Benjamin Bitler, PhD

Education
PhD (2010) in Cancer Biology, University of Arizona Cancer Center

Contact
Research Complex 2
12700 East 19th Avenue
Room 3400D, MS 8613
Aurora, CO 80045

Phone: (303) 724-0574
Fax: (303) 724-3512

Research Interests
Dr. Bitler received his Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from the University of Arizona Cancer Center. As a graduate student his main interest was in the development of novel anti-breast cancer peptide-based therapies. He continued his post-doctoral training at Fox Chase Cancer Center and The Wistar Institute in Philadelphia, PA. During this time, he shifted his research focus to ovarian cancer, Wnt signaling, and epigenetics. Dr. Bitler is committed to the fight against cancer through his work to elucidate the impact of cancer-related signaling and epigenetic regulation.

Full List of Publications

Recent Publications

1. Li J, Wang W, Zhang Y, Cieslik M, Guo J, Tan M, Green MD, Wang W, Lin H, Li W, Wei S, Zhou J, Li G, Jing X, Vatan L, Zhao L, Bitler B, Zhang R, Cho KR, Dou Y, Kryczek I, Chan TA, Huntsman D, Chinnaiyan AM, Zou W. Epigenetic driver mutations in ARID1A shape cancer immune phenotype and immunotherapy. J Clin Invest. 2020 Apr 20. PMID: 32027624.
2. Sawyer BT, Qamar L, Yamamoto TM, McMellen A, Watson ZL, Richer JK, Behbakht K, Schlaepfer IR, Bitler BG. Targeting Fatty Acid Oxidation to Promote Anoikis and Inhibit Ovarian Cancer Progression. Mol Cancer Res. 2020 Mar 20. PMID: 32198139.
3. Watson ZL, Yamamoto TM, McMellen A, Kim H, Hughes CJ, Wheeler LJ, Post MD, Behbakht K, Bitler BG. Histone methyltransferases EHMT1 and EHMT2 (GLP/G9A) maintain PARP inhibitor resistance in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma. Clin Epigenetics. 2019 11 27; 11(1):165. PMID: 31775874.
4. Rao DM, Shackleford MT, Bordeaux EK, Sottnik JL, Ferguson RL, Yamamoto TM, Wellberg EA, Bitler BG, Sikora MJ. Wnt family member 4 (WNT4) and WNT3A activate cell-autonomous Wnt signaling independent of porcupine O-acyltransferase or Wnt secretion. J Biol Chem. 2019 Dec 27; 294(52):19950-19966. PMID: 31740580.
5. Park PH, Yamamoto TM, Li H, Alcivar AL, Xia B, Wang Y, Bernhardy AJ, Turner KM, Kossenkov AV, Watson ZL, Behbakht K, Casadei S, Swisher EM, Mischel PS, Johnson N, Bitler BG. Amplification of the Mutation-Carrying BRCA2 Allele Promotes RAD51 Loading and PARP Inhibitor Resistance in the Absence of Reversion Mutations. Mol Cancer Ther. 2020 02; 19(2):602-613. PMID: 31575654.
6. Wheeler LJ, Watson ZL, Qamar L, Yamamoto TM, Sawyer BT, Sullivan KD, Khanal S, Joshi M, Ferchaud-Roucher V, Smith H, Vanderlinden LA, Brubaker SW, Caino CM, Kim H, Espinosa JM, Richer JK, Bitler BG. Multi-Omic Approaches Identify Metabolic and Autophagy Regulators Important in Ovarian Cancer Dissemination. iScience. 2019 Sep 27; 19:474-491. PMID: 31437751.
7. Ramzan AA, Bitler BG, Hicks D, Barner K, Qamar L, Behbakht K, Powell T, Jansson T, Wilson H. Adiponectin receptor agonist AdipoRon induces apoptotic cell death and suppresses proliferation in human ovarian cancer cells. Mol Cell Biochem. 2019 Nov; 461(1-2):37-46. PMID: 31292831.
8. Yamamoto TM, McMellen A, Watson ZL, Aguilera J, Ferguson R, Nurmemmedov E, Thakar T, Moldovan GL, Kim H, Cittelly DM, Joglar AM, Brennecke EP, Wilson H, Behbakht K, Sikora MJ, Bitler BG. Activation of Wnt signaling promotes olaparib resistant ovarian cancer. Mol Carcinog. 2019 10; 58(10):1770-1782. PMID: 31219654.
9. Dahl ES, Buj R, Leon KE, Newell JM, Imamura Y, Bitler BG, Snyder NW, Aird KM. Targeting IDH1 as a Prosenescent Therapy in High-grade Serous Ovarian Cancer. Mol Cancer Res. 2019 08; 17(8):1710-1720. PMID: 31110157.
10. Breed C, Hicks DA, Webb PG, Galimanis CE, Bitler BG, Behbakht K, Baumgartner HK. Ovarian Tumor Cell Expression of Claudin-4 Reduces Apoptotic Response to Paclitaxel. Mol Cancer Res. 2019 03; 17(3):741-750. PMID: 30606772.