Administrator Info
Name: GI Division
Phone: 612-625-8999
Email: gidivision@umn.edu
Fax: 612-625-5620
Summary
Throughout my career, I have achieved several significant milestones:
- To identify the toxicity and specificity of genomic medicine, I purified Prime editor protein and developed PE-tag technology and GUIDE-tag technology for in vivo genome-wide off-target analysis of CRISPR-based genomic medicine.
Nature Methods (2023) and Nature Communications, US patent (2022).
- To facilitate targeted in vivo delivery, I developed an adeno-associated virus (AAV) and lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-mediated in vivo lung delivery system for SpCas9 mRNA and Prime editor. This system has been instrumental in generating orthotopic cancer models and treating liver genetic diseases.
Nature Biotechnology (2023) and Nature Communications, US patent 2021
- I investigated drug resistance mechanisms in lung cancer with FGFR1 amplification and KRAS mutation using CRISPR-based knockout screens. Additionally, I demonstrate that hyperactive mTOR signalling is a characteristic feature of chemoresistance in KRAS-mutant lung cancers.
Cancer Research, EMBO Molecular Medicine, and Oncogene.
- I am currently developing new methods for identifying tumor neoantigens and cognate TCRs, facilitating the development of novel CAR-T cells, thus opening new avenues for cancer immunotherapy.
In the coming years, my vision as a tunure-track assistant professor encompasses the following objectives:
- Harnessing the capabilities of TERT: I aim to develop a TERT-based genome editor by integrating it with a SpCas9 nickase. Subsequently, I will measure the feasibility and efficacy of this innovative editing platform in reporter cell lines and various disease models. Additionally, I will optimize the delivery systems in order to precisely modulate gene expression in liver cells. This approach holds immense potential for elucidating the mechanisms of liver disease pathogenesis and uncovering novel therapeutic targets.
- Employment of TERT for Liver Disease: Utilizing a TERT-based editing platform, I aim to address key challenges in liver disease management. My focus will be on two primary objectives: permanently inactivating the HBV CCC genome and conducting functional analysis of cancer-associated mutations in oncogenic drivers. By conducting research using cellular and animal models, I aim to develop pioneering TERT-based treatments with implications for improving patient care.
