University of South Florida

Cancer Biology Ph.D. Program at the

Training
M.D., M.S.: Medicine, Beijing Capital Medical University, China
Ph.D.: Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Paris, France
Postdoctoral Training: Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia

Research Interests
A major interest of our laboratory is to study the genetic alterations and their molecular mechanisms in human ovarian cancer. Specifically, we are interested in elucidation of normal cellular function of the PI3K/Akt and Aurora-A pathways and to characterize their role in human ovarian carcinogenesis. In particular, we are focusing on the identification of molecules that are specifically regulated by Akt or Aurora-A as well as the molecules that are regulated by PI3K/PTEN but not Akt. We are also interested in the identification of small molecule inhibitors of Akt and Aurora-A for cancer intervention. In addition, we are also working on the role of microRNA and a newly identified NGB tumor suppressor gene in human cancer.

Search for publications by:   
This search will be conducted at the US National Library of Medicine (NLM) and PubMed.

Selected Publications
Jiang K., Coppola, D., Crespo, N.C., Nicosia, S.V., Hamilton, A.D., Sebti, S.M. and Cheng, J.Q.  The phosphoinositide 3-OH kinase/AKT2 pathway as a critical target for farnesyltransferase inhibitor-induced apoptosis.  Mol. Cell. Biol., 20:139-148, 2000.

Dan HC, Sun M, Yang L,  Feldman  RI,  Sui X-M, Yeung RS, Halley DJJ, Nicosia SV, Pledger WJ, Cheng JQ.  PI3K/AKT pathway regulates TSC tumor suppressor complex by phosphorylation of tuberin.   J. Biol. Chem. 277:35364-35370, 2002.

Yang, L., Dan, H.C., Sun, M., Liu, Q., Sun, X., Feldman, R.I., Hamilton, A.D., Polokoff, M., Nicosia, S.V., Herlyn, M., Sebti, S.M., and  Cheng, J.Q.  Akt/Protein kinase B signaling inhibitor-2, a selective small molecule inhibitor of Akt signaling with antitumor activity in cancer cells overexpressing Akt..  Cancer Res. 64:4394-4399, 2004.

Liu, Q., Kaneko, S., Yang, L., Feldman, R.I., Chen, J.D., Nicosia, S.V., and Cheng, J.Q.   Aurora-A abrogates p53 DNA-binding and transactivation activity by phosphorylation of serine-215.  J. Biol. Chem. 279:52175-52182, 2004.

Yuan ZQ, Kim D, Kaneko S, Sussman M, Bokoch GM, Kruh GD, Nicosia SV, Testa JR, Cheng JQ. ArgBP2g interacts with Akt and p21-activated kinase-1 and promotes cell survival.  J. Biol. Chem.  280:21483-21490, 2005.