Heinz-Josef Lenz, MD

Heinz-Josef Lenz, M.D., FACP, is the Associate Director for Clinical Research and Co-Leader of the Gastrointestinal Cancers Program at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Lenz is Professor of Medicine and Preventive Medicine, Section Head of GI Oncology in the Division of Medical Oncology and Co-Director of the Colorectal Center at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.

Dr. Lenz received his medical degree from Johannes-Gutenberg Universität in Mainz, Germany, in 1985. He completed a residency in Hematology and Oncology at the University Hospital Tübingen in Germany, a clerkship in Oncology at George Washington University in Washington, DC, and a clerkship in Hematology at Beth Israel Hospital of Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. He served subsequent fellowships in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.

An active researcher, Dr. Lenz focuses on topics including the regulation of gene expression involved in drug resistance, patients at high risk of developing colorectal cancer, and determination of carcinogenesis, methods of early detection, and better surveillance of these cancers. He is a member of several professional societies, including the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Gastroenterology Association, and the National Society of Genetic Counselors. He also serves on the National Advisory Board of a number of professional organizations. Dr. Lenz is the author of numerous peer-reviewed publications and invited papers, reviews, and editorials. He also serves as Co-Chair of the GI Committee and Correlative Science Committee for SWOG. He is a member of the NCI Task Force for Gastroesophageal Cancer, the NCI Steering Committee and the NCI Translational Science Committee. In addition to having an NCI-funded laboratory, he was a recipient of the ASCO Young Investigator Award, the ASCO Career Development Award, and the STOP Cancer Career Development Award. He received in 2021 the USC Mentoring Award as well as highly cited researchers in the world. He has been select as influential leader by the LA Business Journal in 2021 and 2023.

As Deputy Cancer Center Director for Research Programs and Co-Director for the Center for Cancer Drug Development, Dr. Lenz oversees the programmatic and clinical activities of the Gastrointestinal Cancers, Genitourinary Cancers, Women’s Cancers, and Leukemia and Lymphoma Programs.

• Conquer Cancer Foundation: ASCO Young Investigator Award, 1994
• Conquer Cancer Foundation: ASCO Career Development Award, 1995
   – 1998
• Career Development Award, STOP CANCER
• USC: Bob Chandler Courage Award, 2003
• 2003 Annual Retreat on Cancer Research: The Gallo Award, 2003 Annual Retreat on Cancer Research 2003
• The WunderGlo Foundation: 1st Annual Cancer Warrior Award, 2012
• Western Society of Clinical Investigation: Outstanding Investigator Award, 2016
• USC: USC Mentoring Award for Postdoctoral Fellows, 2021

• Young Colon-Cancer Survivor Searches for a Cure (03/23/2013)
• Gloria Borges and Dr. Heinz Josef-Lenz are working together to raise $250 million to cure colon cancer. (03/21/2013)
• Dr. Lenz Introduces Novel Drug to Revolutionize Cancer Care

• Targeting WRN Helicase in Microsatellite Instable Colorectal Cancer Induces Antitumor Immunity through Extrachromosomal Circular DNA Release. Cancer Res. 2026 Jul 16.. View in PubMed
• A DR5/Ligase 3-mediated feedback loop perpetuates immunogenicity in mismatch repair deficient colorectal cancer. Gastroenterology. 2026 Jul 16.. View in PubMed
• Next-generation precision oncology in microsatellite stable colorectal cancer: integrated targeting beyond RAS and RAF. ESMO Open. 2026 Jul 16; 11(8):108304.. View in PubMed
• Genomic analysis of oesophageal carcinoma (EC) identifies recurrent mutations in histone methyltransferases as a distinctive subset. Oncogene. 2026 Jul 11.. View in PubMed
• Phase 2 dose-expansion trial of OBI-3424, a DNA-alkylating prodrug, in patients with advanced solid tumors expressing AKR1C3. Oncologist. 2026 Jul 08; 31(8).. View in PubMed
• Activation of the endocytosis pathway stratifies subtypes and therapeutic sensitivity in colorectal cancer. Res Sq. 2026 Jul 05.. View in PubMed
• Interaction of genetic and lifestyle risk scores on colorectal cancer risk across 5 racial and ethnic populations. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2026 Jul 01; 118(7):1211-1218.. View in PubMed
• Challenges in the return of molecular tumor profiling results. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2026 May 01; 118(5):776-782.. View in PubMed
• Emerging and Established Targets in Colorectal Cancer: Translating Biology Into Therapeutics. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book. 2026 Jun; 46(3):e516576.. View in PubMed
• Phase II randomised study of magrolimab combined with bevacizumab-FOLFIRI in patients with previously treated advanced inoperable metastatic colorectal cancer. ESMO Gastrointest Oncol. 2026 Jun; 12:100324.. View in PubMed
• CXCR4 mRNA overexpression: an indicator of poor survival and predictor of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. BMJ Oncol. 2026; 5(1):e001003.. View in PubMed
• Sex differences in efficacy and toxicity of first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer: An analysis of 18,041 patients in the ARCAD CRC database. Eur J Cancer. 2026 May 02; 238:116694.. View in PubMed
• Correction: Onvansertib in Combination with FOLFIRI and Bevacizumab in Second-Line Treatment of KRAS-Mutant Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Phase Ib Clinical Study. Clin Cancer Res. 2026 Mar 16; 32(6):1180.. View in PubMed
• Phase 1b/2 study of BMS-813160, a CCR2/5 dual antagonist, in combination with chemotherapy or nivolumab in patients with advanced pancreatic or colorectal cancer. J Immunother Cancer. 2026 Jan 22; 14(1).. View in PubMed
• HLA Heterozygosity Influences Colorectal Cancer Risk and Survival Outcome. Gastroenterology. 2026 Mar; 170(3):619-622.. View in PubMed
• Tucatinib plus trastuzumab for chemotherapy-refractory, HER2 + , RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (MOUNTAINEER): final analysis. Nat Commun. 2026 Jan 12; 17(1):1068.. View in PubMed
• A phase 1 study of orally administered 5-fluoro-2′-deoxycytidine with tetrahydrouridine in patients with refractory solid tumors. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2025 Dec 22; 96(1):1.. View in PubMed
• Clinical and molecular characterization of AXL in colorectal cancer, CALGB (Alliance)/SWOG 80405 and real-world data. J Immunother Cancer. 2025 Dec 21; 13(12).. View in PubMed
• Preclinical assessment of genetically modified exosomes for colorectal cancer immunotherapy. J Control Release. 2026 01 10; 389:114425.. View in PubMed
• CheckMate 8HW and the future of dual immunotherapy – Authors’ reply. Lancet. 2025 Nov 08; 406(10516):2219-2220.. View in PubMed
• Age-diet interactions significantly influence intratumoral gene expression, gut microbiome signature and tumor microenvironment in colorectal cancer. Neoplasia. 2025 12; 70:101245.. View in PubMed
• Inflammation and mutational burden differentially associated with nivolumab or ipilimumab combination efficacy in colorectal cancer. Nat Commun. 2025 Oct 06; 16(1):8868.. View in PubMed
• Chronological survival improvement over time with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy plus targeted agents in metastatic colorectal cancer: An ARCAD database study. Eur J Cancer. 2025 Nov 17; 230:116034.. View in PubMed
• A First-In-Human Dose-Escalation Phase I Study of Basroparib, a Tankyrase Inhibitor, in Patients with Advanced-Stage Solid Tumors. Cancer Res Commun. 2025 10 01; 5(10):1771-1778.. View in PubMed
• Patient-centered integration of tumor and germline genetic results can improve cancer care. Nat Med. 2025 Oct; 31(10):3248-3251.. View in PubMed
• Canonical and non-canonical intricacies of MCL-1 in cancer. Trends Cancer. 2025 Nov; 11(11):1031-1033.. View in PubMed
• Impact of Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 in Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Treated With Chemotherapy Plus Bevacizumab or Anti-EGFRs: Exploratory Analysis of Eight Randomized Trials. J Clin Oncol. 2025 10 10; 43(29):3184-3197.. View in PubMed
• GABAergic signaling contributes to tumor cell invasion and poor overall survival in colorectal cancer. Oncogene. 2025 10; 44(41):3924-3938.. View in PubMed
• Outcomes for FOLFIRI plus bevacizumab or cetuximab in patients treated with oxaliplatin-based adjuvant therapy: A combined analysis of FIRE-3 and CALGB/SWOG 80405 (Alliance). Eur J Cancer. 2025 Sep 09; 227:115694.. View in PubMed
• Real-world testing of serum lactate dehydrogenase among patients with metastatic colorectal cancer in the United States. Oncologist. 2025 Jul 04; 30(7).. View in PubMed
• Pan-RAS inhibitors and polo-like kinase 1: promising targets in colorectal cancer. Oncogene. 2025 Aug; 44(30):2565-2573.. View in PubMed
• Novel treatment-specific causal biomarkers for colorectal cancer by omics integration. NAR Genom Bioinform. 2025 Jun; 7(2):lqaf053.. View in PubMed
• Optimizing participant and community engagement in cancer genomic sequencing research. Genet Med. 2025 Sep; 27(9):101483.. View in PubMed
• Short-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances associate with elevated alanine aminotransferase: Cross-sectional analysis results from the STRIVE cohort. Environ Res. 2025 Oct 15; 283:122139.. View in PubMed
• Targeting DNA helicase CMG complex and NFκB2-driven drug-resistant transcriptional axis to effectively treat KRASG12D-mutated pancreatic cancer. Exp Hematol Oncol. 2025 May 26; 14(1):79.. View in PubMed
• MammaTrace – a cell-free DNA methylation plasma only assay for minimal residual disease detection in breast cancer patients. medRxiv. 2025 May 21.. View in PubMed
• Depletion of oxysterol-binding proteins by OSW-1 triggers RIP1/RIP3-independent necroptosis and sensitization to cancer immunotherapy. Cell Death Differ. 2025 Nov; 32(11):2038-2052.. View in PubMed
• Associations between early tumor shrinkage/depth of response and survival from the ARCAD database. JNCI Cancer Spectr. 2025 Apr 30; 9(3).. View in PubMed
• Association of Androgen Receptor Expression With Tumor Immune Landscape and Treatment Outcomes of Patients With Breast Cancer. JCO Precis Oncol. 2025 Apr; 9:e2400459.. View in PubMed
• Differential Response and Resistance to KRAS-Targeted Therapy. Mol Carcinog. 2025 Jul; 64(7):1135-1148.. View in PubMed
• Isoform specific regulation of osteopontin by AKT2 in hepatocytes and livers. Cell Signal. 2025 Aug; 132:111799.. View in PubMed
• Werner helicase as a therapeutic target in mismatch repair deficient colorectal cancer. DNA Repair (Amst). 2025 05; 149:103831.. View in PubMed
• Genetic Polymorphisms in MHC Classes I and II Predict Outcomes in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Mar 12; 26(6).. View in PubMed
• Global alliances in translational cancer research. Cancer Cell. 2025 Apr 14; 43(4):581-586.. View in PubMed
• Assessment of MYC Gene and WNT Pathway Alterations in Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer Among Hispanic/Latino Patients Using Integrated Multi-Omics Approaches. medRxiv. 2025 Feb 22.. View in PubMed
• Theranostic Near-Infrared Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor (NMI) Protein Binding Interactions with MAOA and Albumin. Pharm Res. 2025 Feb; 42(2):307-318.. View in PubMed
• Merging metabolic modeling and imaging for screening therapeutic targets in colorectal cancer. NPJ Syst Biol Appl. 2025 Jan 28; 11(1):12.. View in PubMed
• Nivolumab plus ipilimumab versus nivolumab in microsatellite instability-high metastatic colorectal cancer (CheckMate 8HW): a randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2025 02 01; 405(10476):383-395.. View in PubMed
• Genetically reprogrammed exosomes for immunotherapy of acute myeloid leukemia. Mol Ther. 2025 Mar 05; 33(3):1091-1104.. View in PubMed
• Gene signatures derived from transcriptomic-causal networks stratify colorectal cancer patients for effective targeted therapy. Commun Med (Lond). 2025 Jan 08; 5(1):9.. View in PubMed
• Trilaciclib prior to FOLFOXIRI/bevacizumab for patients with untreated metastatic colorectal cancer: phase 3 PRESERVE 1 trial. JNCI Cancer Spectr. 2025 Jan 03; 9(1).. View in PubMed
• Plant-based diet and survival among patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2025 Jan 01; 117(1):169-179.. View in PubMed
• Comprehensive characterization of MCL-1 in patients with colorectal cancer: Expression, molecular profiles, and outcomes. Int J Cancer. 2025 Apr 15; 156(8):1583-1593.. View in PubMed
• A Phase 1b study of the OxPhos inhibitor ME-344 with bevacizumab in refractory metastatic colorectal cancer. Invest New Drugs. 2025 02; 43(1):60-68.. View in PubMed
• A Phase 2 study of Savolitinib in Patients with MET Amplified Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. J Gastrointest Cancer. 2024 Dec 09; 56(1):29.. View in PubMed
• Merging Metabolic Modeling and Imaging for Screening Therapeutic Targets in Colorectal Cancer. bioRxiv. 2024 Dec 05.. View in PubMed
• Evidence for a causal link between intra-pancreatic fat deposition and pancreatic cancer: A prospective cohort and Mendelian randomization study. Cell Rep Med. 2024 Dec 17; 5(12):101842.. View in PubMed
• Nivolumab plus Ipilimumab in Microsatellite-Instability-High Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. N Engl J Med. 2024 Nov 28; 391(21):2014-2026.. View in PubMed
• Integrative multi-omics profiling of colorectal cancer from a Hispanic/Latino cohort of patients. medRxiv. 2024 Nov 15.. View in PubMed
• Clinical Applications of Circulating Tumor DNA Profiling in GI Cancers. JCO Oncol Pract. 2024 Nov; 20(11):1481-1490.. View in PubMed
• Role of CD47 gene expression in colorectal cancer: a comprehensive molecular profiling study. J Immunother Cancer. 2024 11 05; 12(11).. View in PubMed
• Genomic, immunologic, and prognostic associations of TROP2 (TACSTD2) expression in solid tumors. Oncologist. 2024 11 04; 29(11):e1480-e1491.. View in PubMed
• A phase I dose-escalation study of LRP5/6 antagonist BI 905677 in patients with advanced solid tumors. ESMO Open. 2024 Nov; 9(11):103729.. View in PubMed
• Onvansertib in Combination With Chemotherapy and Bevacizumab in Second-Line Treatment of KRAS-Mutant Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Single-Arm, Phase II Trial. J Clin Oncol. 2025 03; 43(7):840-851.. View in PubMed
• Targeting circadian transcriptional programs through a cis-regulatory mechanism in triple negative breast cancer. bioRxiv. 2024 Oct 10.. View in PubMed
• Large-scale analysis of CDH1 mutations defines a distinctive molecular subset with treatment implications in gastric cancer. NPJ Precis Oncol. 2024 Sep 30; 8(1):214.. View in PubMed
• Genetic Variation and Regulation of MICA Alters Natural Killer Cell-Mediated Immunosurveillance in Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer. medRxiv. 2024 Sep 26.. View in PubMed
• Phase I-II study of OBI-888, a humanized monoclonal IgG1 antibody against the tumor-associated carbohydrate antigen Globo H, in patients with advanced solid tumors. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2024 Dec; 94(6):787-798.. View in PubMed
• Consensus molecular subtyping of metastatic colorectal cancer expands biomarker-directed therapeutic benefit for patients with CMS1 and CMS2 tumors. Br J Cancer. 2024 Nov; 131(8):1328-1339.. View in PubMed
• Combining antivascular endothelial growth factor and anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibodies: randomized phase II study of irinotecan and cetuximab with/without ramucirumab in second-line colorectal cancer (ECOG-ACRIN E7208). J Natl Cancer Inst. 2024 Sep 01; 116(9):1487-1494.. View in PubMed
• Mesothelin expression correlates with elevated inhibitory immune activity in patients with colorectal cancer. Cancer Gene Ther. 2024 Oct; 31(10):1547-1558.. View in PubMed
• Exploring Predictive and Prognostic Biomarkers in Colorectal Cancer: A Comprehensive Review. Cancers (Basel). 2024 Aug 08; 16(16).. View in PubMed
• Understanding patient-derived tumor organoid growth through an integrated imaging and mathematical modeling framework. PLoS Comput Biol. 2024 08; 20(8):e1012256.. View in PubMed
• Overcoming Systemic Barriers to Make Patient-Partnered Research a Reality. J Clin Oncol. 2024 Dec; 42(34):4018-4022.. View in PubMed
• Reply to A. Sartore-Bianchi et al. J Clin Oncol. 2024 Oct 20; 42(30):3632-3634.. View in PubMed
• Botensilimab plus balstilimab in relapsed/refractory microsatellite stable metastatic colorectal cancer: a phase 1 trial. Nat Med. 2024 Sep; 30(9):2558-2567.. View in PubMed
• Onvansertib in Combination with FOLFIRI and Bevacizumab in Second-Line Treatment of KRAS-Mutant Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Phase Ib Clinical Study. Clin Cancer Res. 2024 05 15; 30(10):2039-2047.. View in PubMed
• Differential Responses to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors are Governed by Diverse Mismatch Repair Gene Alterations. Clin Cancer Res. 2024 May 01; 30(9):1906-1915.. View in PubMed
• Genomic Profiling of Rare Undifferentiated Sarcomatoid Subtypes of Pancreatic Carcinomas: In Search of Therapeutic Targets. JCO Precis Oncol. 2024 05; 8:e2300595.. View in PubMed
• Fine-mapping analysis including over 254,000 East Asian and European descendants identifies 136 putative colorectal cancer susceptibility genes. Nat Commun. 2024 Apr 26; 15(1):3557.. View in PubMed
• Evaluation of markers of immunity in different metastatic immune microenvironments suggests more suppression within breast to liver metastases in breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2024 Jul; 206(2):245-259.. View in PubMed
• q-Diffusion leverages the full dimensionality of gene coexpression in single-cell transcriptomics. Commun Biol. 2024 04 02; 7(1):400.. View in PubMed
• Exploring the differences in the tumor microenvironment and immuno-oncologic targets in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC) according to KRAS mutational status. ESMO Gastrointest Oncol. 2024 Jun; 4:100042.. View in PubMed
• Modified FOLFOX6 plus bevacizumab with and without nivolumab for first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer: phase 2 results from the CheckMate 9X8 randomized clinical trial. J Immunother Cancer. 2024 03 13; 12(3).. View in PubMed
• Gene expression biomarkers differentiate overall survival of colorectal cancer upon targeted therapies. Res Sq. 2024 Mar 11.. View in PubMed
• HER2 Gene Expression Levels Are Predictive and Prognostic in Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Enrolled in CALGB/SWOG 80405. J Clin Oncol. 2024 06 01; 42(16):1890-1902.. View in PubMed
• Differential landscape of immune evasion in oncogenic RAS-driven primary and metastatic colorectal cancers. Mol Ther Oncol. 2024 Mar 21; 32(1):200786.. View in PubMed
• Predictive value of CDC37 gene expression for targeted therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer. Eur J Cancer. 2024 Apr; 201:113914.. View in PubMed
• A phase II study of guadecitabine combined with irinotecan vs regorafenib or TAS-102 in irinotecan-refractory metastatic colorectal cancer patients. Int J Cancer. 2024 05 15; 154(10):1794-1801.. View in PubMed
• Evidence for a causal link between intra-pancreatic fat deposition and pancreatic cancer: A prospective cohort and Mendelian randomization study. Cell Rep Med. 2024 02 20; 5(2):101391.. View in PubMed
• CCR5 and CCL5 gene expression in colorectal cancer: comprehensive profiling and clinical value. J Immunother Cancer. 2024 01 11; 12(1).. View in PubMed
• A revised nomenclature for the lemur family of protein kinases. Commun Biol. 2024 01 08; 7(1):57.. View in PubMed
• A Randomized Phase III Study of Arfolitixorin versus Leucovorin with 5-Fluorouracil, Oxaliplatin, and Bevacizumab for First-Line Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: The AGENT Trial. Cancer Res Commun. 2024 01 04; 4(1):28-37.. View in PubMed
• Mesothelin expression correlates with elevated inhibitory immune activity in patients with colorectal cancer. Res Sq. 2023 Dec 28.. View in PubMed
• The role of total neoadjuvant therapy in locally advanced rectal cancer: a survey of specialists attending the All-Ireland Colorectal Cancer Conference 2022 including lead investigators of OPRA, PRODIGE-23 and RAPIDO. Ir J Med Sci. 2024 Jun; 193(3):1183-1190.. View in PubMed
• Gene signatures derived from transcriptomic-causal networks stratified colorectal cancer patients for effective targeted therapy. Res Sq. 2023 Dec 15.. View in PubMed
• DNA Mutational Profiling in Patients With Colorectal Cancer Treated With Standard of Care Reveals Differences in Outcome and Racial Distribution of Mutations. J Clin Oncol. 2024 02 01; 42(4):399-409.. View in PubMed
• Non-canonical MLL1 activity regulates centromeric phase separation and genome stability. Nat Cell Biol. 2023 11; 25(11):1637-1649.. View in PubMed
• Disparities among Black and Hispanic colorectal cancer patients: Findings from the California Cancer Registry. Cancer Med. 2023 11; 12(22):20976-20988.. View in PubMed
• Corrigendum to “Evaluating sex as a predictive marker for response to bevacizumab in metastatic colorectal carcinoma: Pooled analysis of 3369 patients in the ARCAD database” Eur J Cancer. 2023 Jan;178:162-170. Eur J Cancer. 2023 Nov; 194:113339.. View in PubMed

• Zhang, Lin
• Haiman, Christopher
• El-Khoueiry, Anthony
• Matsuo, Koji
• Stern, Mariana
• Yu, Jian