Amit Sabnis, MD

I am a pediatric oncologist and physician-scientist with a focus on examining new therapeutic strategies for sarcomas. Whether using genetic and biochemical tools for discovery, preclinical models for target and biomarker validation, or participating in the care of patients on clinical trials, my goal is to align my research and clinical practice to improve cure rates and quality of life for these patients.
Education
2019 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training, University of California
Fellowship, 2014 - Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, University of California, San Francisco
Residency, 2011 - Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco
M.D., 2008 - School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
Cert, 2007 - Medicine (Certificate in Biomedical Research), University of California, San Francisco

  1. Amit J. Sabnis, Pushpendra K. Sahu, Yue Pan. Abstract 138: UCHL5 and PAX3-FOXO1 resolve replication stress in rhabdomyosarcoma. Cancer research 2024. PMID:


  2. Henry J. Martell, Avanthi T. Shah, Alex G. Lee, Stanley G. Leung, Soo-Jin Cho, María Pons Ventura, Ana Golla, Amanda E. Marinoff, Elizabeth P. Young, Bogdan Tanasa, Inge Behroozfard, Heng-Yi Liu, Aviv Spillinger, Michelle L. Turski, Nicole Elzie-Tuttle, Carlos Espinosa-Mendez, Arun Rangaswami, Tabitha M. Cooney, Cassie Kline, Anurag Agrawal, Jennifer Michlisch, Elliot Stieglitz, Mignon Loh, Amit J. Sabnis, Kieuhoa T. Vo, Sheri Spunt, Norman Lacayo, Holly C. Beal, Florette K. Hazard, Sophie Salama, David Haussler, Olena M. Vaske, Marcus R. Breese, E. Alejandro Sweet-Cordero. Abstract 1759: Integrative longitudinal genomic analysis of therapy-resistant and metastatic pediatric cancers. Cancer research 2024. PMID:


  3. Hannah Y. Comeau, Lorena Lazo De La Vega, Alanna J. Church, Luke D. Maese, Navin Pinto, Margaret E. Macy, Mark A. Applebaum, Amit J. Sabnis, AeRang Kim, Susan I. Colace, Filemon Dela Cruz, Steven G. DuBois, Natalie B. Collins, Katherine A. Janeway. Abstract 2862: Evolution of clinically relevant variants in advanced pediatric sarcomas. Cancer research 2024. PMID:


  4. Allegakoen DV, Kwong K, Morales J, Bivona TG, Sabnis AJ. The essential chaperone DNAJC17 activates HSP70 to coordinate RNA splicing and G2-M progression. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology 2023. PMID: 37961102


  5. Marinoff AE, Spurr LF, Fong C, Li YY, Forrest SJ, Ward A, Doan D, Corson L, Mauguen A, Pinto N, Maese L, Colace S, Macy ME, Kim A, Sabnis AJ, Applebaum MA, Laetsch TW, Glade-Bender J, Weiser DA, Anderson M, Crompton BD, Meyers P, Zehir A, MacConaill L, Lindeman N, Nowak JA, Ladanyi M, Church AJ, Cherniack AD, Shukla N, Janeway KA. Clinical Targeted Next-Generation Panel Sequencing Reveals MYC Amplification Is a Poor Prognostic Factor in Osteosarcoma. JCO precision oncology 2023. PMID: 36996377


  6. Morales J, Allegakoen DV, Garcia JA, Kwong K, Sahu PK, Fajardo DA, Pan Y, Horlbeck MA, Weissman JS, Gustafson WC, Bivona TG, Sabnis AJ. GATOR2-dependent mTORC1 activity is a therapeutic vulnerability in FOXO1 fusion-positive rhabdomyosarcoma. JCI insight 2022. PMID: 36282590


  7. Lazo De La Vega L, Comeau H, Sallan S, Al-Ibraheemi A, Gupta H, Li YY, Tsai HK, Kang W, Ward A, Church AJ, Kim A, Pinto NR, Macy ME, Maese LD, Sabnis AJ, Cherniack AD, Lindeman NI, Anderson ME, Cooney TM, Yeo KK, Reaman GH, DuBois SG, Collins NB, Johnson BE, Janeway KA, Forrest SJ. Rare FGFR Oncogenic Alterations in Sequenced Pediatric Solid and Brain Tumors Suggest FGFR Is a Relevant Molecular Target in Childhood Cancer. JCO precision oncology 2022. PMID: 36446043


  8. Desai AV, Robinson GW, Gauvain K, Basu EM, Macy ME, Maese L, Whipple NS, Sabnis AJ, Foster JH, Shusterman S, Yoon J, Weiss BD, Abdelbaki MS, Armstrong AE, Cash T, Pratilas CA, Corradini N, Marshall LV, Farid-Kapadia M, Chohan S, Devlin C, Meneses-Lorente G, Cardenas A, Hutchinson KE, Bergthold G, Caron H, Chow Maneval E, Gajjar A, Fox E. Entrectinib in children and young adults with solid or primary CNS tumors harboring NTRK, ROS1 or ALK aberrations (STARTRK-NG). 2022. PMID: 35395680


  9. Jacqueline Morales, Kristen Kwong, W. Clay Gustafson, Amit J. Sabnis. Abstract A015: Biochemical and preclinical anti-tumor activity of a bi-steric mTORC1-selective inhibitor in fusion positive rhabdomyosarcoma. Clinical Cancer Research 2022. PMID:


  10. Church AJ, Corson LB, Kao PC, Imamovic-Tuco A, Reidy D, Doan D, Kang W, Pinto N, Maese L, Laetsch TW, Kim A, Colace SI, Macy ME, Applebaum MA, Bagatell R, Sabnis AJ, Weiser DA, Glade-Bender JL, Homans AC, Hipps J, Harris H, Manning D, Al-Ibraheemi A, Li Y, Gupta H, Cherniack AD, Lo YC, Strand GR, Lee LA, Pinches RS, Lazo De La Vega L, Harden MV, Lennon NJ, Choi S, Comeau H, Harris MH, Forrest SJ, Clinton CM, Crompton BD, Kamihara J, MacConaill LE, Volchenboum SL, Lindeman NI, Van Allen E, DuBois SG, London WB, Janeway KA. Molecular profiling identifies targeted therapy opportunities in pediatric solid cancer. Nature medicine 2022. PMID: 35739269


  11. Karen S. Fernandez, Amit J. Sabnis, Ruetima Titapiwatanakun, Katherine Baker, Wendy Tcheng. Addition of chemo-immunotherapy to standard induction chemotherapy for high-risk neuroblastoma. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2022. PMID:


  12. Kieuhoa Tran Vo, Amit J. Sabnis, Paul M. Williams, Sinchita Roy-Chowdhuri, David R. Patton, Brent Coffey, Joel M. Reid, Jin Piao, Lauren Saguilig, Todd Allen Alonzo, Stacey L. Berg, Alok Jaju, Elizabeth Fox, Douglas S. Hawkins, Margaret M. Mooney, Naoko Takebe, James V. Tricoli, Katherine A. Janeway, Nita Seibel, Donald Williams Parsons. Ulixertinib in patients with tumors with MAPK pathway alterations: Results from NCI-COG Pediatric MATCH trial Arm J (APEC1621J). Journal of Clinical Oncology 2022. PMID:


  13. Schienda J, Church AJ, Corson LB, Decker B, Clinton CM, Manning DK, Imamovic-Tuco A, Reidy D, Strand GR, Applebaum MA, Bagatell R, DuBois SG, Glade-Bender JL, Kang W, Kim A, Laetsch TW, Macy ME, Maese L, Pinto N, Sabnis AJ, Schiffman JD, Colace SI, Volchenboum SL, Weiser DA, Nowak JA, Lindeman NI, Janeway KA, Crompton BD, Kamihara J. Germline Sequencing Improves Tumor-Only Sequencing Interpretation in a Precision Genomic Study of Patients With Pediatric Solid Tumor. 2021. PMID: 34964003


  14. Rees HD, Hills NK, Sabnis AJ, Tulpule AB, Shimotake TK, Goldsby RE. Clinical characteristics and outcomes of infants compared with children diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma: Analysis of surveillance, epidemiology and end results data from 2000 to 2016. Cancer reports (Hoboken, N.J.) 2021. PMID: 34254742


  15. Alanna J. Church, Laura Corson, Pei-Chi Kao, Alma Imamovic-Tuco, Wenjun Kang, Navin R. Pinto, Luke Maese, Theodore Willis Laetsch, AeRang Kim, Susan Colace, Margaret E Macy, Mark A. Applebaum, Rochelle Bagatell, Amit J. Sabnis, Daniel Weiser, Julia Lynne Glade Bender, Samuel Louis Volchenboum, Steven G. DuBois, Wendy B. London, Katherine A. Janeway. Clinical impact of molecular tumor profiling in pediatric, adolescent, and young adult patients with extra-cranial solid malignancies: An interim report from the GAIN/iCat2 study. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2021. PMID:


  16. Giles Robinson, Ami Desai, Ellen Basu, Jennifer Foster, Karen Gauvain, Amit Sabnis, Suzanne Shusterman, Margaret Macy, Luke Mease, Janet Yoon, Thomas Cash, Mohamed Abdelbaki, Kellie Nazemi, Christine Pratilas, Brian Weiss, Saibah Chohan, Alison Cardenas, Katherine Hutchinson, Guillaume Bergthold, Amar Gajjar. HGG-01. ENTRECTINIB IN RECURRENT OR REFRACTORY SOLID TUMORS INCLUDING PRIMARY CNS TUMORS: UPDATED DATA IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS. Neuro-oncology 2020. PMID:


  17. Katherine Tarlock, Soheil Meshinchi, Jeffrey E. Rubnitz, Seth E. Karol, Barbara Spitzer, Amit J. Sabnis, Asif Pathan, Boo Messahel. Clinical Benefit and Tolerability of Crenolanib in Children with Relapsed Acute Myeloid Leukemia Harboring Treatment Resistant FLT3 ITD and Variant FLT3 TKD Mutations Treated on Compassionate Access. Blood 2020. PMID:


  18. J. Chew, S.A. Lloyd, R.A. Okimoto, A. Sabnis, E. Nakakura, C. Corvera, M.N. Zimel, A.E. Horvai, S.J. Cho, R.L. Wustrack, A.R. Gottschalk, R.J. O'Donnell, T.M. Jahan, S.E. Braunstein. Outcomes of Elderly Patients with Soft Tissue Sarcoma of the Extremities. International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics 2020. PMID:


  19. Lavergne V, Sabnis A, Tupule A, Davidson PR, Kline C, Matthay K, Nicolaides T, Goldsby R, Braunstein S, Fogh SE, Sneed PK, Menzel P, Nakamura A, DuBois SG, Haas-Kogan DA, Nakamura JL. Germline MUTYH Mutation in a Pediatric Cancer Survivor Developing a Secondary Malignancy. Journal of pediatric hematology/oncology 2020. PMID: 31815884


  20. Jaclyn Schienda, Catherine M. Clinton, Laura B. Corson, Alma Imamovic-Tuco, Navin Pinto, Luke Maese, Theodore W. Laetsch, AeRang Kim, Susan I. Vear, Margaret E. Macy, Mark A. Applebaum, Rochelle Bagatell, Amit J. Sabnis, Daniel A. Weiser, Julia L. Glade-Bender, Samuel L. Volchenboum, Wenjun Kang, Danielle Manning, Jonathan Nowak, Joshua Schiffman, Neal I. Lindeman, Alanna J. Church, Katherine A. Janeway, Brian D. Crompton, Junne Kamihara. Abstract A06: The added value of examining germline variants in a precision cancer therapy study. Cancer research 2020. PMID:


  21. Amit J. Sabnis, Steven Chen, Carolina Morales, Benjamin S. Braun. Abstract A27: An apoptosis-based screen for targeted agents in rhabdomyosarcoma reveals potential combination therapies. Cancer research 2020. PMID:


  22. Alanna J. Church, Laura B. Corson, Alma Imamovic-Tuco, Gianna R. Strand, Dierdre Reidy, Duong Doan, Robert S. Pinches, Mark A. Applebaum, Rochelle Bagatell, Brian D. Crompton, Steven G. DuBois, Julia L. Glade Bender, Theodore W. Laetsch, Lobin A. Lee, Neal I. Lindeman, Marian H. Harris, Margaret E. Macy, Luke Maese, Navin Pinto, Amit J. Sabnis, Eliezer M. Van Allen, Susan I. Vear, Daniel A. Weiser, Catherine M. Clinton, Katherine A. Janeway. Abstract A59: Sequencing identifies diagnostically relevant alterations in pediatric solid tumor patients. Cancer research 2020. PMID:


  23. Alma Imamovic, Alanna J. Church, Laura B. Corson, Deirdre Reidy, Navin Pinto, Luke Maese, Theodore W. Laetsch, AeRang Kim, Susan I. Vear, Margaret E. Macy, Mark A. Applebaum, Rochelle Bagatell, Amit J. Sabnis, Daniel A. Weiser, Julia L. Glade-Bender, Gianna R. Strand, Lobin A. Lee, R. Seth Pinches, Catherine M. Clinton, Brian D. Crompton, Neal I. Lindeman, Steven G. DuBois, Katherine A. Janeway, Eliezer M. Van Allen. Abstract B13: Leveraging cloud-based computational resources for gene fusion discovery with potential clinical implications for pediatric solid tumor patients. Cancer research 2020. PMID:


  24. Ami Vijay Desai, Giles W. Robinson, Ellen M. Basu, Jennifer Foster, Karen Gauvain, Amit Sabnis, Suzanne Shusterman, Margaret E Macy, Luke Maese, Janet Yoon, Thomas Cash, Mohamed Abdelbaki, Kellie Nazemi, Brian D. Weiss, Saibah Chohan, Alison Cardenas, Katherine Hutchinson, Guillaume Bergthold, Amar J. Gajjar, Elizabeth Fox. Updated entrectinib data in children and adolescents with recurrent or refractory solid tumors, including primary CNS tumors. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2020. PMID:


  25. Giles Robinson, Ami Desai, Karen Gauvain, Ellen Basu, Kathleen Dorris, Luke Maese, Amit Sabnis, Jennifer Foster, Suzanne Shusterman, Janet Yoon, Brian Weiss, Mohamed Abdelbaki, Mufiza Farid-Kapadia, Georgina Meneses-Lorente, Alison Cardenas, Katherine Hutchinson, Guillaume Bergthold, Edna Chow Maneval, Elizabeth Fox, Amar Gajjar. PDCT-13. ENTRECTINIB IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH RECURRENT OR REFRACTORY SOLID TUMORS INCLUDING PRIMARY CNS TUMORS. Neuro-oncology 2019. PMID:


  26. Heunis JC, Cheah JW, Sabnis AJ, Wustrack RL. Use of three-dimensional printing and intraoperative navigation in the surgical resection of metastatic acetabular osteosarcoma. BMJ case reports 2019. PMID: 31570349


  27. Chatterjee N, Pazarentzos E, Mayekar MK, Gui P, Allegakoen DV, Hrustanovic G, Olivas V, Lin L, Verschueren E, Johnson JR, Hofree M, Yan JJ, Newton BW, Dollen JV, Earnshaw CH, Flanagan J, Chan E, Asthana S, Ideker T, Wu W, Suzuki J, Barad BA, Kirichok Y, Fraser JS, Weiss WA, Krogan NJ, Tulpule A, Sabnis AJ, Bivona TG. Synthetic Essentiality of Metabolic Regulator PDHK1 in PTEN-Deficient Cells and Cancers. Cell reports 2019. PMID: 31461649


  28. David V. Allegakoen, Rohinton S. Tarapore, Joshua E. Allen, Amit J. Sabnis, Trever G. Bivona. Abstract 2664: Differential activation of the integrated stress response correlates with anti-tumor activity of imipridones ONC201 and ONC206 in pediatric sarcomas. Molecular and Cellular Biology / Genetics 2019. PMID:


  29. Laura B. Corson, Alma Imamovic-Tuco, Gianna R. Strand, Deirdre Reidy, Duong Doan, Mark A. Applebaum, Rochelle Bagatell, Brian D. Crompton, Steven G. DuBois, Julia L. Glade Bender, AeRang Kim, Theodore W. Laetsch, Lobin A. Lee, Neal I. Lindeman, Laura E. MacConaill, Margaret E. Macy, Luke Maese, Seth Pinches, Navin Pinto, Amit J. Sabnis, Eliezer M. Van Allen, Susan I. Vear, Daniel A. Weiser, Catherine M. Clinton, Katherine A. Janeway, Alanna J. Church. Abstract 3104: A high prevalence of chromosomal translocations as drivers in high-risk pediatric solid cancers. Cancer research 2019. PMID:


  30. Amit J. Sabnis, David V. Allegakoen, Trever G. Bivona. Abstract 3656: The mTOR-activating GATOR2 complex is essential in PAX3-FOXO1- positive rhabdomyosarcoma. Tumor Biology 2019. PMID:


  31. Sara Sannino, Christopher J. Guerriero, Amit J. Sabnis, Jeffrey J. Bridsky. Abstract 4268: Protein folding pathway modulation upon Hsp70 inhibition in cancer cells. Molecular and Cellular Biology / Genetics 2019. PMID:


  32. Giles W. Robinson, Amar J. Gajjar, Karen Marie Gauvain, Ellen M. Basu, Margaret E Macy, Luke Devon Maese, Amit J. Sabnis, Jennifer Haunani Foster, Suzanne Shusterman, Janet Yoon, Brian D. Weiss, Mohamed Abdelbaki, Mufiza Farid-Kapadia, Georgina Meneses-Lorente, Alison Cardenas, Katherine Hutchinson, Guillaume Bergthold, Edna Chow Maneval, Elizabeth Fox, Ami Vijay Desai. Phase 1/1B trial to assess the activity of entrectinib in children and adolescents with recurrent or refractory solid tumors including central nervous system (CNS) tumors. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2019. PMID:


  33. Sabnis AJ, Bivona TG. Principles of Resistance to Targeted Cancer Therapy: Lessons from Basic and Translational Cancer Biology. Trends in molecular medicine 2019. PMID: 30686761


  34. Sannino S, Guerriero CJ, Sabnis AJ, Stolz DB, Wallace CT, Wipf P, Watkins SC, Bivona TG, Brodsky JL. Compensatory increases of select proteostasis networks after Hsp70 inhibition in cancer cells. Journal of cell science 2018. PMID: 30131440


  35. Sara Sannino, Christopher J. Guerriero, Amit J. Sabnis, Trever G. Bivona, Jeffrey L. Brodsky. Abstract 2325: Protein homeostasis adaptation to Hsp70 inhibition in cancer. Molecular and Cellular Biology / Genetics 2018. PMID:


  36. Ami Vijay Desai, Garrett M. Brodeur, Jennifer Foster, Stacey L. Berg, Ellen M. Basu, Suzanne Shusterman, Amit J. Sabnis, Margaret Macy, Janet Yoon, Karen Gauvain, Vanessa Esquibel, Edna Chow Maneval, Pratik S. Multani, Elizabeth Fox. Phase 1 study of entrectinib (RXDX-101), a TRK, ROS1, and ALK inhibitor, in children, adolescents, and young adults with recurrent or refractory solid tumors. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2018. PMID:


  37. Cohen JN, Sabnis AJ, Krings G, Cho SJ, Horvai AE, Davis JL. EWSR1-NFATC2 gene fusion in a soft tissue tumor with epithelioid round cell morphology and abundant stroma: a case report and review of the literature. Human pathology 2018. PMID: 29626598


  38. Wattier RL, Levy ER, Sabnis AJ, Dvorak CC, Auerbach AD. Reducing Second Gram-Negative Antibiotic Therapy on Pediatric Oncology and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Services. Infection control and hospital epidemiology 2017. PMID: 28758610


  39. Ami V. Desai, Garrett M. Brodeur, Jennifer Foster, Suzanne Shusterman, Amit J. Sabnis, Magaret Macy, Cynthia Wetmore, Ellen Basu, Zachary Hornby, Vanessa Esquibel, Edna Chow Maneval, Pratik S. Multani, Elizabeth Fox. Abstract CT030: STARTRK-NG: A phase 1/1b study of entrectinib in children and adolescents with advanced solid tumors and primary CNS tumors, with or without TRK, ROS1, or ALK fusions. Clinical Trials 2017. PMID:


  40. Sabnis AJ, Bivona TG. HSP70 dependence in rhabdomyosarcoma: Seed or soil? Cell cycle (Georgetown, Tex.) 2016. PMID: 27686974


  41. Sabnis AJ, Guerriero CJ, Olivas V, Sayana A, Shue J, Flanagan J, Asthana S, Paton AW, Paton JC, Gestwicki JE, Walter P, Weissman JS, Wipf P, Brodsky JL, Bivona TG. Combined chemical-genetic approach identifies cytosolic HSP70 dependence in rhabdomyosarcoma. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2016. PMID: 27450084


  42. Hrustanovic G, Olivas V, Pazarentzos E, Tulpule A, Asthana S, Blakely CM, Okimoto RA, Lin L, Neel DS, Sabnis A, Flanagan J, Chan E, Varella-Garcia M, Aisner DL, Vaishnavi A, Ou SH, Collisson EA, Ichihara E, Mack PC, Lovly CM, Karachaliou N, Rosell R, Riess JW, Doebele RC, Bivona TG. RAS-MAPK dependence underlies a rational polytherapy strategy in EML4-ALK-positive lung cancer. Nature medicine 2015. PMID: 26301689


  43. Lin L, Sabnis AJ, Chan E, Olivas V, Cade L, Pazarentzos E, Asthana S, Neel D, Yan JJ, Lu X, Pham L, Wang MM, Karachaliou N, Cao MG, Manzano JL, Ramirez JL, Torres JM, Buttitta F, Rudin CM, Collisson EA, Algazi A, Robinson E, Osman I, Muñoz-Couselo E, Cortes J, Frederick DT, Cooper ZA, McMahon M, Marchetti A, Rosell R, Flaherty KT, Wargo JA, Bivona TG. The Hippo effector YAP promotes resistance to RAF- and MEK-targeted cancer therapies. Nature genetics 2015. PMID: 25665005


  44. Amit Sabnis, Jonathan L. Finlay, Sabine Mueller. Neurologic Emergencies. Supportive Care in Pediatric Oncology 2015. PMID:


  45. Molina-Vila MA, Nabau-Moretó N, Tornador C, Sabnis AJ, Rosell R, Estivill X, Bivona TG, Marino-Buslje C. Activating mutations cluster in the "molecular brake" regions of protein kinases and do not associate with conserved or catalytic residues. Human mutation 2014. PMID: 24323975


  46. Sabnis AJ, Bivona TG. FGFR fusions in the driver's seat. Cancer discovery 2013. PMID: 23749526


  47. Santaguida M, Schepers K, King B, Sabnis AJ, Forsberg EC, Attema JL, Braun BS, Passegué E. JunB protects against myeloid malignancies by limiting hematopoietic stem cell proliferation and differentiation without affecting self-renewal. Cancer cell 2009. PMID: 19345332


  48. Sabnis AJ, Cheung LS, Dail M, Kang HC, Santaguida M, Hermiston ML, Passegué E, Shannon K, Braun BS. Oncogenic Kras initiates leukemia in hematopoietic stem cells. PLoS biology 2009. PMID: 19296721


  49. McGowan KA, Li JZ, Park CY, Beaudry V, Tabor HK, Sabnis AJ, Zhang W, Fuchs H, de Angelis MH, Myers RM, Attardi LD, Barsh GS. Ribosomal mutations cause p53-mediated dark skin and pleiotropic effects. Nature genetics 2008. PMID: 18641651


  50. Amit J. Sabnis, Laurene S. Cheung, Kevin Shannon, Benjamin S. Braun. Leukemogenic K-RasG12D Induces Cell Cycle Entry and Clonal Dominance in Hematopoietic Stem Cells. Blood 2007. PMID:


  51. Margaret E.M. Van Meter, Ernesto Diaz-Flores, Joehleen A. Archard, Nikesh Kotecha, Amit J. Sabnis, Jonathan M. Irish, Garry P. Nolan, Kevin M. Shannon, Benjamin S. Braun. Multiparameter Flow Cytometric Analysis Reveals Aberrant Phosphorylation of a Network of Effector Molecules in Defined Populations of Kras Mutant Bone Marrow. Blood 2005. PMID: