Research interests
The long term goal of our research is to understand the molecular and cellular basis of breast cancer development and therapy response/resistance mechanisms. Our laboratory uses in vivo and in vitro three-dimensional breast cancer culture systems to investigate host stromal interactions and their role in breast cancer development, progression and hormonal response. We identified Rad6B, an ubiquitin conjugating enzyme, and a fundamental component of postreplication DNA repair pathway, to play a critical role in breast cancer development, progression and chemosensitivity. Studies from our laboratory also uncovered a novel function for Rad6B in beta-catenin stabilization and transcriptional activation. Interestingly, Rad6B is a transcriptional target of beta-catenin, thus revealing a positive feedback loop between Rad6B gene expression and beta-catenin stabilization. We have recently identified a small molecule inhibitor of Rad6, and our current studies are focused on unraveling crosstalk between BRCA/Fanconi anemia and Rad6 DNA repair pathways in triple negative breast cancer.