Research Program
Cancer Biology, Extracellular Vesicles & Translational Therapeutics
Our program moves from the molecular biology of tumor cells and their microenvironment to engineered delivery platforms designed for clinical translation — organized here into seven interconnected research areas.
02 · Research Area
Endosomal Escape and Intracellular Delivery
Most vesicles that reach a target cell remain trapped in endosomes and are degraded before their cargo can act. We study how to route more of that cargo into the cytoplasm.
Biological Significance
Endosomal entrapment is one of the principal bottlenecks limiting the therapeutic efficacy of nucleic-acid- and protein-based cargo delivered by extracellular vesicles.
Key Questions
Which fusogenic or pH-responsive modifications most efficiently trigger membrane disruption and cargo release? How is escape efficiency best quantified?
Experimental Approaches
HiBiT/NanoLuc split-luciferase reporter assays, live-cell confocal imaging of endosomal markers, and structure–function screening of fusogenic peptides.
Selected Publications: [Placeholder — related publications to be added]
03 · Research Area
LAMC2–Integrin Signaling in Cancer
LAMC2, a subunit of laminin-332, is upregulated at the invasive front of several carcinomas and signals through integrin receptors to promote invasion.
Biological Significance
Understanding how LAMC2–integrin engagement drives invasive signaling in pancreatic and lung cancer may reveal new anti-invasive therapeutic targets.
Key Questions
Which integrin partners mediate LAMC2 signaling in our tumor models, and can this interaction be disrupted without harming normal epithelium?
Experimental Approaches
CRISPR-based perturbation, 3D organoid invasion assays, and pathway-level signaling analysis in patient-derived models.
Selected Publications: [Placeholder — related publications to be added]
04 · Research Area
KRAS-Driven Tumor Biology and Therapeutics
Oncogenic KRAS mutations drive the majority of pancreatic cancers and a substantial share of lung cancers. We study KRAS-dependent signaling and how to target it selectively.
Biological Significance
Despite recent pharmacological advances, selectively delivering KRAS-directed agents to tumor cells while sparing normal tissue remains a major translational challenge.
Key Questions
Can engineered exosome platforms improve selective delivery of KRAS-pathway-directed payloads to mutant tumor cells?
Experimental Approaches
RNA interference and gene-silencing payloads, KRAS-mutant cell line and organoid panels, and pathway-activity reporter assays.
Selected Publications: [Placeholder — related publications to be added]
05 · Research Area
Pancreatic Cancer and the Tumor Microenvironment
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is defined by a dense, immunosuppressive stroma that limits drug penetration. We model this microenvironment to understand resistance and identify vulnerabilities.
Biological Significance
Stromal and immune components of the PDAC microenvironment shape both tumor progression and the efficacy of systemically delivered therapeutics, including extracellular vesicles.
Key Questions
What mechanisms of apoptotic dormancy and drug resistance operate within the PDAC microenvironment, and how can they be reversed?
Experimental Approaches
Orthotopic and patient-derived xenograft models, stromal/immune co-culture systems, and mitochondrial apoptotic-pathway analysis.
Selected Publications: A PP2A-mtATR-tBid axis links DNA damage-induced CIP2A degradation to apoptotic dormancy and therapeutic resistance in PDAC — Cancer Letters (2025)
06 · Research Area
Tumor Targeting and Drug Delivery
Improving the fraction of a systemically administered therapeutic dose that reaches tumor tissue is central to nearly every project in the lab.
Biological Significance
Rapid clearance by the mononuclear phagocyte system and poor tumor selectivity limit the efficacy of many nanocarrier-based cancer therapeutics.
Key Questions
Which combinations of targeting ligands and immune-evasion signals most improve tumor accumulation and circulation time in vivo?
Experimental Approaches
In vivo fluorescence and bioluminescence imaging, pharmacokinetic and biodistribution analysis, and CD47/SIRPα immune-evasion engineering.
Selected Publications: Smart exosomes enhance PDAC targeted therapy — J Control Release (2024)
07 · Research Area
Molecular and Translational Cancer Therapeutics
We aim to move mechanistic findings toward therapeutic strategies that could ultimately be evaluated in the clinic.
Biological Significance
Bridging laboratory discovery and clinical application requires therapeutic platforms that are both mechanistically sound and pharmacologically deliverable.
Key Questions
How can engineered EV delivery platforms and pathway-targeted agents be combined into rational, translatable combination therapies?
Experimental Approaches
Preclinical efficacy studies in xenograft and orthotopic models, combination-therapy screening, and pharmacokinetic/toxicity assessment.
Selected Publications: [Placeholder — related publications to be added]