Jianrong Lu, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
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Jianrong Lu, Ph.D. |
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Transcriptional and chromatin regulation in development and cancer Chromatin regulators in cell proliferation and differentiation. Cancer results from uncontrolled cell proliferation. As aberrant gene expression and activity due to alterations in chromatin structures contribute to cancer, we are interested in understanding the role of chromatin regulation in the control of cell proliferation. We previously performed a genome-wide RNAi screen and uncovered a few chromatin regulators as repressors of E2F, a transcription factor critical for cell cycle progression and tumorigenesis. We are extending this study 1) to elucidate the biochemical mechanism by which these factors modulate chromatin and transcription and 2) to address their functions in cell proliferation and differentiation, in mammalian embryonic development and tumor suppression. Transcriptional control in tumor hypoxia. The development of intratumoral hypoxia (low oxygen) is a common hallmark of rapidly growing solid tumors. Cancer cells undergo adaptation to persist in the hostile anaerobic environment. The adaptive responses to hypoxia, including metabolic switch and angiogenesis, are mediated primarily by the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), a master regulator of hypoxic gene expression. HIF plays a causal role in tumor survival, growth, and progression, making it an important therapeutic target. We recently identified a subset of nuclear hormone receptors serving as essential cofactors of HIF. Inhibition of these nuclear receptors results in attenuated hypoxic response in cultured cells, and diminished growth and angiogenesis of human cancer xenografts in mice. Nuclear receptors are outstanding targets for drug discovery. We hope the mechanistic insights may open new avenues of manipulation of the HIF pathway for therapeutic benefits. |
Status: Accepting New Students This Year Contact Information: office: CGRC 357 lab: CGRC 385E phone: 352-273-8200 email: jrlu@ufl.edu Home Page Biography: Jianrong Lu received his Ph.D. in Genetics and Development from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas under the supervision of Dr. Eric N. Olson. His graduate work focused on transcriptional regulation in muscle and cardiovascular development and diseases. In 2000, he joined Dr. Philip Leder's laboratory as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School, where he studied molecular mechanisms underlying cancer. In 2005, Dr. Lu joined the faculty at the University of Florida in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Shands Cancer Center. |
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