Benjamin E Bonavida

Dr. Benjamin Bonavida, is currently Distinguished Research Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He is affiliated with the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. His research career, thus far, has focused on investigations in the fields of basic immunochemistry and cancer immunobiology. His research investigations have ranged from the biochemical, molecular, and genetic mechanisms of cell-mediated killing and tumor cell resistance to chemo- immune-cytotoxic drugs. The reversal of tumor cell resistance was investigated by the use of various selected sensitizing agents based on molecular mechanisms of resistance. In these investigations, there was the newly characterized dysregulated NF-kB/Snail/YY1/RKIP/PTEN loop

in many cancers that was reported to regulate cell survival, proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and resistance. Emphasis was focused on the roles of the tumor suppressor Raf kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP) and the tumor promoter Yin Yang 1 (YY1) and the role of nitric oxide (NO) as a chemo-immuno-sensitizing factor. Many of the aforementioned studies are centered on the clinical challenging features of cancer patients’ failure to respond to both conventional and targeted therapies.

Bonavida has been active in the organization of regular sequential international mini-conferences that are highly focused on the roles of YY1, RKIP, and nitric oxide in cancer and their potential therapeutic applications. Several books edited or co-edited by Bonavida have been published. He was the Series Editor of books (over 22) published by Springer/ Nature on “Resistance to Anti-Cancer Targeted Therapeutics”. Currently, he is the Series Editor of Three Series published by Elsevier/Academic Press on “Cancer Sensitizing Agents for Chemotherapy”, “Breaking Tolerance to Anti-Cancer Immunotherapy”, and “Breaking Tolerance to Anti-Cancer Antibody Immunotherapy” and over 35 books have been published thus far. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal “Critical Reviews in Oncogenesis” and Associate Editor of “Critical reviews in Immunology”. Dr. Bonavida has published over 500 research publications and reviews in various scientific journals of high impact.

EDUCATION

1959-1961 University of Paris School of Medicine, France
1962-1964 BA, Department of Microbiology, University of California, Los Angeles,  CA, USA
1964-1968 PhD. with distinction, Department of Microbiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
1969-1971 Postdoctoral Weizmann Fellow, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, Israel
1971- 1977 Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UCLA School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Ca, USA
1977-1982 Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UCLA School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Ca, USA
1982-2011 Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UCLA School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Ca, USA
2011-current Distinguished Research Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UCLA School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Ca, USA

TEACHING ACTIVITIES

IMMUNOBIOLOGY OF CANCER (M262-A-C). Graduate course taught quarterly ( 3 times/year) (for > 20 years). Examples below for the last two years
M262C Spring 2024  Interferons and immunotherapy
M262B Winter 2024 Targeting hypoxia for immunotherapy
M262C Spring 2023 Targeting tumor vasculature reverses immunotherapy resistance
M262B Winter 2023 Mutation-derived neoantigens as targets for successful immunotherapy

TEACHING UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS (SRP; M199)

Research publications by undergraduate students (examples of last years)

2024

Dillen A, Bui, I, Jung, M., Agioti, S, Zaravinos, A, Bonavida, B.  Regulation of PD-L1 expression by YY1 in cancer: Therapeutic efficacy of targeting YY1 Cancers (Basel) 16:1237, 2024
Jung, M, Bonavida, B. Immune evasion in cancer is regulated by tumor-asociated macxrophages Critical Reviews in Oncogenesis 29: 1, 2024
Festekdjian, T & Bonavida, B. Targeting the depletion of M2 macrophages: implication in cancer immunotherapy Critical Reviews in Oncogenesis ( In press 2024)
McWhorter, R & Bonavida, B. The role of TAMs in the regulation of tumor cell resistance to chemotherapy Critical reviews in Oncogenesis (In press 2024)
Ho, M & Bonavida, B. Cross-talks between RKIP and PD-L1 expressions in cancer: Role in immune evasion andn therapeutic implications ( submitted to Cells)

2023

Moghaddam, M, Vivarelli, S, Falzone, L, Libtra, M & Bonavida, B. Cancer resistance via the downregulation of the tumor suppressor RKIP and PTEN expressions: therapeutic implications Explor Target Antitumor Ther 4:170-207, 2023
Jung, M, Bui, I & Bonavida, B. Role of YY1 in the regulation of anti-apoptotic gene products in drug resistant cancer cells Cancers (Basel) 15:4267, 2023
Bui, I, Baritaki, S, Linra, M, Zaravinos, A & Bonavida, B. Cancxer resistance is mediated by the upregulation of several anti[apoptotic gene products via the inducible nitric oxide synthase/nitric oxide pathway: Therapeutic implications Antioxid Redox Signal 39: 853-889, 2023

2022

Cessna, H, Baritaki, S, Zaravinos, A & Bonavida, B. The role of RKIP in the regulation of EMT in the tumor microenvironment. Cancers (Basel) 14:4596, 2022
Lin, K, Baritaki, S, VBivarelli, S, Falzone, L, Libra, M & Bonavida, B. The breast cancer protooncogenes Her2, BRCA1 and BRCA2 and their regulation by the iNOS/NOS2 axis Antioxidants (Basel) 11:1195, 2022

Publications ( Samples for last 3 years)

2024

Dillen A, Bui, I, Jung, M., Agioti, S, Zaravinos, A, Bonavida, B.  Regulation of PD-L1 expression by YY1 in cancer: Therapeutic efficacy of targeting YY1 Cancers (Basel) 16:1237, 2024
Jung, M, Bonavida, B. Immune evasion in cancer is regulated by tumor-asociated macxrophages Critical Reviews in Oncogenesis 29: 1, 2024
Festekdjian, T & Bonavida, B. Targeting the depletion of M2 macrophages: implication in cancer immunotherapy Critical Reviews in Oncogenesis ( In press 2024)
McWhorter, R & Bonavida, B. The role of TAMs in the regulation of tumor cell resistance to chemotherapy Critical reviews in Oncogenesis (In press 2024)
Ho, M & Bonavida, B. Cross-talks between RKIP and PD-L1 expressions in cancer: Role in immune evasion andn therapeutic implications  ( submitted to Cells)

2023

Moghaddam, M, Vivarelli, S, Falzone, L, Libtra, M & Bonavida, B. Cancer resistance via the downregulation of the tumor suppressor RKIP and PTEN expressions: therapeutic implications Explor Target Antitumor Ther 4:170-207, 2023
Jung, M, Bui, I & Bonavida, B. Role of YY1 in the regulation of anti-apoptotic gene products in drug resistant cancer cells Cancers (Basel) 15:4267, 2023
Bui, I, Baritaki, S, Linra, M, Zaravinos, A & Bonavida, B. Cancxer resistance is mediated by the upregulation of several anti[apoptotic gene products via the inducible nitric oxide synthase/nitric oxide pathway: Therapeutic implications Antioxid Redox Signal 39: 853-889, 2023

2022

Cessna, H, Baritaki, S, Zaravinos, A & Bonavida, B. The role of RKIP in the regulation of EMT in the tumor microenvironment. Cancers (Basel) 14:4596, 2022
Lin, K, Baritaki, S, VBivarelli, S, Falzone, L, Libra, M & Bonavida, B. The breast cancer protooncogenes Her2, BRCA1 and BRCA2 and their regulation by the iNOS/NOS2 axis Antioxidants (Basel) 11:1195, 2022
Eptaminitaki, GC, Stellas, D, NBonavida, B & Baritaki, S. Long non-coding RNAs (LNCRNAs) signaling in cancer chemoresistance: From prediction to druggability Drug Resist Uptake 65: 100866, 2022

EDITORIAL ACTIVITIES

Scientific Journals    

Editor-in-Chief : Critical Reviews in Oncogenesis – Published by Begell
Editor in Chief:  Onco-Theraputics – Published buy Begell
Associate Editor: Critical reviews in Immunology – Published by Begell
Editorial Board: Many scientific Journals     

BONAVIDA (SERIES EDITOR/EDITOR)

Published by Springer/Nature

Title of Series: Resistance to Anti-cancer Targeted Therapies 

Volume 1. Molecular Mechanisms of Tumor Cell Resistance to Chemotherapy. Ed. Benjamin Bonavida. 2013.
Volume 2. Resistance to Immunotherapeutic Antibodies in Cancer. Ed. Benjamin Bonavida. 2013.
Volume 3. Resistance to Proteasome Inhibitors in Cancer. Ed. Q. Ping Dou. 2014
Volume 4. Resistance to Targeted ABC Transporter in Cancer. Ed. Thomas Efferth. 2015.
Volume 5. Resistance to Photodynamic Therapy in Cancer. Eds. Valentina Rapozzi, Giulio Jori. 2015.
Volume 6. Resistance to Immunotoxins in Cancer Therapy. Ed. Rama Shanker Verma. 2015.
Volume 7. Resistance of Cancer Cells to CTL-Mediated Immunotherapy. Eds. Benjamin Bonavida & Salem Chouaib. 2015.
Volume 8. Resistance to Aromatase Inhibitors in Breast Cancer. Ed. Alexey Larionov. 2015.
Volume 9. Defects in T Cell Trafficking and Resistance to Cancer Immunotherapy. Ed. Emmanuel Donnadieu. 2016.
Volume 10. Resistance to Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors. Ed. Daniele Focosi. Ed. 2016.
Volume 11. Resistance to Targeted Therapies Against Adult Brain Cancers. Ed. Amanda Tivnan. Ed. 2017.
Volume 12. TRAIL, Fas Ligand, TNF, and TLR3 in Cancer. Ed. Olivier Micheau. 2017.
Volume 13. Resistance to Targeted Therapies for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Ed. Augusto Villanueva. 2017.
Volume 15. Resistance to Anti-Cancer Therapeutics Targeting Receptor Tyrosine Kinases and Downstream Pathways. Eds. Yosef Yarden, Moshe Elkabets. 2018.
Volume 16. Resistance to Targeted Therapies in Breast Cancer. Ed. Jeni Properi. 2017.
Volume 17. Resistance of Targeted Therapies Excluding Antibodies for Lymphomas. Ed. Andrés J. M Ferreri. 2018.
Volume 18. Resistance to Ibritumomab in Lymphoma. Eds. Makoto Honso, Jean-François Chatal. 2018.
Volume 19. Cancer Stem Cell Resistance to Targeted Therapy. Eds. Cristina Maccalli, Matilde Todaro, Soldano Ferrone. 2019.
Volume 20. Current Applications for Overcoming Resistance to Targeted Therapies. Eds. Myron R. Szewczuk, Bessi Qorri, Manpreet Sambi. 2019.
Volume 21. Resistance to Targeted Therapies in Lymphomas. Eds. Ana c. Xavier, Mitchell S. Cairo. 2019.
Volume 22. Resistance to Targeted Therapies in Multiple Myeloma. Eds. Silvia Ling and Steven Trieu. 2021.

Published by Elsevier/Academic Press

Title of Series: Cancer Sensitizing Agents for Chemotherapy Series

Volume 1. Nitric Oxide (Donor/Induced) in Chemo sensitization Edited by Benjamin Bonavida, PhD. 2017
Volume 2. Role of Nutraceuticals in Cancer Chemo sensitization

Edited by Alok Chandra Bharti and Bharat Bhushan Aggarwal. 2017

Volume 3. Targeting Cell Survival Pathways to Enhance Response to Chemotherapy Edited by Daniel E. Johnson, PhD. 2018
Volume 4. Protein Kinase Inhibitors as Sensitizing Agents for Chemotherapy Edited by Zhe-Sheng Chen and Dong-Hua Yang. 2018
Volume 5. Breaking Tolerance to Pancreatic Cancer Unresponsiveness to Chemotherapy Edited by Ganji Purnachandra Nagaraju, PhD, Dsc. 2019
Volume 6. Improving the Therapeutic Ratio in Head and Neck Cancer Edited by Randall J. Kimple, MD, PhD. 2019
Volume 7. Drug Efflux Pumps in Cancer Resistance Pathways: From Molecular Recognition and Characterization to Possible Inhibition Strategies in Chemotherapy

 Edited by Alejandro Sosnik, PhD and Reina Bendayan, PharmD. 2019

Volume 8. Drug Resistance in Colorectal Cancer: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies Edited by Chi Hin Cho and Tao Hu, PhD. 2019|
Volume 9.  Novel Therapies in Head and Neck Cancer: Beyond the Horizon

Edited by Maie A. St. John, MD, PhD, FACS and No-Hee Park, DMD, PhD. 2020

Volume 10. pH-Interfering Agents as Chemosensitizers in Cancer Therapy Edited by Claudiu T. Supuran, PhD and Simone Carradori, PhD. 2020
Volume 11. Overcoming Ovarian Cancer Chemoresistance

Edited by Goli Samimi, PhD, MPH and Christina Annunziata, MD, PhD. 2021

Volume 12. Biological Mechanisms and the Advancing Approaches to Overcoming Cancer Drug Resistance Edited by Andrew Freywald, PhD and Franco J. Vizeacoumar, PhD. 2021
Volume 13. Therapeutic Strategies to Overcome ALK Resistance in Cancer Edited by Luc Friboulet, PhD. 2021
Volume 14. New Targeting in The Reversal of Resistant Glioblastomas

Edited by Ali Syed Arbab. 2021

Volume 15. Glioblastoma Resistance to Chemotherapy

Edited by Tarik F. Massoud and Ramasamy Paulmurugan. 2022

Title of Series: Breaking Tolerance To Cell-mediated Immunotherapy

Volume 1. Autophagy in immune response: Impact on cancer immunotherapy   Edited by Salem Chouaib. 2020
Volume 2. Immunotherapy in resistant cancer: From the lab bench work to its clinical perspectives. Edited by Jorge Morales-Montor and Mariana Segovia-Mendoza. 2021