Cell signaling pathways, including nuclear receptor signaling pathways, play indispensable roles in coordinating cellular activity and actions within and between cells and their microenvironment. Errors in cell signaling are implicated in a wide variety of diseases, such as cancer, autoimmune disorders, and neurodegenerative disorders.

By understanding the physiological and pathological roles of these pathways, we aim to develop novel diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive approaches for a broad range of human diseases. CNRCS creates unique collaborative opportunities among interdisciplinary research teams within and outside of the University of Houston to lead to advancements in both basic and translational biomedical science. The laboratories in CNRCS are largely focused on the following four research areas.

Research Areas

Nuclear Receptors in Human Diseases

The main focus of the Gustafsson Lab is to dissect the physiological roles of the two nuclear receptors, Estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) and Liver X receptor b (LXRβ), which were discovered by Dr. Gustafsson in 1996. Specifically, his group aims to understand more about the role of ERβ in protection against development of cancers, particularly those in the breast and prostate. Besides cancer, the Gustafsson Lab is also investigating the effects of ERβ and LXRβ in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, amyotropic lateral sclerosis, and multiple sclerosis. The Chung Lab is studying the molecular mechanism by which estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and the progesterone receptor promote cervical cancer. The Lin Lab is interested in identifying and characterizing nuclear receptors that may play a role in disease recurrence, metastasis, and progression in breast and pancreatic cancers.

Cancer Biology

Posttranslational modifications (PTM) enrich the functional capabilities of proteins and thereby maintain normal cellular physiology. Reversible ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like SUMO PTM of proteins are commonly thrown off kilter with the onset of disease, particularly cancer. The focus of the Bawa-Khalfe Lab is to delineate how the deregulation of ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like SUMO PTM drives disease onset and to develop strategies that restore the perturbed PTM dynamic. The Feng Lab is interested in understanding the molecular and epigenetic mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis and drug resistance in prostate cancer. Feng’s research team is using next-generation sequencing technologies to investigate how chromatin structure and epigenetic regulators modulate gene expression and contribute to cancer progression. The Lin Lab is focused on understanding the role of liver X receptors (LXRs) in regulating metabolic pathways which are commonly reprogrammed by oncogenes during malignant transformation and carcinogenesis. To better modulate LXRs for basic and translational research, the group has identified novel small molecule ligands which down-regulate LXR activity and expression and inhibit cancer cell proliferation. Using these and other experimental tools and approaches, the group aims to determine the mechanisms of action of LXRs and their ligands in controlling tumor development. Research studies of the Vicens Lab are centered on understanding the involvement of RNA biology in cancer development. The Yi Lab is focused on molecular regulation of oncogene activation and therapeutics in cancer, and nuclear receptor structural studies.

Drug Discovery

The Antunes Lab uses structural bioinformatics methods, like molecular modeling, docking, and dynamics, associated with machine learning techniques to study protein-ligand interactions with biomedical implications. Their work includes collaborative projects on drug discovery to understand small molecules’ interactions with protein targets. The group is also interested in improving the sampling and scoring of peptides and peptide-based drugs, using a combination of advanced sampling methods and AI-based approaches. The Bawa-Khalfe Lab works to establish new therapies that restore proteostasis and drug-screening platforms for endocrine cancers and additional diseases. The Lin Lab aims to discover potential target mechanisms of liver X receptor inhibitors and targeting strategies for the treatment of cancers, which currently lack effective therapeutic options. The Peng Lab is interested in identifying novel targets to overcome immune resistance in cancer patients and in developing novel effective and safe immuno-oncology combinations by using genetic screens and clinical sample analysis. An ongoing pursuit of the Vicens Lab is to delineate principles underlying RNA structure and recognition, with applications in drug discovery, therapeutics, and immunotherapy. The major goals of the Zhang Lab’s research are to develop novel biotherapies for the unmet needs in cancer treatment, especially for solid tumors.

Immunology and Virology

The Antunes Lab is particularly focused on molecular mechanisms of cellular immunity and their relevance for the development of immunotherapy treatments for cancer and viral infections. The Feng Lab is focused on the development of cancer immunotherapies, specifically on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy and antibody-based treatments. The Peng Lab is focused on understanding the involvement of immune dysfunctions, particularly those mediated by T cells, in pathogenesis of cancer, autoimmune diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases. The Zhang Lab is focused on cancer virotherapy, or the modification of benign viruses for the purpose of attacking cancer cells.