Brian Spencer Koss, PhD

Research Program: Cancer Biology Faculty Rank: Assistant Professor Campus: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College: College of Medicine Department: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Cancer Research Interest

• Research Interest Statement: I am interested in exploring the molecular mechanisms T cells utilize to sense and adapt to environmental stress, focusing on the immune control of cancer. My work utilizes specialized proteomic approaches to established immune monitoring strategies and to inform the development of cellular therapies.

Contact Information

• Email Address: BSKOSS@UAMS.EDU
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Active Grants

• NIH/Nat. Inst. of Environmental Health Sciences – 1U24ES037082
  “Promoting scientific and workforce diversity by enriching the Arkansas Rural Community Health Study (ARCH) among Mother-Daughter Pairs”
  Co-Investigator
  12/19/2024 – 11/30/2029
• NIH/Nat. Cancer Institute – 1R21CA292278
  “Leveraging cancer-evolved resistance mechanisms to enhance EZH2 activity in adoptive T cells”
  Principal Investigator
  6/1/2024 – 5/31/2026
• NIH/Nat. Inst. of Allergy & Infectious Diseases – AWD00055840
  “DNA-PKcs Regulation of LAT-Mediated Early TCR Signaling in CD4+ and CD8+ T Cells”
  Principal Investigator
  8/5/2023 – 7/31/2025
• NIH/Office of the Director – 1DP5OD031863
  “Discovering T cell proteome turnover dynamics to overcome the solid tumor microenvironment ”
  Principal Investigator
  9/1/2021 – 8/31/2026

Recent Publications

• Xia J, Zhao H, Edmondson JL, [et al., including Koss B]. Role of NEK2 in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Trends in molecular medicine. 2024. PMID: 39181803. PMCID: PMC11717647.
• Kelliher JL, Folkerts ML, Shen KV, [et al., including Koss B]. Evolved histone tail regulates 53BP1 recruitment at damaged chromatin. Nature communications. 2024 15(1):4634. PMID: 38821984. PMCID: PMC11143218.
• Frett B, Stephens KE, Koss B, [et al.]. Enhancer-activated RET confers protection against oxidative stress to KMT2A-rearranged acute myeloid leukemia. Cancer science. 2024. PMID: 38226414. PMCID: PMC10920984.
• Morehead LC, Koss B, Fil D, [et al.]. Resveratrol induces major histocompatibility complex class I antigen presentation in a STING-dependent and independent manner in melanoma. Molecular immunology. 2023 163:188-195. PMID: 37837954. PMCID: PMC10792541.
• Azevedo-Pouly AC, Appell LE, Burdine L, [et al., including Koss B]. Chemical inhibition of DNA-PKcs impairs the activation and cytotoxicity of CD4(+) helper and CD8(+) effector T cells. Immunology and cell biology. 2023. PMID: 37149747. PMCID: PMC10527493.
• Guzman G, Reed MR, Bielamowicz K, [et al., including Koss B]. CAR-T Therapies in Solid Tumors: Opportunities and Challenges. Current oncology reports. 2023. PMID: 36853475. PMCID: PMC10110629.
• Choudhury S, Heflin B, Taylor E, [et al., including Koss B]. CRISPR/dCas9-KRAB-Mediated Suppression of S100b Restores p53-Mediated Apoptosis in Melanoma Cells. Cells. 2023 12(5). PMID: 36899866. PMCID: PMC10000373.
• Koss B, Boerma M, Shields BD, [et al.]. Epigenetic Control of Cdkn2a.Arf Protects Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes from Metabolic Exhaustion. Cancer research. 2020. PMID: 33004350. PMCID: PMC7642172.