Loudig Lab
Olivier Loudig, Ph.D., is an Associate Member of the Center for Discovery and Innovation.
The laboratory has developed research programs for biomarker discovery in breast cancer, and also shares research projects on biomarker discovery in lung, prostate, and pancreatic cancers. The laboratory initially developed technologies and received patents for both extraction of nucleic acids and gene expression analyses of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens.
Our early gene expression studies were performed on cDNA microarrays, bead-arrays, but we recently transitioned to next-generation sequencing for global analyses. Although our studies demonstrated that mRNAs could be quantified in FFPE tissues, we identified microRNAs as robust targets for expression profiling and as potential biomarkers. Using clinical breast tissue specimens, we determined that the expression of miRNA expression deregulation can be detected in non-invasive stages and that specific miRNAs may play pivotal roles in the development of breast cancer.
In collaboration with the Albert Einstein college of Medicine, we have established a large-scale multicenter breast ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) study to evaluate the association of miRNAs (known mRNAs) and proteins with the development of invasive breast cancer. We are now evaluating the detection of circulating biomarkers and the purification of exosomes from different biofluids, with regard to cancer detection.