Dr. Lakka received her MD in 1992 from McMaster University in Canada and went onto train in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Studied tumor microenvironment at Sunnybrook Research Institute in Toronto before moving to Boston to join the research group of the late Dr. Judah Folkman at Harvard. There she developed a Clinical Experimental Therapeutics Program for Rare tumors and Vascular Anomalies Center and created a basic science program focusing on the role of platelets in tumor microenvironment, and on the use of platelet proteome for detection of circulating biomarkers. She discovered that most angiogenesis regulators are actively sequestered in platelets prior to detectable tumor growth.
The Cytesia drug platform is based on this discovery. This natural mechanism of active sequestration of proteins in platelet storage granules has likely evolved to allow for delivery of potentially harmful substances through the circulation without side effects and can be used with therapeutic intent. Platelet Anchoring Ligand (PAL) used in Cytesia system adapts this mechanism of platelet sequestration for delivery of therapies. The CSTS technologies embody new paradigm for precision oncology –  precision diagnostics evaluating synergistic low toxicity drug combinations, delivered with precision for local effect.