Mamoun Younes, M.D.
Professor of Pathology and Medicine
The W. L. Moody, Jr. Chair in Pathology
Profile: http://myprofile.cos.com/younesm00
email:
myounes@bcm.edu
Barrett's Esaphogus Webpage: http://www.bcm.edu/pathology/labs/barretts/index.html
I. Clinical Interests
My clinical interests include Gastrointestinal pathology, biomarkers, and diagnostic immunohistochemistry. Although gastroinetestinal pathology has been the focus of my clinical practice for many years, I have limited my practice to G.I. Pathology since July 2004. I have special interest in Barrett's metaplasia (Barrett's esophagus), and premalignant lesions and cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. My experience with immunohistochemistry goes back to 1988 when I started using it as a tool in my research, then both in the research and clinical settings as it applies to diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of treatment response. I have previously directed the immunohistochemistry laboratories at the Methodist Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston for many years, and currently direct the Laboratory of Diagnostic and Predictive Markers (LDPM) at Baylor College of Medicine.
II. Research
My laboratory has a broad interest in biomarkers and cancer. Our research interests can be divided into three major categories summarized below:
1) Biomarkers and their clinical application in the diagnosis and prognosis (outcome prediction) in cancer and precancerous lesions and in prediction of treatment response: Our efforts in this area focused mostly on markers indicative of indicative of increased metabolic activity such as the facilitative glucose transporters Glut1 and Glut3, and amino acid transporters ASCT1 and ASCT2, the latter involved in the transport of the important amino acid glutamine. We have recently focused on the expression of estrogen receptor beta, and its isoforms, in breast, esophageal, and colorectal tissues and cancers and precancerous lesions. Our goal is to determine whether these cancers may benefit from treatment and/or chemoprevention with selective estrogen receptor modulators.
2) Premalignant conditions, especially Barrett's metaplasia: Barrett's metaplasia, or Barrett's esophagus, is a condition associated with increased risk for a special type of cancer of the esophagus called esophageal adenocarcinoma. My laboratory has been studying this condition, its diagnosis, origin, cancer risk assessment, prevention, progression to cancer, and prognostic and predictive markers in esophageal adenocarcinoma for over 10 years years. For more information on Barrett's esophagus, please visit our Barrett's esophagus web page using the link above.
3) We also conduct research related to gastrointestinal diseases covering a range of conditions including gastroesophageal reflux and colortectal adenocarcinoma, among others.