Angiogenesis

Angiogenesis

Rahimi’s Lab: Angiogenesis, formation of new blood vessels, plays central role in the pathology of numerous human diseases, including cancer and age-related macular degeneration. Angiogenesis is initiated by activation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2, also called KDR/FLK1). The research directed toward understanding the molecular mechanisms of angiogenesis and systematic ally characterizing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and signaling of its key receptor tyrosine kinase, VEGFR-2 in preclinical and clinical settings has provided substantial mechanistic insight into pathological angiogenesis. Consequently, inhibition of the VEGFR-2 signaling is being intensely explored as a therapeutic target.
The Rahimi’s Laboratory is studying the molecular mechanisms by which cell signaling molecules and posttranslational modifications such as phosphorylation, ubiquitination, methylation and acetylation regulate angiogenic and tumorigenic signaling events. We are studying how disruption in these events in pathological conditions such as cancer or anti-cancer therapy-associated resistance contributes to aberrant tumor progression. Ultimately, our goal is to determine how inappropriate regulation of cell signaling molecules contributes to tumor progression, angiogenesis and resistance to cancer treatment. This understanding will lead to the identification of novel cancer therapy targets and possible biomarkers”.

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Recent news about our work:
sciencedaily
researchers-identify-protein-to-supress-abnormal-cell-growth

Recent Publications
Hartsough EJ, Meyer RD, Chitalia V, Jiang Y, Marquez VE, Zhdanova IV, Weinberg J, Costello CE, Rahimi N. Lysine methylation promotes VEGFR-2 activation and angiogenesis. Science Signaling. 2013 Dec 3;6(304):ra104.

Srinivasan S, Meyer RD, Lugo R, Rahimi N. Identification of PDCL3 as a novel chaperone protein involved in the generation of functional VEGFR-2. J Biol Chem. 2013 Aug 9;288(32):23171-81

Chitalia V, Shivanna S, Martorell J, Meyer R, Edelman E, Rahimi N. c-Cbl, a Ubiquitin E3 Ligase That Targets Active ß- Catenin: A NOVEL LAYER OF Wnt SIGNALING REGULATION. J Biol Chem. 2013 Aug 9; 288(32):23505-17

Kilari S, Remadevi I, Zhao B, Pan J, Miao R, Ramchandran R, North PE, You M, Rahimi N, Wilkinson GA. Endothelial Cell- specific Chemotaxis Receptor (ECSCR) Enhances Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) Receptor-2/Kinase Insert Domain Receptor (KDR) Activation and Promotes Proteolysis of Internalized KDR. J Biol Chem. 2013 Apr 12;288(15):10265-74.

Rahimi N, Rezazadeh K, Mahoney JE, Hartsough E, Meyer RD. Identification of IGPR-1 as a novel adhesion molecule involved in angiogenesis. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 2012 May;23(9):1646-56.

Rahimi N. The ubiquitin-proteasome system meets angiogenesis. Mol Cancer Ther. 2012 Mar;11(3):538-48.