Cassandra Holbert

Cassandra Holbert serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at Loyola University Maryland, with her office located in Dorothy Day 051. She can be contacted via email at cholbert@loyola.edu or by phone at 410-617-2959.

Her research centers on modulating polyamine metabolism as a cancer therapeutic strategy, specifically targeting immunologically 'cold' tumors in ovarian, breast, and pancreatic cancers. By investigating how polyamine analogues deplete polyamines and reprogram the tumor immune microenvironment, her work bridges cancer biology and immunology to develop combinatorial therapies that enhance immunotherapy responsiveness. Key mechanisms explored include chromatin remodeling, immune cell modulation, and tumor cell survival pathways.

Analysis of her 2019-2024 publications reveals a cohesive research trajectory focused on polyamine metabolism's role in tumor-immune interactions. Her work demonstrates that polyamine analogues like ivospemin increase survival in ovarian cancer models only with intact immune systems, highlighting critical immunomodulatory effects. Current studies examine how these compounds alter immune cell composition in tumor microenvironments to convert therapy-resistant cancers into immunotherapy-responsive states.

Dr. Holbert leads a dedicated research laboratory focused on translating polyamine metabolism insights into clinical applications. Her team systematically evaluates polyamine analogues' impacts on tumor immunology with the explicit goal of developing novel combinatorial treatments that improve patient outcomes in traditionally immunotherapy-resistant cancers.