Yan Lin Yu, Ph.D.
- Center for Cancer Research
- National Cancer Institute
- Building 37, Room 5002
- Bethesda, MD 20852
- 301-402-4073
- yuy@mail.nih.gov
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Dr. Yu’s major research interest is the complex molecular and genetic mechanisms in genesis and progression to the metastatic state of cancer, in order to identify candidate molecular targets or signaling pathways for the mechanistic enlightenment, clinical diagnosis and therapeutic utility, as well as preventing cancer. His current studies focus on interaction between tumor cell and microenvironment especially immune system in tumor metastasis, role of PTEN in metastatic suppression pathway and mechanisms of organs specific metastasis.
Areas of Expertise
tumor metastasis, mouse models, tumor immunology, metastatic melanoma and rhabdomyosarcoma, Ezrin, PTEN
Yan Lin Yu, Ph.D.
Research
Dr. Yu's major research interest is focused on understanding molecular mechanisms in progression to the metastatic state in cancer. He has studied mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis in the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Dr. Yu has generating transgenic mice inducibly expressing dominant negative fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) mutants for studying the specific roles of receptor tyrosine kinases in cancer and normal development. He found that constitutive c-Met signaling through a non-autocrine mechanism promotes metastasis in a transgenic transplantation model, and determined that Ezrin and Six1 are critical regulators of metastasis in rhabdomyosarcoma.
Publications
AXL/AKT axis mediated-resistance to BRAF inhibitor depends on PTEN status in melanoma
PHLPP1 mediates melanoma metastasis suppression through repressing AKT2 activation
Ezrin mediates both HGF/Met autocrine and non-autocrine signaling-induced metastasis in melanoma
Expression profiling identifies the cytoskeletal organizer ezrin and the developmental homeoprotein Six-1 as key metastatic regulators
Biography
Yan Lin Yu, Ph.D.
Dr. Yanlin Yu graduated from Southern Medical University. He received an M.Sc degree in Genetics from Jinan University and a Ph.D. degree in Cell Biology from the Shanghai Institute of Cell Biology (currently named Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology) in the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Dr. Yu was a faculty member at the Department of Cell Biology and Genetics in Southern Medical University. From 1998 to 2004, Dr. Yu worked at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology in the National Cancer Institute as a visiting fellow and research fellow. He currently works with Dr. Glenn Merlino in Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics as a staff scientist. Dr. Yu won a NCI Director's Intramural Innovation Award in 2006.