Leonard Zon
As a pediatric hematologist/oncologist at Children’s Hospital in Boston, Leonard Zon says, “I certainly never expected I would end up working with fish.” Dr. Zon studies a unique organism: the zebrafish. This one and a half inch fish happens to have a gene set that is very similar to the human gene set. Zon is a pioneer in the zebrafish field and chose to model human diseases using this fish because, “the zebrafish embryo is completely clear, providing a ‘real time’ view of all organs and systems as they develop.” With 3,000 tanks in his lab, he has one of the largest aquaria in the world.
Dr. Zon’s recent work brings new hope to melanoma patients. His laboratory has developed a zebrafish model of human melanoma. His team used this unique model to screen 2,000 chemicals that target melanoma cells and interfere with their growth. The screen found one drug, called leflunomide (an approved arthritis drug), which blocked the melanoma growth by interfering with the cancer cell and causing it to lose many of the characteristics of a melanoma. This is an example of how an approved drug for one disease can be successful against other diseases as well.
Zon’s research is currently being funded by a MRA Team Science Award. His team, including Richard White (MSKCC) and Keith Flaherty (Massachusetts General Hospital), combined leflunomide with the BRAF inhibitor and discovered that combining the two may be better than the BRAF inhibitor alone. With MRA’s support, Zon’s laboratory was able to complete preclinical testing and translate these studies into a clinical trial. Their work is currently part of a Phase 2 trial of the combination therapy to target molecular and cellular fate pathways. This groundbreaking research not only brings new hope to melanoma patients but may also benefit those suffering from other cancers.
Dr. Zon received a B.S. in chemistry and natural sciences from Muhlenberg College and his M.D. degree from Jefferson Medical College. Zon is currently the Gorusbeck Professor of Pediatric Medicine at Children’s Hospital Boston of Harvard Medical School, an Investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Director of the Stem Cell Program at Children's Hospital Boston. In addition to these positions, Dr. Zon is President of the International Society for Stem Cell Research, President of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, Head of the external investigators of the Zebrafish Genome Institution and Chairman of the Harvard Stem Cell Institutes Executive Committee.
Outside of research and medicine, Dr. Zon’s passion is music. He has played first trumpet in the Longwood Symphony Orchestra for the past 28 years. Additionally, he enjoys spending time with his family, especially attending his children’s soccer matches with his wife.
