ahead of print.

Photodynamic therapy enables tumor-specific ablation in preclinical models of thyroid cancer. Muhanna N , Chan HHL , Townson JL , Jin CS, Ding L , Valic MS , Douglas CM , MacLaughlin CM , Chen J , Zheng G , Irish JC
Endocr Relat Cancer. 2020;27(2):41-53.

Sentinel lymph node mapping using ICG fluorescence and cone beam CT – a feasibility study in a rabbit model of oral cancer. Muhanna N , Chan HHL , Douglas CM , Daly MJ , Jaidka A , Eu D , Bernstein J , Townson JL, Irish JC . BMC Med Imaging 2020;20(1):106.

Intraoperative cone-beam CT spatial priors for diffuse optical fluorescence tomography. Daly MJ , Chan H , Muhanna N , Akens MK , Wilson BC , Irish JC , Jaffray DA. Phys Med Biol. 2019 Nov 4;64(21).

The image-guided operating room-Utility and impact on surgeon’s performance in the head and neck surgery. Muhanna N, Douglas CM , Daly MJ , Chan HHL , Weersink R , Qiu J, Townson J , de Almeida JR , Goldstein D , Gilbert R , Yu E , Kucharczyk W , Jaffray DA , Irish JC. Head Neck. 2019;41(9):3372-82

Cell-Free DNA Kinetics in a Pre-Clinical Model of Head and Neck Cancer. Muhanna N, Di Grappa MA, Chan HHL, Khan T, Jin CS, Zheng Y, Irish JC, Bratman SV. Sci Rep 2017 Dec 1;7(1).

Impact of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus on Survival in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Foreman A, Lee DJ, McMullen C, de Almeida J, Muhanna N, Gama RR, Giuliani M, Liu G, Bratman SV, Huang SH, O’Sullivan B, Song Y, Xu W, Goldstein DP. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2017 Oct;157(4):657-663.