Engineering New Strategies to Understand and Treat Cancer
The Shi-He Liu Lab investigates cancer biology, extracellular vesicle engineering, tumor signaling, and translational therapeutic strategies to develop innovative approaches for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
[Quote placeholder — Dr. Liu is invited to add a short personal reflection here on what drew him to cancer research, in his own words.]
— Shi-He Liu, M.D., Principal Investigator
The Shi-He Liu Lab is part of the Department of Cell and Cancer Biology at The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences. We combine mechanistic cancer biology with bioengineering — building extracellular vesicle delivery platforms designed to reach tumor cells more precisely, escape the endosomal compartment, and carry therapeutic cargo where conventional drugs cannot easily go.
Our work spans pancreatic and lung cancer models, with a particular focus on the tumor microenvironment, KRAS-driven signaling, and LAMC2–integrin biology, always aimed at translational impact — from bench mechanism to therapeutic strategy.
Read the full research programFrom tumor biology to the clinic
Our lab works across the full arc from mechanistic tumor biology to engineered delivery platforms, with an emphasis on pancreatic and lung cancer.
Extracellular Vesicles & Exosome Engineering
Bioengineering exosomes with surface and cargo modifications to improve tumor-targeted delivery and endosomal escape.
Explore this area →Tumor Microenvironment & Pancreatic Cancer
Modeling the stromal and immune landscape of PDAC to understand drug resistance and identify therapeutic vulnerabilities.
Explore this area →KRAS-Driven Signaling & LAMC2–Integrin Biology
Dissecting oncogenic KRAS pathways and LAMC2–integrin interactions that drive invasion in pancreatic and lung cancer.
Explore this area →Illustrative schematic — replace with lab figures, microscopy, or original research graphics.
Featured Publications
Peer-reviewed work from the lab and its collaborators, verified via PubMed.
Lab Members
From the Lab
Interested in joining our team?
We welcome postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduate researchers who are motivated to work across cancer biology, bioengineering, and translational therapeutics.
Find us at the Health Science Campus
Shi-He Liu Lab
Department of Cell and Cancer Biology
College of Medicine and Life Sciences
The University of Toledo
Health Science Campus · [Building — Information needed], Room [Information needed]
Mail Stop #1010, 3000 Arlington Avenue
Toledo, OH 43614, USA
- Phone
- 419-383-4131
- PI Email
- shi-he.liu@utoledo.edu