2025-2026 MCW Radiation Oncology Annual Report - Flipbook - Page 20
2025-2026 Medical College of Wisconsin, Radia琀椀on Oncology Annual Report
The Kerns Lab in the New Center for Cancer
Discovery, Molecular Epidemiology and Radia琀椀on
Toxicity Predic琀椀on Trailblazers
Sarah Kerns, PhD
Associate Professor
Leading the way in NIH-funded research to uncover biologic mechanisms and
develop risk predic琀椀on models for radia琀椀on-induced bladder and bowel
dysfunc琀椀on. The Kerns Lab is leading several NCI-funded research projects aiming
to reduce treatment-related side effects in men receiving cura琀椀ve radia琀椀on
therapy for prostate cancer. In one project (R01CA285801, MPIs: Kerns, Hall,
Oh) the team will validate integra琀椀ve machine-learning radiogenomic models to
predict risk of late bladder and bowel dysfunc琀椀on and test feasibility and
interpreta琀椀on of these models in the clinic. A paper was published in Cancer
Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Preven琀椀on repor琀椀ng on the bladder risk
score, which showed that men who had a high-risk score were
at approximately twice the risk of developing gross hematuria or overt irradia琀椀on
cys琀椀琀椀s compared to all other men (Figure 1). Another paper repor琀椀ng on
the bowel risk score is underway. A major study milestone in 2025 was approval
from the Na琀椀onal Clinical Trials Network Core Correla琀椀ve Sciences Commi琀琀ee
(NCTN-CCSC) for biospecimens and data from three large phase 3 clinical
trials, RTOG-0415, -0521, and -0815, which will serve as important
valida琀椀on cohorts. Genotyping is underway using
biospecimens from approximately 1,800 trial
par琀椀cipants for whom long-term pa琀椀ent reported
bladder and bowel outcomes will be evaluated. In
another related NIHfunded study (R21CA280170), the Kerns Lab is
analyzing how the urinary tract microbiome
changes over the course of pelvic radiotherapy
to determine whether there are differences in
microbial composi琀椀on that can predict who
will later develop bladder dysfunc琀椀on. This data
will be analyzed together with bulk RNAseq data
from the same pa琀椀ents in which vast changes in
gene expression were seen comparing whole
blood collected pre-radia琀椀on therapy to blood
collected a昀琀er the last frac琀椀on of
radia琀椀on (Figure 2). Many genes point to changes
in systemic immune response to radia琀椀on, which
may interact with changes in the urinary tract microbiome to influence 琀椀ssue injury and repair.
20
