Germline mutations of BRCA1 predispose women to breast and ovarian cancers. Extensive research established that BRCA1 regulates multiple nuclear functions such as DNA repair and transcription. Research in the Hu Lab addresses two fundamental questions regarding BRCA1 as a tumor suppressor:
- What is the exact role of BRCA1 in DNA double-strand break repair in order to maintain genome stability and suppress tumorigenesis (molecular mechanism of tumor suppression)? Specifically, the research in the Hu Lab focuses on how phosphorylation of BRCA1 at multiple sites mediates the functions of BRCA1 in DNA repair.
- How does BRCA1 suppress tumorigenesis in such a sex- and tissue-specific manner? The research mainly focuses on the role of BRCA1 in transcriptional regulation and microenvironment of breast cancer.
Other Projects in the lab:
BRCA1 Ubiquitylation and degradation: Identification of several E3 ubiquitin ligases specifically degrade BRCA1 offers new perspective and tools to study BRCA1 in both cell-line based studies and mouse models.
In recent years, in collaboration with Dr. Rong Li’s lab and other immunologists, the Hu Lab expanded research horizon to explore potential impact of BRCA1 in immune responses during tumorigenesis. The long-term goal of the lab is to translate molecular insights of BRCA1 function to clinical treatment.