Karen Taraszka Hastings, MD, PhD

Chair, Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine Phoenix

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I am a physician-scientist with a research program focused on antigen presentation and T cell responses in skin cancer. My research expertise includes antigen processing and presentation, cancer neoantigen prioritization, and biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, using mouse models of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma, human specimens, and bioinformatics. My laboratory has defined gamma-interferon-inducible lysosomal thiol reductase (GILT) as a critical enzyme involved in MHC class II-restricted presentation to CD4 T cells. We have identified characteristics of cancer neoantigens, which induce T cell responses that constrain tumor growth, that can be applied to improve the selection of neoantigens for inclusion in personalized cancer vaccines. We have identified changes in gene expression associated with progression to melanoma, that can be applied to aid melanoma diagnosis.

Cancer Focus

melanoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

Research Program Role

Cancer Prevention and Control Program

Display Name
Karen Taraszka Hastings, MD, PhD

Publications

Adams AC, Macy AM, Borden ES, Herrmann LM, Brambley CA, Sonar SA, Ma T, Li X, Hughes A, Roe DJ, et al. 2025. Structural changes from wild-type define tumor-rejecting neoantigens. Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer. 13(10):e013148. doi:10.1136/jitc-2025-013148.

Borden ES, Hastings CT, Prakash N, Kuo T, Tapia E, Yozwiak M, Sagerman P, Vargas de Stefano D, Buetow KH, Wilson MA, et al. 2025. Towards a transcriptomic biomarker for the classification of melanocytic neoplasms. Sun S, editor. PLOS Genetics. 21(10):e1011869. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1011869.

Adams AC, Borden ES, Macy AM, Thomson N, Cui H, Gimbel MI, Wilson MA, Buetow KH, Roe DJ, DiCaudo DJ, et al. 2022. High GILT Expression Is Associated with Improved Survival in Metastatic Melanoma Patients Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibition. Cancers. 14(9):2200. doi:10.3390/cancers14092200.

Borden ES, Adams AC, Buetow KH, Wilson MA, Bauman JE, Curiel-Lewandrowski C, Chow H-HS, LaFleur BJ, Hastings KT. 2021. Shared Gene Expression and Immune Pathway Changes Associated with Progression from Nevi to Melanoma. Cancers. 14(1):3. doi:10.3390/cancers14010003.

Adams AC, Macy AM, Saboda K, Dickinson SE, Glembocki DJ, Roe DJ, Hastings KT. 2021. Solar Simulated Light Induces Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Inbred Mice: A Clinically Relevant Model to Investigate T-Cell Responses. Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 141(12):2990–2993.e6. doi:10.1016/j.jid.2021.06.005.

Borden ES, Kang P, Natri HM, Phung TN, Wilson MA, Buetow KH, Hastings KT. 2019. Neoantigen Fitness Model Predicts Lower Immune Recognition of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinomas Than Actinic Keratoses. Frontiers in Immunology. 10. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2019.02799.

Karen Taraszka Hastings, MD, PhD

Links

Cancer Focus

Display NameKaren Taraszka Hastings, MD, PhD

Publications

Display Name
Karen Taraszka Hastings, MD, PhD