Harrison Sudholz, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow University of California, Berkeley Area of Research: All Cancers Harrison Sudholz, PhD, is investigating how the innate immune system—the body’s first line of defense—can be harnessed to fight cancer by targeting a novel mitochondrial stress response. The innate immune system plays a crucial role in detecting and responding to infections and cancerous cells by recognizing patterns associated with pathogens or cellular stress. Dr. Sudholz’s research focuses on two tetracycline derivatives, 9-TB and AD, which, although lacking antibiotic activity, inhibit mitochondrial protein translation. This action triggers the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt), a cellular process that plays a significant role in stress management and immune activation. His preliminary findings suggest that these compounds could stimulate an immune-mediated antitumor response by activating the innate immune system. “My research is driven by a desire to understand how mitochondrial stress responses, such as the UPRmt, can be leveraged to enhance innate immunity against cancer,” says Dr. Sudholz. “By targeting these pathways, we aim to develop novel therapeutic strategies that complement existing cancer treatments and offer new hope for patients.” Dr. Sudholz plans to use advanced genetic models and RNA sequencing techniques to explore how the UPRmt is connected to immune activation. His work aims to identify key immune pathways and validate these findings using in vivo models. By unlocking the mechanisms behind this unique mitochondrial stress response, his research could identify new targets for cancer immunotherapy, advancing the fight against cancer. Projects and Grants Tetracycline Derivatives as a Novel Anti-tumor Immune Stimulant University of California, Berkeley | All Cancers | 2025 | David Raulet, PhD
