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Bonnie J. and Anthony Addario Endowed Chair in Thoracic Oncology
The newly created Chair in Thoracic Oncology is in honor of thoracic oncologist Thierry Jahan, M.D.
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A gift to the Thoracic Oncology Progam helps us discover new treatments and cures for lung cancer, esophageal cancer and mesothelioma.
W. Michael Korn, M.D.
Associate Professor of Medicine in Residence
Divisions of Gastroenterology and Medical Oncology
Department of Medicine
Contact Information
(415) 353-7023 (fax)
mkorn@cc.ucsf.edu
Box 1705, UCSF; San Francisco, CA 94143-1705
BiographyEducation
- Philipps University of Marburg, Germany, Continuing Education, 1981 - 1984, Medicine
- Heinrich-Heine University of Düsseldorf, Germany, Approbation as Physician, 1984 - 1988
- Medicine Philipps University of Marburg, Germany, Medical Doctorate, 1993
Residencies
- University of Bern, Switzerland, Internship, 1997, Medicine
Postdoctoral Training
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Cancer Genetics Program, UCSF Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, California
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Cancer Research Institute, UCSF Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco
Board Certification
- American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine
Program Affiliations
- Hellen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
- UCSF Liver Center
- Department of Medicine/Gastroenterology & Hematology-Oncology
- Thoracic Oncology Program
Clinical Expertise
- Endoscopic evaluation of the upper and lower GI tract
- Treatment of esophageal
- gastric
- pancreatic
- colorectal cancer and HCC with chemotherapy and biologic agents
Research Interests
- Clinical studies in esophageal, gastric, and pancreatic cancer
- Systems biology of cancer
- Targeted Combination Therapies targeting the EGFR and RAS pathways
- Aenoviral therapies using oncolytic adenoviruses
Biography
Dr. W. Michael Korn is an expert in the management of gastrointestinal cancers. He performs diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopies as well as administers medical treatments, such as chemotherapy. In addition to caring for patients, he is the lead investigator of clinical trials exploring new gastrointestinal cancer treatments. His laboratory is involved in research to develop combination therapies for gastrointestinal and breast cancer, based on the analysis of signal transduction pathways.
A native of Germany, Korn earned a medical degree at the University of Marburg and the University of Dusseldorf in Germany. He completed a medical internship at the University of Bern in Switzerland and concluded training at Ev. Krankenhaus Dinslaken in Germany and the University of Essen's West German Cancer Center. He is an associate professor in residence in Gastroenterology and Hematology and Oncology at UCSF.
Research Focus
One focus of research in my group is the adenovirus receptor CAR in epithelial malignancies. We have found that the adenovirus receptor CAR frequently exhibits reduced expression in gastrointestinal cancers, including liver cancer. Our goal is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms regulating CAR expression in cancer cells, towards designing novel combination therapies consisting of recombinant adenoviruses and signal transduction inhibitors that increase CAR expression. A second project focuses on the rational development of novel combination therapies for cancer based on the analysis of relevant cellular signal transduction pathways. We have applied this approach to improve the cytotoxicity of oncolytic adenoviruses by combining these agents with small molecule signal transduction inhibitors.
Selected Publications
- Korn WM, Maca M, Christian C, Ding R-X, Rauen KA, Warren RS, Ferrell L., Expression of the Coxsackievirus and Adenovirus Receptor in gastrointestinal tumors correlates with tumor differentiation. Cancer Gene Therapy, 2006; 13:792-7
- Lacher M, Anders M, Oft M, Balmain A, Korn WM, TGFß receptor inhibition enhances adenoviral infectivity of carcinoma cells via up-regulation of CAR consequent to mesenchymal-epithelial-transition. Cancer Research, Cancer Res. 2006;66:1648-57.
- Au T, Thorne S, Korn WM, Sze D, Kirn D, Reid TR. Minimal hepatic toxicity pf ONYX-015: spatial restriction of CAR receptor in normal liver. Cancer Gene Therapy, 2007;14:139-150.
In the News
GI Oncology Group Honored for Outstanding Patient Care
UCSF Today - Jun 30, 2009
Members of UCSF's Gastrointestinal (GI) Oncology
group are the inaugural recipients of the Helen Diller Family
Quality Award, an honor that recognizes exceptional commitment to
providing superior patient care. The group, led by gastrointestinal
cancer expert Alan Venook, MD, was named the top
performer in the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer
Center's quality initiative, a pilot project launched in 2007.
