Gallitto Lab
Location and Contact Information
Targeted Drug Delivery for Pediatric Brain Cancer
The Gallitto Laboratory seeks to revolutionize how pediatric brain cancer patients are treated using a novel drug discovery and delivery pipeline with (1) computational biology / high-throughput screening to identify promising pharmacologic targets, and (2) novel biomedical techniques pioneered by our team to optimize penetration of the blood-brain barrier.
If you’re interested in collaborating or joining our team, please provide your information here, and we will contact you soon. We look forward to connecting with you.
Drug Prediction / Screening
Using network-based precision oncology computational algorithms, we can predict novel therapies by leveraging the tumor transcriptome to reverse engineer pharmacologically actionable, tumor-driving regulatory programs. Combined with high-throughput drug screening, we have generated pipeline of promising therapeutics for pediatric brain tumors, with a focus on diffuse midline glioma (DMG).
Focused Ultrasound (FUS)
FUS has been shown by our group (and others) to disrupt the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in a non-invasive, safe, targeted, and reversible manner. This has led to two phase I clinical trials at our institution assessing the feasibility of FUS technology in pediatric brain cancer patients.
Convection-Enhanced Delivery (CED)
CED is a high precision local drug infusion technique where drugs are delivered at high concentrations directly into the tumor and surrounding brain through a surgically implanted catheter attached to a microinfusion pump. The BBB is bypassed and systemic toxicities that commonly limit chemotherapy are avoided.
Lab Members
Active Lab Members
Matthew Gallitto, MD, PhD
- Principal Investigator
Matthew Gallitto, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. He received his undergraduate degree in Biology with highest honors from New York University, medical degree from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and PhD from Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. He completed his residency training at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, where he served as Chief Resident. Dr. Gallitto is active in NRG Oncology, American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), and Children’s Oncology Group (COG). His clinical interests focus on pediatric and brain cancers. He leads a laboratory focusing on the identification of novel therapies that synergize with radiation therapy as well as novel methods to overcome the blood-brain barrier to treat pediatric brain cancer. He was a recipient of ASCO Young Investigator and Radiological Society of North America Research Awards.
Genesis De Los Santos, BA
- Senior Lab Associate
Margjele Shala, MSc
- Rotating PhD Student
Geoffrey Sedor, MD, MS
- Postdoctoral Residency Fellow
Nina Yoh, MD
- Postdoctoral Residency Fellow
Select Publications
Targeted delivery of napabucasin with radiotherapy improves outcomes in diffuse midline glioma October 2024 Neuro Oncology Link Gallitto M, Zhang X, De Los Santos G, Wei HJ, Fernández EC, Duan S, Sedor G, Yoh N, Kokosi D, Angel JC, Wang YF, White E, Kinslow CJ, Berg X, Tomassoni L, Zandkarimi F, Chio IIC, Canoll PD, Bruce JN, Feldstein NA, Gartrell RD, Cheng S, Garvin JH, Zacharoulis S, Wechsler-Reya RJ, Pavisic J, Califano A, Zhang Z, Wu CC.
CHD2 Regulates Neuron-Glioma Interactions in Pediatric Glioma September 2024 Cancer Discovery Link Zhang X, Duan S, Apostolou PE, Wu X, Watanabe J, Gallitto M, Barron T, Taylor KR, Woo PJ, Hua X, Zhou H, Wei HJ, McQuillan N, Kang KD, Friedman GK, Canoll PD, Chang K, Wu CC, Hashizume R, Vakoc CR, Monje M, McKhann GM 2nd, Gogos JA, Zhang Z.
Focused ultrasound-mediated blood-brain barrier opening is safe and feasible with moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy for brainstem diffuse midline glioma March 2024 J Transl Med Link Tazhibi M, McQuillan N, Wei HJ, Gallitto M, Bendau E, Webster Carrion A, Berg X, Kokossis D, Zhang X, Zhang Z, Jan CI, Mintz A, Gartrell RD, Syed HR, Fonseca A, Pavisic J, Szalontay L, Konofagou EE, Zacharoulis S, Wu CC.
The role of radiotherapy in immunotherapy strategies in the central nervous system March 2024 Neuro Oncology Link Gallitto M, Pan PC, Chan MD, Milano MT, Wang TJC.
Immune Response following FLASH and Conventional Radiation in Diffuse Midline Glioma July 2024 Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys Link Padilla O, Minns HE, Wei HJ, Fan W, Webster-Carrion A, Tazhibi M, McQuillan NM, Zhang X, Gallitto M, Yeh R, Zhang Z, Hei TK, Szalontay L, Pavisic J, Tan Y, Deoli N, Garty G, Garvin JH, Canoll PD, Vanpouille-Box C, Menon V, Olah M, Rabadan R, Wu CC, Gartrell RD.
The evolving tale of Pol2 function February 2023 Genes Dev. Link Gallitto M, Zhang Z.
Epigenetic preconditioning with decitabine sensitizes glioblastoma to temozolomide via induction of MLH1 May 2020 J Neurooncology Link Gallitto M, Cheng He R, Inocencio JF, Wang H, Zhang Y, Deikus G, Wasserman I, Strahl M, Smith M, Sebra R, Yong RL.
Role of Radiation Therapy in the Management of Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma: A Systematic Review March 2019 Adv Radiat Oncology Link Gallitto M, Lazarev S, Wasserman I, Stafford JM, Wolden SL, Terezakis SA, Bindra RS, Bakst RL.
See a complete list of publications