Researcher

Cecilia Voena

Profile

Cecilia Voena is an oncologist and molecular biologist at the University of Turin in Italy who has made significant contributions to understanding the signaling mechanisms that drive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) and other ALK-positive malignancies. Her research has focused on the oncogenic mechanisms downstream of the NPM-ALK fusion kinase, including the roles of JAK/STAT3, PI3K/AKT, and RAS/MAPK pathways in ALCL cell survival and proliferation. Voena's laboratory was among the first to demonstrate that microRNAs regulate ALK oncoprotein levels and that aberrant ALK signaling rewires transcriptional programs in lymphoma cells. She has also investigated mechanisms of resistance to ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (such as crizotinib and lorlatinib), which is critical for understanding how to improve treatment outcomes in relapsed or refractory ALK-positive lymphoma. Her work is relevant to pharmaceutical companies developing next-generation ALK inhibitors and combination therapies for hematologic malignancies. As ALK-positive cancers encompass both lymphomas and non-small cell lung cancers, her mechanistic insights into ALK signaling resistance have broad relevance for oncology drug developers and for clinicians designing rational combination treatment strategies.

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