Dr. Gao's research interests focus on understanding molecular mechanisms associated with progression of castration-resistant prostate cancer and metastasis to bone with the goal of identification of potential therapeutic targets for prostate cancer. Particular emphasis includes microRNAs, aberrant androgen receptor activation by cytokines and transcriptional factors such as Stat3 and NF-kB, selenium chemoprevention and therapy, and targeting cell signaling pathways (AR, IL-6 and Stat3) in prostate cancer. Dr. Gao's lab was among the first to find that selenium regulates androgen signaling, find that IL-4 activates androgen receptor mediated by NF-kB and Stat6, made the discovery that IL-6 signaling in prostate cancer involves Stat3, and defined Stat3 and NF-kB interactions in prostate cancer. Dr. Gao has published over 60 peer-reviewed articles on the area of prostate cancers. Dr. Gao has served numerous NCI, DOD, and VA merits, and ACS review panels including SPORE and PPG study sections.

Title:

Professor, Ralph de Vere White Professor and Director of Urologic Research, Leader, Prostate Cancer Program

Specialty:

Cancer, Urologic Oncology, Urology

Center/Program Affiliation:

UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center

Education:

Sichuan Medical College
Chengdu, Sichuan
M.D. 1985

University of Texas, Houston, School of Public Health
Houston, Texas
Ph.D. 1995

Fellowships:

John Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore, Maryland
1998
Oncology

Professional Memberships:

Ad Hoc Member for NIH DMP Study Section
Ad Hoc member for NIH Metabolic Study Section
Ad Hoc reviewer for NIH Tumor Microenvironment study section
Editorial Board, The Prostate
Member, ACS TBE study section
NCI Special Emphasis Panel, Cancer Prognosis and Prediction
Reviewer Committee Member, O’Brien Urology Center Program
Scientific Reviewer Panel, DOD Prostate Cancer Program, Breast Cancer Program

Honors and Awards:

Ralph deVere White Endowed Professor of Urologic Research, University of California, Davis, 2008
Honorary Professor, Tongji University, Sichuan University, Tianjin Medical University, 2005-2010
NIH postdoctoral fellowship, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1996-1998
Research and Teaching Fellowships from MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 1991-1995
First prize award, AUA Assay Contest, Gleave, M., Hsieh JT, Gao A.C. Von Eschenbach A.C., and Chung L.W.K. Acceleration of Human Prostate Cancer Growth in vivo by Factors Produced by Prostate and Bone Fibroblasts., 1991

Select Recent Publications:

Nadiminty N, Tummala R, Lou W, Zhu Y, Zhang J, Chen X, eVere White RW, Kung HJ, Evans CP, Gao AC. MicroRNA let-7c suppresses androgen receptor expression and activity via regulation of Myc expression in prostate cancer cells. J Biol Chem. 2012 Jan 6;287(2):1527-37. Epub 2011 Nov 28.

Sun M, Liu C, Nadiminty N, Lou W, Zhu Y, Yang J, Evans CP, Zhou Q, Gao AC. Inhibition of Stat3 activation by sanguinarine suppresses prostate cancer cell growth and invasion. Prostate. 2012 Jan;72(1):82-9. doi: 10.1002/pros.21409. Epub 2011 May 2.

Liu C, Nadiminty N, Tummala R, Chun JY, Lou W, Zhu Y, Sun M, Evans CP, Zhou Q, Gao AC. Andrographolide targets androgen receptor pathway in castration-resistant prostate cancer. Genes Cancer. 2011 Feb;2(2):151-9.

Nadiminty N, Lou W, Sun M, Chen J, Yue J, Kung HJ, Evans CP, Zhou Q, Gao AC. Aberrant activation of the androgen receptor by NF-kappaB2/p52 in prostate cancer cells. Cancer Res. 2010 Apr 15;70(8):3309-19. Epub 2010 Apr 13.

Chun JY, Tummala R, Nadiminty N, Lou W, Liu C, Yang J, Evans CP, Zhou Q, Gao AC. Andrographolide, an herbal medicine, inhibits interleukin-6 expression and suppresses prostate cancer cell growth. Genes Cancer. 2010 Aug;1(8):868-76.

Feng S, Tang Q, Sun M, Chun JY, Evans CP, Gao AC. Interleukin-6 increases prostate cancer cells resistance to bicalutamide via TIF2. Mol Cancer Ther. 2009 Mar;8(3):665-71. Epub 2009 Feb 24.

Chun JY, Nadiminty N, Dutt S, Lou W, Yang JC, Kung HJ, Evans CP, Gao AC. Interleukin-6 regulates androgen synthesis in prostate cancer cells. Clin Cancer Res. 2009 Aug 1;15(15):4815-22. Epub 2009 Jul 28.

Nadiminty N, Chun JY, Lou W, Lin X, Gao AC. NF-kappaB2/p52 enhances androgen-independent growth of human LNCaP cells via protection from apoptotic cell death and cell cycle arrest induced by androgen-deprivation. Prostate. 2008 Dec 1;68(16):1725-33.

Chun JY, Hu Y, Pinder E, Wu J, Li F, Gao AC. Selenium inhibition of survivin expression by preventing Sp1 binding to its promoter. Mol Cancer Ther. 2007 Sep;6(9):2572-80.

Nadiminty N, Lou W, Lee SO, Lin X, Trump DL, and Gao AC. Stat3 activation of NF-kB p100 processing involves CBP/p300 mediated acetylation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 103 (19): 7264-7269, 2006