Research Dr. Sonis' research laboratory is located at the Brigham and Women's Hospital. His major interest is the biological basis for mucosal toxicities associated with anti-neoplastic radiation and chemotherapy and development of therapeutic interventions. Dr. Sonis' research consists of animal and laboratory studies investigating mucosal toxicities associated with antineoplastic drug and radiation therapy to determine their pathobiology and to develop new mechanism-based interventions including cytokine therapy and gene transfer. Animal models and surrogate outcomes are used to predict stomatotoxic potential of new cancer drugs. Clinical investigations include Phase I, II and III trials for new biologically-based interventions for the prevention and treatment of oral mucositis in bone marrow transplant recipients and head and neck cancer patients.
Pharmacoeconomic studies evaluate the fiscal impact of oral toxicities of cancer therapy.
There are opportunities for funded research in Dr. Sonis' lab, for both the summer and during the school year for predoctoral and postdoctoral students. Attenuation of oral mucositis by transforming growth factor B3. Pharmacological attenuation of chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis. Sonis ST, VanVugt AG, McDonald J, et al. The impact of mucositis on a-hemolytic streptococcal infection in patients undergoing autologous bone marrow transplantation for hematologic malignancies.