If he wasn’t a scientist, TGen’s Dr. Nhan Tran says he might be on Wall Street looking for the “next big thing” or in corporate law asking, “What are the facts?”

But in his role as Associate Investigator in TGen’s Brain Tumor Research Lab, Dr. Tran has the opportunity to ask — and hopefully answer— both.

Tran recently received grant funding from the National Cancer Institute to study a lethal form of cancer known as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). More specifically, how and why the tumor cells involved move and invade healthy brain tissue. Insights into this mechanism could lead to new treatments for this aggressive form of cancer.

“If we can localize the tumor cells, we may then have the ability to contain cancer invasion — or spread,” Tran said. “This would provide neurosurgeons an opportunity to remove the bulk of the tumors in hope of improving the patient’s prognosis.”

Tran’s interest in research stems from the personal experience of witnessing his grandfather’s suffering as he battled prostate cancer.

“I didn’t understand the effects of cancer until I saw what it did to my grandfather,” Tran said. “Following his death, I began to ask questions: How did he die? What caused his suffering after the cancer was removed?”

That led Tran to ask: What is cancer?

Tran admits that, at that time, his understanding of cancer was “just zero,” but he had discovered a new path.

After completing an undergraduate degree in Microbiology and PhD in Cancer Biology from the University of Arizona, he pursued a post-doctoral internship with TGen and Barrow Neurological Institute.

Under the guidance of Dr. Michael Berens, Senior Investigator and Director of TGen’s Cancer and Cell Biology Division, Tran began studying gliomas – rapidly infiltrative brain tumor cells, the damage from which offers little hope to patients diagnosed with GBM.

Gliomas spread swiftly, are resistant to chemotherapy, and their pervasiveness throughout the brain thwarts radiation therapy treatment, creating ideal conditions for tumor cells to re-populate and grow.

Tran’s research focuses on discovering the genetic basis for why these tumor cells invade healthy brain tissue. He is looking at a particular gene called Fn14 — fibroblast growth factor-inducible 14. The Fn14 protein usually is not seen in normal healthy brains. However, during brain tumor development, the Fn14 protein is switched on, enabling tumor cells to move within the brain and become resistant to standard chemotherapy treatment.

To answer the question of how the “on” switch works, Tran’s research looks at signal transduction, or how a cell senses both its environment and “talks” to other cells. Cells typically carry out specialized functions — programmed during embryonic development. However, unlike normal cells, glioma cells go awry, lose their programming, and proliferate.

“It’s a circuitry issue we’re hoping to identify; a genetic alteration that promotes aggressive cell behavior. Once we identify the unknown genetic vulnerability of glioma cells, we can translate that knowledge toward the development of therapeutics,” Tran said.

This direct translation of bench science to potential treatments is a hallmark of TGen research, and a main reason Tran finds his work rewarding.

“It’s all about patient benefit,” Tran said. “If I didn’t believe what I’m doing will benefit patients, I might think about that career on Wall Street.”