Kasey Couts, PhD

Professional Titles

• Co-Director, CU Center for Rare Melanomas

Research Interests

My research interests are primarily focused on understanding the development and pathobiology underlying rare melanomas (such as mucosal, acral, and ocular melanomas) in order to 1) identify risk factors to improve prevention and early detection, 2) develop novel tumor/blood diagnostics for rare melanoma subtypes, 3) establish methods for halting progression and eliminating micro-metastatic disease, and 4) improve efficacy of current therapies (targeted and immunotherapies) and develop new treatment modalities which are effective for rare melanoma patients

Publications

• Turner J, Couts K, Sheren J, Saichaemchan S, Ariyawutyakorn W, Avolio I, Cabral E, Glogowska M, Amato C, Robinson S, Hintzsche J, Applegate A, Seelenfreund E, Gonzalez R, Wells K, Bagby S, Tentler J, Tan AC, Wisell J, Varella-Garcia M, Robinson W. Kinase gene fusions in defined subsets of melanoma. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res. 2017 Jan;30(1):53-62. doi: 10.1111/pcmr.12560. PubMed PMID: 27864876.
• Couts KL, McCoach CE, Murphy D, Christiansen J, Turner J, Robinson WA, Doebele RC. (2017) Identification of ROS1 fusion in a patient with acral lentiginous melanoma and clinical response to entrectinib. JCO PO. (In press).
• Couts KL, Bemis J, Turner JA, Bagby SM, Murphy D, Christiansen J, Hintzsche JD, Le A, Pitts TM, Wells K, Applegate A, Amato C, Multani P, Chow-Maneval E, Tentler JJ, Shellman YG, Rioth MJ, Tan AC, Gonzalez R, Medina T, Doebele RC, Robinson WA. ALK Inhibitor Response in Melanomas Expressing EML4-ALK Fusions and Alternate ALK Isoforms. Mol Cancer Ther. 2018 Jan;17(1):222-231. PubMed PMID: 29054983
• Hintzsche JD, Gorden NT, Amato CM, Kim J, Wuensch KE, Robinson SE, Applegate AJ, Couts KL, Medina TM, Wells KR, Wisell JA, McCarter MD, Box NF, Shellman YG, Gonzalez RC, Lewis KD, Tentler JJ, Tan AC, Robinson WA. Whole-exome sequencing identifies recurrent SF3B1 R625 mutation and comutation of NF1 and KIT in mucosal melanoma. Melanoma Res. 2017 Jun;27(3):189-199. PubMed PMID: 28296713
• *Turner J, *Couts K, Sheren J, Saichaemchan S, Ariyawutyakorn W, Avolio I, Cabral E, Glogowska M, Amato C, Robinson S, Hintzsche J, Applegate A, Seelenfreund E, Gonzalez R, Wells K, Bagby S, Tentler J, Tan AC, Wisell J, Varella-Garcia M, Robinson W. Kinase gene fusions in defined subsets of melanoma. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res. 2017 Jan;30(1):53-62. PubMed PMID: 27864876
• Couts KL, Bemis J, Turner JA, Bagby SM, Murphy D, Christiansen J, Hintzsche JD, Le A, Pitts TM, Wells K, Applegate A, Amato C, Multani P, Chow-Maneval E, Tentler JJ, Shellman YG, Rioth MJ, Tan AC, Gonzalez R, Medina T, Doebele RC, Robinson WA. ALK Inhibitor Response in Melanomas Expressing EML4-ALK Fusions and Alternate ALK Isoforms. Mol Cancer Ther. 2018 Jan;17(1):222-231. PubMed PMID: 29054983
• Mukherjee N, Strosnider A, Vagher B, Lambert KA, Slaven S, Robinson WA, Amato CM, Couts KL, Bemis JGT, Turner JA, Norris DA, Shellman YG. BH3 mimetics induce apoptosis independent of DRP-1 in melanoma. Cell Death Dis. 2018 Sep 5;9(9):907. PubMed PMID: 30185782
• Turner JA, Bemis JGT, Bagby SM, Capasso A, Yacob BW, Chimed TS, Van Gulick R, Lee H, Tobin R, Tentler JJ, Pitts T, McCarter M, Robinson WA, Couts KL. BRAF fusions identified in melanomas have variable treatment responses and phenotypes. Oncogene. 2019 Feb;38(8):1296-1308. PubMed PMID: 30254212
• Turner JA, Bemis JGT, Bagby SM, Capasso A, Yacob BW, Chimed TS, Van Gulick R, Lee H, Tobin R, Tentler JJ, Pitts T, McCarter M, Robinson WA, Couts KL. BRAF fusions identified in melanomas have variable treatment responses and phenotypes. Oncogene. 2019 Feb;38(8):1296-1308. PubMed PMID: 30254212
• Tobin RP, Jordan KR, Kapoor P, Spongberg E, Davis D, Vorwald VM, Couts KL, Gao D, Smith DE, Borgers JSW, Robinson S, Amato C, Gonzalez R, Lewis KD, Robinson WA, Borges VF, McCarter MD. IL-6 and IL-8 Are Linked With Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cell Accumulation and Correlate With Poor Clinical Outcomes in Melanoma Patients. Front Oncol. 2019;9:1223. PubMed PMID: 31781510
• Holman BN, Van Gulick RJ, Amato CM, MacBeth ML, Davies KD, Aisner DL, Robinson WA, Couts KL. Clinical and molecular features of subungual melanomas are site-specific and distinct from acral melanomas. Melanoma Res. 2020 Dec;30(6):562-573. PubMed PMID: 33156595
• Mukherjee N, Skees J, Todd KJ, West DA, Lambert KA, Robinson WA, Amato CM, Couts KL, Van Gulick R, MacBeth M, Nassar K, Tan AC, Zhai Z, Fujita M, Bagby SM, Dart CR, Lambert JR, Norris DA, Shellman YG. MCL1 inhibitors S63845/MIK665 plus Navitoclax synergistically kill difficult-to-treat melanoma cells. Cell Death Dis. 2020 Jun 8;11(6):443. PubMed PMID: 32513939
• Borgers JSW, Tobin RP, Vorwald VM, Smith JM, Davis DM, Kimball AK, Clambey ET, Couts KL, McWilliams JA, Jordan KR, Torphy RJ, Schulick R, McCarter MD. High-Dimensional Analysis of Postsplenectomy Peripheral Immune Cell Changes. Immunohorizons. 2020 Feb 18;4(2):82-92. PubMed PMID: 32071067
• Borgers JSW, Tobin RP, Torphy RJ, Vorwald VM, Van Gulick RJ, Amato CM, Cogswell DT, Chimed TS, Couts KL, Van Bokhoven A, Raeburn C, Lewis K, Wisell J, McCarter MD, Mushtaq RR, Robinson WA. Melanoma Metastases to the Adrenal Gland are Highly Resistant to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. JNCCN 2020, in press.
• Mukherjee N, Dart CR, Amato CM, Honig-Frand A, Lambert JR, Lambert KA, Robinson WA, Tobin RP, McCarter MD, Couts KL, Fujita M, Norris DA, Shellman YG. Expression differences in BCL2 family members between uveal and cutaneous melanomas account for varying sensitivity to BH3 mimetics. J Invest Dermatol. 2021 Dec 20. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 34942200
• Dart CR, Mukherjee N, Amato CM, Goulding A, MacBeth M, Van Gulick R, Couts KL, Lambert JR, Norris DA, Robinson WA, Shellman YG. A Novel Regimen for Treating Melanoma: MCL1 Inhibitors and Azacitidine. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2021 Jul 30;14(8). PubMed PMID: 34451846
• Borgers JSW, Tobin RP, Torphy RJ, Vorwald VM, Van Gulick RJ, Amato CM, Cogswell DT, Chimed TS, Couts KL, Van Bokhoven A, Raeburn CD, Lewis KD, Wisell J, McCarter MD, Mushtaq RR, Robinson WA. Melanoma Metastases to the Adrenal Gland Are Highly Resistant to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2021 Aug 4. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 34348236
• Turner JA, Van Gulick RG, Tobin RP, MacBeth M, Classon A, Bagby SM, Vorwald VM, Gorden N, Gay LM, Ali S, Benson A, Miller VA, Ross JS, Mughal T, Pitts TM, McCarter MD, Rioth MJ, Lewis KD, Medina T, Gonzalez R, Robinson WA, Couts KL*. Comprehensive genomic profiling of rare melanomas reveals novel therapeutic vulnerabilities which are susceptible to targeted inhibitors. Int. J. Cancer. 2021. (Accepted, In Press)
• Newell F, Johansson PA, Wilmott JS, Nones K, Lakis V, Pritchard AL, Lo SN, Rawson RV, Kazakoff SH, Colebatch AJ, Koufariotis LT, Ferguson PM, Wood S, Leonard C, Law MH, Brooks KM, Broit N, Palmer JM, Couts KL, Vergara IA, Long GV, Barbour AP, Nieweg OE, Shivalingam B, Robinson WA, Stretch JR, Spillane AJ, Saw RPM, Shannon KF, Thompson JF, Mann GJ, Pearson JV, Scolyer RA, Waddell N, Hayward NK. Comparative Genomics Provides Etiologic and Biological Insight into Melanoma Subtypes. Cancer Discov. 2022 Dec 2;12(12):2856-2879. PubMed PMID: 36098958
• Tobin RP, Cogswell DT, Cates VM, Davis DM, Borgers JSW, Van Gulick RJ, Katsnelson E, Couts KL, Jordan KR, Gao D, Davila E, Medina TM, Lewis KD, Gonzalez R, McFarland RW, Robinson WA, McCarter MD. Targeting MDSC differentiation using ATRA: a phase I/II clinical trial combining pembrolizumab and all-trans retinoic acid for metastatic melanoma. Clin Cancer Res. 2022 Nov 15. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 36378549
• Akturk HK, Couts KL, Baschal EE, Karakus KE, Van Gulick RJ, Turner JA, Pyle L, Robinson WA, Michels AW. Analysis of Human Leukocyte Antigen DR Alleles, Immune-Related Adverse Events, and Survival Associated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Use Among Patients With Advanced Malignant Melanoma. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Dec 1;5(12):e2246400. PubMed PMID: 36512357
• Turner JA, Paton EL, Van Gulick R, Stefanoni D, Cendali F, Reisz J, Tobin RP, McCarter M, D'Alessandro A, Torres RM, Robinson WA, Couts KL, Schlaepfer IR. BRAF Modulates Lipid Use and Accumulation. Cancers (Basel). 2022 Apr 23;14(9). PubMed PMID: 35565240
• Vorwald VM, Davis DM, Van Gulick RJ, Torphy RJ, Borgers JS, Klarquist J, Couts KL, Amato CM, Cogswell DT, Fujita M, Castleman MJ, Davis T, Lozupone C, Medina TM, Robinson WA, Gapin L, McCarter MD, Tobin RP. Circulating CD8( ) mucosal-associated invariant T cells correlate with improved treatment responses and overall survival in anti-PD-1-treated melanoma patients. Clin Transl Immunology. 2022;11(1):e1367. PubMed PMID: 35028137
• Mukherjee N, Dart CR, Amato CM, Honig-Frand A, Lambert JR, Lambert KA, Robinson WA, Tobin RP, McCarter MD, Couts KL, Fujita M, Norris DA, Shellman YG. Expression Differences in BCL2 Family Members between Uveal and Cutaneous Melanomas Account for Varying Sensitivity to BH3 Mimetics. J Invest Dermatol. 2022 Jul;142(7):1912-1922.e7. PubMed PMID: 34942200
• Tobin RP, Cogswell DT, Cates VM, Davis DM, Borgers JSW, Van Gulick RJ, Katsnelson E, Couts KL, Jordan KR, Gao D, Davila E, Medina TM, Lewis KD, Gonzalez R, McFarland RW, Robinson WA, McCarter MD. Targeting MDSC Differentiation Using ATRA: A Phase I/II Clinical Trial Combining Pembrolizumab and All-Trans Retinoic Acid for Metastatic Melanoma. Clin Cancer Res. 2023 Apr 3;29(7):1209-1219. PubMed PMID: 36378549
• Turner JA, Fredrickson MA, D'Antonio M, Katsnelson E, MacBeth M, Van Gulick R, Chimed TS, McCarter M, D'Alessandro A, Robinson WA, Couts KL, Pelanda R, Klarquist J, Tobin RP, Torres RM. Lysophosphatidic acid modulates CD8 T cell immunosurveillance and metabolism to impair anti-tumor immunity. Nat Commun. 2023 Jun 3;14(1):3214. PubMed PMID: 37270644
• Wei AZ, Chen LN, Orloff M, Ariyan CE, Asgari M, Barker CA, Buchbinder E, Chandra S, Couts K, Frumovitz MM, Futreal A, Gershenwald JE, Hanna EY, Izar B, LeBlanc AK, Leitao MM Jr, Lipson EJ, Liu D, McCarter M, McQuade JL, Najjar Y, Rapisuwon S, Selig S, Shoushtari AN, Yeh I, Schwartz GK, Guo J, Patel SP, Carvajal RD. Proceedings from the Melanoma Research Foundation Mucosal Melanoma Meeting (December 16, 2022, New York, USA). Pigment Cell Melanoma Res. 2023 Nov;36(6):542-556. PubMed PMID: 37804122
• Katsnelson EN, Spengler A, Domenico J, Couts KL, Loh L, Gapin L, McCarter MD, Tobin RP. Dysfunctional states of unconventional T-cell subsets in cancer. J Leukoc Biol. 2024 Jan 5;115(1):36-46. PubMed PMID: 37837379
• Routy B, Jackson T, Mählmann L, Baumgartner CK, Blaser M, Byrd A, Corvaia N, Couts K, Davar D, Derosa L, Hang HC, Hospers G, Isaksen M, Kroemer G, Malard F, McCoy KD, Meisel M, Pal S, Ronai Z, Segal E, Sepich-Poore GD, Shaikh F, Sweis RF, Trinchieri G, van den Brink M, Weersma RK, Whiteson K, Zhao L, McQuade J, Zarour H, Zitvogel L. Melanoma and microbiota: Current understanding and future directions. Cancer Cell. 2024 Jan 8;42(1):16-34. PubMed PMID: 38157864

Specialty Information

Specialties

• Psychology