Jonathan Thomas Lei, Ph.D.

Instructor

Email

jlei@bcm.edu

Positions

Instructor: Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX, US

Member: Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center

Member: Molecular and Cellular Biology

Addresses

Office (Office): Breast Center Office
Houston, TX, 77030
United States

Education

BS from Baylor University: Waco, Texas, United States; Biology

PhD from Baylor College of Medicine: Houston, Texas, United States; Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine

Honors & Awards

AACR Scholar-in-Training Award: San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (12/2024)

Human Proteome Organization (HUPO) Congress Travel Award: US HUPO (07/2023)

Sanofi Scholar-in-Training Award: American Association for Cancer Research (02/2023)

Doreen J. Putrah Cancer Research Foundation Scholar-in-Training Award: American Association for Cancer Research (03/2021)

Director's Award for Best Scientific Paper: Translational Biology & Molecular Medicine Retreat and Research Conference Annual Retreat; Baylor College of Medicine (10/2018)

SABCS Basic Science Scholar Award: San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (08/2016)

Excellence in Leadership Award for Educational Outreach: Translational Biology & Molecular Medicine Program; Baylor College of Medicine (05/2018)

Professional Interests

Clinical Proteogenomics
Endocrine Therapy Resistance
Estrogen Receptor Alpha (ESR1) Chromosomal Rearrangements / ESR1 Fusions
Computational Approaches and Synthetic Lethality in Cancer

Professional Statement

I have interests in proteogenomic identification of cancer therapeutic targets and functional networks.

Websites

ResearchGate Profile

Twitter

Pan-Cancer Study Points to Possible Protein Targets

Evaluating the clinical significance of PDX models in breast cancer research

Jonathan Lei, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, comments on the clinical relevance of patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) in breast cancer research. PDX models demonstrate an 80% concordance with patient responses to taxane therapies, making them valuable tools for studying treatment efficacy. Despite their advantages, the absence of an immune system in PDX models limits their utility in evaluating immune-related therapies. This interview took place at the 2024 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) congress in San Antonio, TX.

Biomarker-based chemotherapy optimization for TNBC with PDX models

Jonathan Lei, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, discusses a preclinical study using patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models to explore biomarkers and molecular mechanisms underlying response to single-agent and combination chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Combination therapies rarely outperformed single agents, with distinct molecular profiles linked to treatment responses. Biomarker-based predictors also demonstrated potential for guiding platinum, taxane, and combination therapies. This interview took place at the 2024 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) congress in San Antonio, TX.

Exploring patient-derived xenografts for breast cancer research

Jonathan Lei, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, describes the utility of patient-derived xenografts (PDX) as a clinically relevant model for studying breast cancer. Researchers can evaluate responses to multiple chemotherapy agents and combinations, which is not feasible in clinical trials. PDX models enable comprehensive testing of treatment strategies and enhance our understanding of chemotherapy efficacy, offering valuable insights for developing tailored therapies in breast cancer care. This interview took place at the 2024 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) congress in San Antonio, TX.

Professional Development

Patient-derived xenografts allow deconvolution and prediction of chemotherapy responses: Conference (Presenter, 2024); Sponsor: San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; Spotlight Poster Discussion

Pan-cancer proteogenomics expands the landscape of therapeutic targets: Conference (Presenter, 2023); Sponsor: Human Proteome Organization; Cancer Proteomics Session

Pan-cancer proteogenomics expands the landscape of therapeutic targets: Conference (Presenter, 2023); Sponsor: American Association for Cancer Research; Molecular Targets Minisymposium

Estrogen receptor gene fusions drive endocrine therapy resistance in estrogen receptor positive breast cancer: Conference (Presenter, 2017); Sponsor: American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting; Oncogenes and Tumor Suppressors Minisymposium

ESR1 gene fusions drive endocrine resistance and metastasis in breast cancer: Conference (Presenter, 2017); Sponsor: San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; Spotlight Poster Discussion

Functionally diverse ESR1 gene fusions drive endocrine resistance is estrogen receptor positive breast cancer: Conference (Presenter, 2016); Sponsor: San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; Poster Discussion

Selected Publications

Mertins P, Mani DR, Ruggles KV, Gillette MA, Clauser KR, Wang P, Wang X, Qiao JW, Cao S, Petralia F, Kawaler E, Mundt F, Krug K, Tu Z, Lei JT...Ellis MJ, Carr SA & NCI CPTAC. " Proteogenomics connects somatic mutations to signalling in breast cancer " Nature. 2016 May 25; 534 (7605) : 55-62.
Pubmed PMID: 27251275.
Haricharan S, Lei J, Ellis M. " Mammary Ductal Environment Is Necessary for Faithful Maintenance of Estrogen Signaling in ER(+) Breast Cancer " Cancer Cell. 2016 Mar 14; 29 (3) : 249-50.
Pubmed PMID: 26977876.
Haricharan S, Punturi N, Singh P, Holloway KR, Anurag M, Schmelz J, Schmidt C, Lei JT, Suman V, Hunt K, Olson JA, Hoog J, Li S, Huang S, Edwards DP, Kavuri SM, Bainbridge MN, Ma CX, Ellis MJ. " Loss of MutL Disrupts Chk2-dependent Cell Cycle Control Through CDK4/6 to Promote Intrinsic Endocrine Therapy Resistance in Primary Breast Cancer " Cancer Discov. 2017 Oct ; 7 (10) : 1-16.
Pubmed PMID: 28801307.
Lei JT, Shao J, Zhang J, Iglesia M, Chan DW, Cao J, Anurag M, Singh P, He X, Kosaka Y, Matsunuma R, Crowder R, Hoog J, Phommaly C, Goncalves R...Hoadley KA, Thompson EA, Chen X, Kavuri SM, Creighton CJ, Maher CA, Perou CM, Haricharan S, Ellis MJ. " Functional Annotation of ESR1 Gene Fusions in Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer " Cell Rep. 2018 ;
Pubmed PMID: 30089255.
Gates LA, Gu G, Chen Y, Rohira AD, Lei JT, Hamilton RA, Yu Y, Lonard DM, Wang J, Wang SP, Edwards DG, Lavere PF, Shao J, Yi P, Jain A, Jung SY, Malovannaya A, Li S, Shao J, Roeder RG, Ellis MJ, Qin J, Fuqua SAW, O'Malley BW, Foulds CE. " Proteomic profiling identifies key coactivators utilized by mutant ERα proteins as potential new therapeutic targets " Oncogene. 2018 ; 37 (33) : 4581-4598.
Pubmed PMID: 29748621.
Lei JT, Gou X, Ellis MJ. " ESR1 fusions drive endocrine therapy resistance and metastasis in breast cancer " Mol Cell Oncol. 2018 Oct 9; 5 (6) : e1526005.
Pubmed PMID: 30525098.
Matsunuma R, Chan DW, Kim BJ, Singh P, Han A, Saltzman AB, Cheng C, Lei JT, Wang J, Roberto da Silva L, Sahin E, Leng M, Fan C, Perou CM, Malovannaya A, Ellis MJ. " DPYSL3 modulates mitosis, migration, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in claudin-low breast cancer " Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 Nov 29;
Pubmed PMID: 30498031.
Lei JT, Gou X, Seker S, Ellis MJ. " ESR1 alterations and metastasis in estrogen receptor positive breast cancer " J Cancer Metastasis Treat. 2019 ; 5
Pubmed PMID: 31106278.
Lei JT, Anurag M, Haricharan S, Gou X, Ellis MJ. " Endocrine Therapy Resistance: New Insights " Breast. 2019 Nov ; 48 (Suppl 1) : S26-30.
Pubmed PMID: 31839155.
Lei JT, Gou X, Ellis MJ. " ESR1 fusions drive endocrine therapy resistance and metastasis in breast cancer " Mol Cell Oncol. 2018 Oct 9; 5 (6)
Pubmed PMID: 30525098.
Lei JT, Mazumdar T, Martinez-Moczygemba M. " Three lysine residues in the common β chain of the interleukin-5 receptor are required for Janus kinase (JAK)-dependent receptor ubiquitination, endocytosis, and signaling " J Biol Chem. 2011 Nov 18; 286 (46) : 40091-103.
Pubmed PMID: 21965659.
Martinez-Moczygemba M, Doan ML, Elidemir O, Fan LL, Cheung SW, Lei JT, Moore JP, Tavana G, Lewis LR, Zhu Y, Muzny DM, Gibbs RA, Huston DP. " Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis caused by deletion of the GM-CSFRalpha gene in the X chromosome pseudoautosomal region 1 " J Exp Med. 2008 Nov 24; 205 (12) : 2711-6.
Pubmed PMID: 18955567.
Lei JT, Martinez-Moczygemba M. " Separate endocytic pathways regulate IL-5 receptor internalization and signaling " J Leukoc Biol. 2008 Aug ; 84 (2) : 499-509.
Pubmed PMID: 18511572.

Memberships

American Association for Cancer Research: Active Member

American Society for Mass Spectrometry