Laboratory Research

Urology laboratories

Garzotto lab

Dr. Mark Garzotto

Dr. Mark Garzotto, M.D. a specialist in urologic oncology, is involved in multiple research projects in addition to maintaining a busy clinical practice. His particular area of interest is in the detection and treatment of prostate cancer, and runs a basic science laboratory in addition to participating in several clinical projects at OHSU and at the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Some of his current research studies include the following:

  • Agent Orange as a Risk Factor for High Grade Prostate Cancer Detected on Initial Prostate Biopsy: A study on the effect of agent orange in detected occurrence of high grade prostate cancer.
  • Phase I/II Study of Preoperative Radiation and Docetaxel Activity in High-Risk Localized Prostate Cancer: Preoperative radiation and docetaxel is feasible with acceptable toxicity for high-risk localized prostate cancer. Early outcomes suggest neoadjuvant therapy improves local control with no recurrences observed in patients with positive margins.
  • Imaging prostatic lipids to distinguish aggressive prostate cancer: Using MRSI to link lipid deposits with aggressive tumor in pre-operative prostate cancer patients.

Laboratory collaborations

Gray Lab

Our surgeon specialists in urologic oncology support several research collaborations, with much focus on a key collaboration with the laboratory of Joe Gray, Ph.D. Some of the urologic projects currently being conducted in that lab include the following:

  • Identifying Tumor-Specific Markers from Blood and Urine from Patients Undergoing Treatment for Solid Cancers: Live cell cultures are initiated and DNA extracted from tumor tissue, blood, and urine for sequencing work to identify markers of tumor expression.
  • Identifying Tissue-based Markers for Cancer in Patients Undergoing Biopsy
  • Expression Markers of Cancer Progression: The OHSU biorepository supplies tumor tissues for analysis of genetic markers within tissue cells.

Learn more about the OHSU Center for Spatial Systems Biomedicine.