In this kidney cell image from Mira Krendel, PhD, an epithelial cell shows the protein scaffolding that is important for maintaining cell shape and supporting cell migration. The red staining highlights actin filaments that act as struts to support cell shape, while the adhesive plaques attaching the cell to the underlying surface are shown in green.
Grendel
Luo
Mira Krendel, PhD, associate professor of cell and developmental biology, and Juntao Luo, PhD, assistant professor of pharmacology, each received $360,000 grants from New York state to further their research into breast cancer treatments.
Krendel is exploring how a particular protein contributes to tumor progression and metastasis in breast cancer. Luo is developing a targeted drug delivery system that relies on nanocarriers.
Hall
Lu
Luo also was the recipient of a $50,000 grant from the Upstate Foundation’s Cancer Center annual fund and its Michael Connolly Endowment for Lung Cancer Research.
He and Walter Hall, MD, professor of neurosurgery, are working on a nanocarrier that would be used in the treatment of melanoma and its brain metastasis.
Two additional studies underway at Upstate received $50,000 grants.
John
Sheikh
Landas
Hong Lu, PhD, assistant professor of pharmacology, is working with Savio John, MD, assistant professor of medicine, on tumor suppressors in liver and/or pancreatic cancer and pre-cancerous liver tissues.
Saeed Sheikh, MD, PhD, professor of pharmacology, is paired with Steve Landas, MD, professor of pathology, to identify tumor markers and a target for cancer therapy.
This article appears in the spring 2017 issue of Cancer Care magazine.
