Research
Research
Cellular Signaling, Metabolism, and Transcriptomics
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Research Goal
Research Goal
Our lab explores mTORC1 signaling, a key regulator of cell growth and metabolism, to uncover its role in cancer, metabolic diseases, and aging. We aim to identify new therapeutic strategies by understanding how mTORC1 controls RNA homeostasis.
🔹 mTORC1 in Disease & Drug Resistance
Hyperactivated in 80% of cancers
Rapamycin-based inhibitors (Rapalogs) face AKT feedback activation & resistance
No side-effect-free mTORC1 inhibitors exist due to its broad signaling regulation
🔹 Our Research Approach
Investigating how amino acids, lipids, and insulin signaling regulate mTORC1
Phosphoproteomics & RNA-seq to study mTORC1 localization and substrate specificity
Targeting mTORC1-driven pathways for cancer therapy & healthy aging
We welcome students and researchers passionate about
cell signaling, metabolism & transcriptomics — Feel free to reach out ! 🚀
Why we need to study Cellular signaling mediated regulation of RNA homeostasis?
Why we need to study Cellular signaling mediated regulation of RNA homeostasis?
Ongoing Research Projects (Long-term)
Ongoing Research Projects (Long-term)
We are investigating
Nutrient-Dependent mTORC1 Activation and Transcriptome Regulation
We are investigating
Nutrient-Dependent mTORC1 Activation and Transcriptome Regulation
mTORC1 regulates cell growth and metabolism in response to amino acids and insulin, with its localization acting as a key regulatory mechanism rather than a mere consequence of activation. Nutrient availability in the tumor microenvironment (TME) may dynamically alter mTORC1 signaling.
Our research focuses on:
✔ How amino acids and insulin control mTORC1 localization and substrate specificity.
✔ The impact of these changes on cancer cell survival and
therapy resistance.
✔ Nutrient-driven mTORC1 regulation of transcriptome stability.
✔ mTOR-dependent RNA metabolism in cancer and metabolic diseases using deep RNA-seq.
By identifying novel mTORC1 substrates and selective transcriptome stability regulation mechanisms,
we aim to develop new cancer therapies and explore RNA stability regulation for healthy aging.
We are investigating
Dietary Metabolites in Healthy Aging and Disease Prevention
We are investigating
Dietary Metabolites in Healthy Aging and Disease Prevention
Our lab investigates how dietary interventions
—such as intermittent fasting and ketogenic diets—modulate
cellular signaling, RNA metabolism, and epigenetic remodeling to promote healthy aging and prevent metabolic disorders and cancer.
We leverage transcriptome and translatome analyses to identify key metabolites driving these protective effects:
✔ Polysome profiling to assess global protein translation in response to dietary changes.
✔ Deep RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to analyze
transcriptomic dynamics, including RNA splicing and degradation.
By integrating these approaches, we aim to uncover novel metabolic-gene regulation mechanisms, paving the way for new therapeutic strategies in aging and age-related diseases.
Ongoing Research Projects (Short & Mid-term)
Ongoing Research Projects (Short & Mid-term)
We are investigating
How mTORC1 regulates RNA
homeostasis through SRPK2 to improve Cancer Therapy
We are investigating
How mTORC1 regulates RNA
homeostasis through SRPK2 to improve Cancer Therapy
Our research explores SRPK2 as a key effector of mTORC1 signaling, linking RNA biogenesis to cancer progression and therapy resistance.
Our research focuses on:
✔ mTORC1-S6K1 drives SRPK2 nuclear translocation, coordinating spliceosome and transcriptional machinery for
co-transcriptional RNA splicing.
✔ SRPK2 is highly expressed in multiple cancers, making it a potential therapeutic target.
✔ Phosphoproteomics and interactome analyses are uncovering novel mTORC1-regulated RNA biogenesis factors.
Short- to Mid-Term Projects
Short- to Mid-Term Projects
1️⃣ mTORC1-SRPK2 in RNA Biogenesis– Investigating
how SRPK2 regulates RNA processing machinery.
2️⃣ Interferon Signaling & Therapy Resistance – Exploring SRPK2’s role in resistance to radiation and chemotherapy.
3️⃣ Targeting SRPK2 in NSCLC – Testing SRPK2 inhibition in EGFR-TKI-resistant lung cancer through clinical trials and drug repurposing.
This research aims to reveal SRPK2-driven mechanisms in
RNA metabolism and therapy resistance, paving the way for new cancer treatments.
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