Hua Yu

Biography

Dr. Yu’s laboratory was the first to validate Stat3, a critical regulator of tumor cell survival and proliferation, as a molecular target for cancer therapy in animal models. Yu's team also discovered the critical role of Stat3 in tumor angiogenesis and tumor immune evasion. She and her colleagues have devised a novel biologic-based drug called CpG-Stat3 siRNA that strikes a dual blow against cancer. It blocks the growth of tumor cells directly, and activates surrounding immune cells to attack the tumor. This drug takes advantage of two components, which block production of the cancer-promoting and immunosuppressive protein STAT3, and direct the therapy specifically to immune and tumor cells. Importantly, CpG-Stat3 siRNA overcomes the limitations of small molecule drugs, which are difficult to design against proteins such as STAT3 that have no enzymatic activity. It also serves as a unique therapeutic platform, as the siRNA can be designed to block virtually any protein of interest that is important for cancer growth and proliferation. In pre-clinical studies, CpG-Stat3 siRNA effectively stymies growth of aggressive lymphomas and the brain cancer glioma, two deadly cancers with no current viable therapies. A clinical grade CpG-Stat3 siRNA is scheduled to begin production at City of Hope’s facilities this year, and Dr. Yu and her colleagues are poised to take this leading-edge therapeutic strategy to first-in-human clinical trials within two years.

Research Interest

Role of Stat3 in Tumor Angiogenesis and Tumor Immune Evasion, Cancer Biology, Identifying the Connection between Stat3 and Diabetes, Tumor Immunology.