News
MCO Pizza Party April 27, 2023

Drs. Song (l), Lin, Ying, Lee, Yang, Lo, Tainer, Draetta, Gottlieb, Naora, Chiao and Yu (R)

Dr. Min Sup Song (with mask) and admin team

Dr. Chunru Lin and team members

Drs. Giulio Draetta (left), Haoqiang Ying, Liuqing Yang and Yuan-Hung Lo (right)

Drs. Zamal Ahmed and Min Gyu Lee

Dr. Dihua Yu's members (in the front)
Buca di Beppo, August 3, 2022
New Educational Activity--MCO GSBS students' luncheon
Dr. Dihau Yu initiated an MCO-GSBS graduate student community monthly social to promote communications and enhance training experience among graduate students in MCO. Dr. Dihua Yu hosted the first luncheon on August 3, 2022 at Buca Di Beppo.
Hu's Cooking, September 9, 2022
Drs. Chunru Lin and Haoqiang Ying met with MCO GSBS students along with first year GSBS students on Sept 9, 2022 at Hu's Cooking.
Dr. Dihua Yu's interview on Youtube, May 28, 2022
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Dr. Yu is the recipient of a Metavivor grant from Be Bold and Behold. Her ground-breaking research into brain metastasis is bringing us closer to making metastatic breast cancer a more treatable disease. The link is her interview by Be Bold and Behold on Youtube.
2022 AACR Scholar in Training Award - Dr. Mei-Kuang Kathy Chen, Postdoc Fellow, Mentor: Dr. Yu
Dr. Chen (standing, third from the left) attended the American Association for Cancer Research Scholar-in-Training Awards Reception, New Orleans, LA - The AACR 2022 Annual Meeting
Copyright 2022 AACR/Todd Buchanan (image credit)
2022 Endowed Fellowship Research Award Recipient
Dr. Zhou Joe Jiang (mentor: Dr. Dihua Yu) is one of six recipients of the 2022 Harold C and Mary L Dailey Endowed Fellowship.
2022 AACR Abstract Presenters
MCO members are encouraged to participate in he 2021 AACR meeting. Dihua Yu, M.D., Ph.D., established the 2021 AACR Annual Meeting Virtual Travel Award to covers a portion of the registration fee for the individual who meets the following criteria:
- First authored abstract accepted by AACR
- Student, Postdoc, Research Scientist, or Instructor
Presenter: Hironari Akasaka, Postdoc Fellow
Title: Impact of peritoneal lavage on omentum immune cell dynamics and metastasis
Summary: Peritoneal lavage ‘primes’ the omentum to be conducive for colonization by occult cancer cells that circulate in the peritoneal fluid.
Authors: Hironari Akasaka, Honami Naora
Presenter: Mei-Kuang Chen, Postdoc Fellow
Title: FGFR3 Mediated PARP1 Tyrosine 158 Phosphorylation Promotes PARP Inhibitor Resistance
Summary: We observed a high prevalence of activated fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) kinase in the PARPi-resistant triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. Biochemistry studies suggested that FGFR3-mediated PARP1 tyrosine 158 phosphorylation contributes to PARPi resistance. We further demonstrated that the combination of FGFR inhibitor and PARPi delayed DNA repair with prolonged PARP trapping. These findings reveal that the tyrosine 158 phosphorylated PARP1 may be an effective biomarker to indicate FGFR3 mediated PARPi resistance.
Authors: Mei-Kuang Chen, Yuan Gao, Weiya Xia, Yu-Han Wang, Jennifer K. Litton, Yu-Yi Chu, Funda Meric-Bernstam, Helen Piwnica-Worms, Banu Arun, Jordi Roden Ahnert, Yongkun Wei, Wei-Chao Chan, Hung-Ling Wang, Coya Tapia, Costance T. Albarracin, Shao-Chun Wang, Ying-Nai Wang, Gabriel N. Hortobagyi, Chunru Lin, Liuqing Yang, Dihua Yu, and Mien-Chie Hung
Presenter: Yimin Duan, Postdoc Fellow
Title: Assessing the effect of blocking CCL2-CCR2 axis on breast cancer brain metastasis
Summary: Targeting CCR2 or CCL2 results in differential response in multiple preclinical brain metasis models, which direct us to explore the function of CCR2 low myeloid cells in regulating brain metastasis progression.
Authors: Yimin Duan, Yutao Qi, Lin Zhang,
Xiangliang Yuan, Dihua Yu
Presenter: Chunxiao Liu, Instructor
Title: RNase7-guided anti-ROS1 targeted therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma
Summary: This study explored an oncogenic role of RNase7 in HCC and
provided a rationale to choose RNase7 as a potential plasma biomarker
to stratify HCC patients for
anti-ROS1 targeted therapy.
Authors: Chunxiao Liu, Zhengyu Zha, Chenhao Zhou,
Dihua Yu, Ning Ren and
Mien-Chie Hung
Presenter: Emily Shao-Ping Yang, Graduate Research Assistant
Title: HDAC inhibitor Panobinostat enhances efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor via upregulating antigen presentation in breast cancer brain metastasis
Summary: Histone deacetylase inhibition (HDACi) reverses and augments expression of antigen presentation gene, major histocompatibility class I (MHC-I), in breast-to-brain metastasis, enhancing tumor recognition by cytotoxic CD8 T cells (CTLs) in combination of anti-PD1 immune checkpoint inhibitor.
Authors: Shao-Ping Yang, Yimin Duan, Xiangliang Yuan, Lin Zhang, Patrick Zhang, Jason Huse, Dihua Yu
Presenter: Arseniy Yuzhalin, Odyssey Fellow
Title: Interplay between CDK5 and IRF2BP1 enhances breast cancer brain metastasis
Summary: The observed interplay between CDK5 and IRF2BP1 reveals a previously unknown mechanism of MHC-I regulation in cancer cells, that might improve our knowledge about cancer cell immune evasion through MHC-I loss.
Authors: Arseniy Yuzhalin, Frank Lowery, Yohei Saito, Patrick Zhang, Dihua Yu
Presenter: Lin Zhang, Instructor
Title: EZH2 engages TGFb signaling to promote breast cancer bone metastasis via Integrin b1-FAK activation
Summary: We discovered integrin b1-FAK as a new downstream effector of EZH2 in breast cancer cells, and EZH2-integrin b1-FAK axis cooperates with TGFb signaling pathway to promote bone metastasis of breast cancer.
Authors: Lin Zhang, Jingkun Qu, Yutao Qi, Yimin Duan, Yu-Wen Huang, Zhifen Zhou, Ping Li, Jun Yao, Beibei Huang, Shuxing Zhang, Dihua Yu
October 2021 - Chunru Lin, Ph.D., Awarded Faculty Scholar
Dr. Chunru Lin received one of the awards of FY2021 Faculty Scholar. This award was established to recognize faculty who exhibit outstanding abilities and excellence early on in their career path. The Faculty Scholar Award awards a salary supplementation and allotment for research, clinical, or academic activity support during the 3 year duration of the award.
September 2021- MCO Welcomes First Year GSBS Students
The Department of Molecular & Cellular Oncology (MCO) welcomed new Ph.D. and M.S. students to a research information session. MCO Faculty and students shared the the wide range of exciting research in MCO labs.
May 2021 - MCO Virtual Employee Appreciation Celebration
MCO Chair ad interim, Dr. Yu, Faculty, and DA ad interim, Pat Lopez share their accomplishments and appreciation for MCO employees. Employees played games and sang along.
MCO trainees obtained endowed fellowship, FY21
Chunxiao Liu Ph.D. , first author in J Hepatology published in April 2021 (mentor: Dr. Dihua Yu )—2021 Harold C. and Mary L. Dailey Endowment Fellowship ($2000)
Arseniy Yuzhalin Ph.D., Odyssey Postdoc Fellow (mentor: Dr. Dihua Yu)—2021 Harold C. and Mary L. Dailey Endowment Fellowship ($2,000)
Drs. Yi Xiao and Yuan Zhang interviewed by Oncology Learning Network
AACR interview request: Yuan Zhang
(presenter, postdoctoral) , Jinyang Wang, Yi
Xiao , Xiangliang Yuan, Ping Li, Yimin Duan, Victoria L
Seewaldt, Dihua Yu .
Title: Boosting immune surveillance by low-dose PI3K inhibitor facilitates early intervention of breast cancer.
Interviewed by Alexis Hyams of Oncology Learning Network and the interview was posted in MD Anderson Cancer Center News on April 29, 2021. Read interview
Yutao Qi - MS Thesis Defense

4/23/21 Yutao Qi - MS Thesis Defense

4/23/21 Yutao Qi - MS Thesis Defense

4/23/21 Dr. Dihua Yu, mentor of Yutao Qi introduction to his committee members and other participants

4/23/21 Yutao Qi - MS Thesis Defense attendees

Yutao Qi received floral arrangement
12/11/2020 MCO Virtual Holiday Celebration
MCO first ever Ph.D. defense via Webex

Ms. Mei-Kuang Kathy Chen held MCO first ever PhD defense via Webex on Thurs April 9, 2020. There were more than 70 participants joining in.

Dr. Dihua Yu, chair of Ms. Chen’s advisory committee introduced Kathy to participants

Dr. Mien-Chie Hung, Ms. Chen’s thesis co-advisor, joined in from Taiwan praised Ms. Chen’s great qualifications as a PhD student and as a team player
MCO - Valentine's Social

Origami Heart

Winner #1 Vonta & Dr. Yu

Pat, Winner #2 Arseniy & Dr. Yu

Winners #3 Yuan, Yun, & Jianhua with Dr. Yu

Valentine's cake, cookies, & cupcakes

Arseniy, Akosua, Yi, Yohei, Xiangliang, Yutao

Andrea, Gerardo, & Marisela

Dr. Yu & Gerardo

Eric, Qian, & Ke

Valentine's goodies

Jason, Mei Si, Chunxiao, Zenbo, Eric, Jian, & Lanie

Jaw-Ching

Jessica Aubrey Suety Rosamaria Jingjing& Tiffany

Lanie, Yuan, Connie, Kathy, Lacey

Lin, Ping, Irene, Yuan, Xuedong, Yimin

Nie, Dr. Chiao, Zenbo

Pat & Dr. Yu

Ping & Yimin

Dr. Song & Dr. Lee

Gerardo & Andrea

Vonta, Jaw-Ching, Marisela, Jeng, & Gerardo

Jaw-Ching

Origami DNA

Jie, Lisa, Chengcao, Jianhua, Yajuan, Manish, & Shilpa

Nie, Dr. Chiao, Pat, Jian, & Zenbo

Liang, Xiaofei, Yanqing, & Shuai

Be Mine - Happy Valentine's Day