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Fadlo R. Khuri, MD

Fadlo R. Khuri, MD


Fadlo R. Khuri, MD, Professor and Chair, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, started practicing at Emory in 2002. Dr. Khuri is Professor and Chair of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Roberto C. Goizueta Distinguished Chair in Cancer Research, and Deputy Director of the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. He is also the Director of the Institute’s Cancer Drug Discovery, Development, and Delivery Program.


Specialties

  • Internal Medicine (Board certified 1992-2002)
  • Medical Oncology (Board certified since 1997)
  • Hematology (Board eligible since 1995)

Areas of Expertise

  • Lung Cancer
  • Head and Neck Cancer (HNC)
  • Chemoprevention

Groundbreaking Research and Clinical Trials

Dr. Khuri has been considered one of the leading translational clinical investigators and physicians in lung and aerodigestive medical oncology in the world for the last decade.

Dr. Khuri’s major contributions have been innovations in the areas of: Novel approaches to the therapy and prevention of lung and upper aerodigestive tract cancer; Developing careful mechanism-based combinations of oncolytic viruses and/or small molecules with cytotoxic chemotherapy; and exploring the mechanism of action of these agents in the setting of prevention and therapy in collaboration with basic scientists and clinical investigators, interrogating the retinoid receptors and cyclo-oxygenase-2 as prognostic markers in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Dr. Khuri is Principal Investigator on the lung cancer program project grant entitled “Targeting cell signaling in lung cancer to enhance therapeutic efficacy” (1 P01 CA116676-01A1) for a total of $7.9 million. In that capacity, he has overall responsibility for the direction and progress of this grant with the final authority for decision making.

This translational research endeavor is comprised of four basic science research projects and three cores, and also includes three clinical trials. He serves as co-leader on Project 1 entitled “Modulation of the mTOR pathway for lung cancer treatment” and Director of the Administration Core, which oversees the entire program. Matching funds of $2.5 million have been promised from the Georgia Cancer Coalition over five years of this program. The Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University and the Emory School of Medicine have pledged $500,000 and $750,000, respectively, over the duration of this program.

He is the co-leader of the Head and Neck Cancer SPORE (Specialized Program of Research Excellence) (HNC SPORE) with Dr. Dong Moon Shin for a total of $12.5 million. The first year of this grant was highlighted by the effective integration of all research projects with the clearly defined goals, core functions, developmental research and career development programs from our initial proposal. The overall goal of the Emory Winship SPORE is to improve prevention and treatment of Head and Neck Cancer, with an emphasis on new discoveries and their rapid translation to patients who are suffering disability and morbidity caused by this disease.

Emory’s Head and Neck Cancer SPORE program consists of four major translational research projects, two research cores, an administrative core, and two research programs involving career development and developing research programs. The Head and Neck Cancer SPORE is indeed a truly interdisciplinary approach to meeting goals and objectives by carrying out projects with co-investigators in basic, translational and clinical science. Substantial progress has been made in the first year.

Read More About Dr. Khuri’s Work:

  • Khuri FR, Nemunaitis J, Ganly I, Arsenau J, Tannock IF, Romel L, Gore M, Ironside J, MacDougall RH, Heise C, Randlev B, Gillenwater A, Bruso P, Kaye S, Hong WK, Kirn DH. A controlled trial of intratumoral ONYX-015, a selectively-replicating adenovirus, in combination with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil in patients with recurrent head and neck cancer. Nature Medicine, 6(8): 879-885, 2000. (Accompanied by Editorial by W. French Anderson, describing our trial as the “most meaningful success for human gene therapy in Cancer” with articles/interviews in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, etc.) http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v6/n8/full/nm0800_879.html
  • Khuri FR, Lee JJ, Lippman SM, Kim ES, Cooper JS, Benner SE, Winn R, Pajak TF, Williams B, Shenouda G, Hodson I, Fu K, Shin DM, Vokes EE, Feng L, Goepfert H, Hong WK. Randomized phase III trial of low-dose isotretinoin for prevention of second primary tumors in stage I and II head and neck cancer patients. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 98(7), 441-450, 2006. http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/98/7/441
  • Khuri FR, Glisson BS, Kim ES, Statkevich P, Thall PF, Meyers ML, Herbst RS, Munden RF, Zaknoen S, Tendler C, Zhu Y, Bangert S, Thompson E, Lu C, Wang X-M, Shin DM, Kies MS, Papadimitrakopoulou V, Fossella FV, Kirschmeier P, Bishop WR, Hong WK. Phase I study of farnesyl transferase inhibitor (FTI) SCH66336 with paclitaxel in solid tumors. Clinical Cancer Research, 10: 2968-76, 2004. http://cancer.emory.edu/SPORE-ed/publications04.htm

The Road to Emory: Education

  • Medical School: Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, 1989
  • Internship: The Boston City Hospital, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 1990
  • Residency: The Boston City Hospital, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 1992
  • Fellowship: New England Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 1995

Memberships

  • He was elected to the American Society of Clinical Investigation in 2007.
  • He serves on the editorial boards of seven journals, including the Journal of Clinical Oncology and Clinical Cancer Research, and has published more than 120 peer-reviewed journal articles.

Awards

  • In addition to his comprehensive responsibilities at Emory, Dr. Khuri has received numerous awards and accolades, including an American Cancer Society Clinical Oncology Career Development Award, the Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Clinical Scholar Award, and has been listed among America’s Top Doctors and the Marquis Who’s Who in the World.
  • He was the recipient of the Naji Sahyoun Memorial Award from the Middle East Medical Assembly in 2006.

Major or Recent Publications

Dr. Khuri’s work has been published as high-impact papers in premier journals such as Nature Medicine, Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Cancer Research and Journal of Clinical Oncology, laying the groundwork for the integration of novel molecular therapeutics with cytotoxic chemotherapy and exploring the mechanisms of sensitivity and resistance to these agents in individualized patients and in vivo and in vitro systems.

  • Khuri FR. Weighing the hazards of erythropoiesis stimulation in patients with cancer. New England Journal of Medicine. 356(24):2445-2448, 2007. http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/356/24/2445?ijkey=d9a7e3f7646b0f861dddb1344b5652813527525f&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha
  • Wang X, Yue P, Chan CB, Ye K, Ueda T, Watanabe-Fukunaga R, Fukunaga R, Fu H, Khuri FR, Sun SY. Inhibition of Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Induces Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase-Dependent and Mnk-Mediated Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 4E Phosphorylation. Mol Cell Biol. 27(21):7405-13. Epub 2007. http://mcb.asm.org/cgi/content/full/27/21/7405?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=Khuri%2C+Fadlo+R+Mammalian+Target&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&volume=27&issue=21&resourcetype=HWCIT
  • Chen S, Liu X, Yue P, Schonthal AH, Khuri FR, Sun SY. CCAAT/enhancer binding protein homologous protein-dependent death receptor 5 induction and ubiquitin/proteasome-mediated cellular FLICE-inhibitory protein downregulation contribute to enhancement of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand-induced apoptosis by dimethyl-celecoxib in human non small-cell lung cancer cells. Mol Pharmacol. 72(5):1269-79, 2007. http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/full/66/23/11115
  • Zou W, Chen S, Liu X, Yue P, Sporn MB, Khuri FR, Sun SY. c-FLIP downregulation contributes to apoptosis induction by the novel synthetic triterpenoid methyl-2-cyano-3, 12-dioxooleana-1, 9-dien-28-oate (CDDO-Me) in human lung cancer cells. Cancer Biol Ther. 6(10) [Epub ahead of print], 2007.
  • Rogatko A, Schoeneck D, Jonas W, Tighiouart M, Khuri FR, Porter A. Translation of innovative designs into phase I trials. J Clin Oncol. 25(31):4982-4986, 2007.
  • Li Z, Zhao J, Du Y, Park HR, Sun SY, Bernal-Mizrachi L, Aitken A, Khuri FR, Fu H. Down-regulation of 14-3-3ζ suppresses anchorage-independent growth of cancer cells through anoikis activation. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 105(1):162-167, 2008.
  • Oh SH, Jin Q, Kim ES, Khuri FR, Lee HY. Insulin-like Growth Factor-I Receptor Signaling Pathway Induces Resistance to the Apoptotic Activities of SCH66336 (Lonafarnib) through Akt/Mammalian Target of Rapamycin-Mediated Increases in Survivin Expression. Clin Cancer Res. 14(5):1581-9, 2008
  • Blumenschein GR Jr, Khuri FR, von Pawel J, Gatzemeier U, Miller WH Jr, Jotte RM, Le Treut J, Sun SL, Zhang JK, Dziewanowska ZE, Negro-Vilar A. Phase III trial comparing carboplatin, paclitaxel, and bexarotene with carboplatin and paclitaxel in chemotherapy-naive patients with advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer: SPIRIT II. J Clin Oncol. 26(11):1879-85, 2008.
  • Zhong D, Liu X, Schafer-Hales K, Marcus AI, Khuri FR, Sun SY, Zhou W. 2-Deoxyglucose induces Akt phosphorylation via a mechanism independent of LKB1/AMP-activated protein kinase signaling activation or glycolysis inhibition. Mol Cancer Ther. (4):809-17, 2008.
  • Momin TA, Deyrup AT, Grist WJ, Khuri FR, Kooby DA. Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma metastatic to a flank intramuscular lipoma. Am Surg. 74(5):447-8, 2008.
  • May KA, Khuri FR. Unraveling the mystery of erythropoietin-stimulating agents in cancer promotion. Cancer Res. 68(11):4013-7, 2008.
  • Zhang X, Zhang H, Tighiouart M, Lee JE, Shin HJ, Khuri FR, Yang CS, Chen ZG, Shin DM. Synergistic inhibition of head and neck tumor growth by green tea (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate and EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Int J Cancer. 123(5): 1005-14, 2008.
  • Kasinski AL, Du Y, Thomas SL, Zhao J, Sun SY, Khuri FR, Wang CY, Shoji M, Sun A, Snyder JP, Liotta D, Fu H. Inhibition of IKK-NF-{kappa}B signaling pathway by EF24, a novel monoketone analogue of curcumin. Mol Pharmacol [Epub ahead of print] 2008.
  • Lin YD, Chen S, Yue P, Zou W, Benbrook DM, Liu S, Le TC, Berlin KD, Khuri FR, Sun SY. CAAT/enhancer binding protein homologous protein-dependent death receptor 5 induction is a major component of SHetA2-induced apoptosis in lung cancer cells. Cancer Res. 68(13):5335-44, 2008.
  • Raja SM, Chen S, Yue P, Acker TM, Lefkove B, Arbiser JL, Khuri FR, Sun SY. The natural product honokiol preferentially inhibits cellular FLICE-inhibitory protein and augments death receptor-induced apoptosis. Mol Cancer Ther. 7(7):2212-23, 2008.

Available Abstracts of Dr. Khuri’s publications can be found at: http://cancer.emory.edu/SPORE-ed/publications07.htm.

Personal

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Dr. Khuri is an avid sports fan, following baseball, soccer and football. When he’s not hitting home runs at Emory, he’s a diehard Boston Red Sox fan, the team that almost made it to the World Series in 2008.