An LSU biochemistry senior is developing a groundbreaking breast cancer treatment that combines natural compounds with modified virus therapy, offering a targeted, less harmful alternative to traditional methods.
Danielle Gipson’s interest in cancer research grew after watching her great aunt battle cancer.
“I started to see not only the physical ailments but also the sociological factors and the health disparities that affected her diagnosis,” Gipson said.
Her experience motivated her to focus on women’s health, particularly the social and medical disparities that influence cancer outcomes.
In the lab, Gipson is studying fisetin, a flavonol found in fruits and vegetables, which has shown promise in shrinking tumors and inducing cancer cell death.
Her team’s research goes a step further by combining fisetin with a genetically modified herpes simplex virus. The virus targets cancer cells, sparing healthy tissue while also acting as a vaccine to prevent the spread of cancer to other organs.
“Our full goal is to create a personalized medicine approach,” Gipson said. “The herpes simplex virus, which is a type of viral therapy, can actually help to kill the tumor cells even more. We’re doing a combination therapy.”
The team’s focus is on triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms.
“It’s not able to be treated in the same ways that other types of breast cancer are,” Gipson said. “That’s why we have to come up with more unique approaches.”
For Gipson, the biggest challenges are the slow pace of research and the setbacks that come with it.
“It can take months just to get one set of good data, of good results,” she said. “Even though maybe every day I’m not getting results … I’m still doing work towards my end goal.”
But she’s not facing these challenges alone. While working with Konstantin “Gus” Kousoulas, the head of LSU’s Department of Pathobiological Sciences at the School of Veterinary Medicine, and Jean Christopher Chamcheu, an associate professor of biology at Southern University, Gipson has built a network of mentors who help her navigate the tough spots in her research.
“Dr. Kousoulas at the vet school is great, he’s my main director,” Gipson said. “Dr. Chamcheu, who runs my lab, has been a huge mentor for me.”
Additionally, Leila Rahimian, a doctoral candidate in the lab, has played a crucial role in guiding Gipson through her day-to-day work.
“She’s been my main mentor that’s helped me and just really made sure I was comfortable doing all my work before I did anything on my own,” Gipson said.
She also credits Emmanuelle Ruiz, a bioinformatics expert from LSU’s Louisiana Biomedical Research Network and postdoctoral researcher Reza Ghavimi for their guidance in shaping her research.
After graduating, Gipson plans to attend medical school and become an obstetrician/gynecologist.
“I’ll be continuing my research as I apply to medical school,” she said. “This is only the first step of our goal.”
Gipson hopes her research will lead to more effective treatments and help reduce the disparities that contribute to Louisiana’s high breast cancer mortality rate.
