Dionysios C. Watson, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Dionysios Watson is a physician-scientist dedicated to elucidating and therapeutically targeting tumor microenvironment interactions in solid tumor malignancies. He leads the NIH-funded DiscoverTME research laboratory as part of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, and his clinical practice focuses on lung and head/neck cancers.

Dr. Watson conducted his PhD training at the National Cancer Institute, where he led translational and clinical efforts for development of heterodimeric interleukin-15 for cancer immunotherapy. Furthermore, he developed technology for engineering extracellular vesicles/exosomes (EVs) to deliver immunostimulatory cytokines tumor. He also pioneered methods for mass-production of EVs, which are currently being employed in clinical development by academia and industry.

He trained as a medical oncologist at Case Western Reserve University and conducted his post-doctoral research training at the Cleveland Clinic, where he discovered intercellular mitochondria exchange in the brain as a driver of glioblastoma, the most common primary malignant brain tumor.

The research mission of DiscoverTME lab is to identify and therapeutically target vulnerabilities in the tumor microenvironment (TME), particularly as they relate to metabolic and immune interactions. Together with strong multi-disciplinary collaborations, Dr. Watson leverages his >10 years of relevant experience to develop novel cancer therapies.

Currently, DiscoverTME focuses on the following areas:

(1) Discovery of new TME treatment targets in glioblastoma, the most common and deadly brain cancer. Dr. Watson previously discovered that glioblastoma physically connects with surrounding brain cells. These connections allow cancer cells to steal critical components, like mitochondria, from the brain—and as a result, become more aggressive. DiscoverTME is investigating how this process occurs and the molecular mechanisms of its effect on brain tumors, with the hope of identifying targets for new cancer therapies.

(2) Precision immunotherapy. DiscoverTME is working with other research groups at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center to design precision immunotherapy with highly targeted effects, specific to particular tumor types. These engineered drugs aim to maximize the effectiveness of immunotherapy, while decreasing side effects.

(3) Microbiome-inspired immunotherapy. The types of bacteria living in our gut (microbiome) have a significant effect on how well a patient responds to cancer therapy—especially immunotherapy. However, there has been little progress in designing treatments that leverage the growing knowledge of how microbiome affects cancer. DiscoverTME is joining forces with biomedical engineering researchers at University of Miami to design and test microbiome-inspired therapies for several cancer types.

For more information, visit our lab website at www.DiscoverTME.com.