Jian Gu

Biography

My early work was focusing on the biology and function of small nuclear RNAs and later I was heavily involved in lung cancer gene therapy and functional studies of oncogenes. For the past decade, I have been involved in studies investigating the role of biomarkers in improving cancer risk and outcome prediction. I also have a keen interest in genome-wide molecular profiling (SNP array CGH, mRNA, microRNA, and methylation array) of somatic tissues, including premalignant and malignant tissues, to identify biomarkers of diagnosis and prognosis of cancer. My current major research projects are the role of epigenetics (e.g., DNA methylation) in predicting aggressive prostate cancer and racial disparity of prostate cancer. I have an ongoing CPRIT grant to study DNA methylation in peripheral blood as biomarkers of aggressive prostate cancer. We are extending DNA methylation research to address racial disparity issue in African Americans who have a greater incidence of prostate cancer and higher mortality. DNA methylation sits at the interface between genetics and environment. Age, obesity, smoking and ethnicity, established risk and prognostic factors for PCa, have major impact on DNA methylation. DNA methylation in peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) may also infer the state of immune system. Our hypothesis is that PCa in AA men exhibit racial specific PBL epigenome associated with aggressive PCa. A secondary hypothesis is that AA patients have a distinct leukocyte composition that may indicate weaker cellular immunity and thus more aggressive disease. Another cancer site that my lab is working on is soft tissue sarcoma (STS): to identify genetic and phenotypic susceptibility factors for STS. In addition, we are also working on functional studies of genetic variations, DNA methylation and microRNAs in the context of cancer risk and outcomes.

Research Interest

epigenetics, oncology,oncogenes, epidemiology