Research interests and Selected Publications

Breast, Ovarian and Prostate Cancers

  • Chai, Y; Shao, N; Lee, L; Reddy, V.; Gabriela, O; Rao, R.; Aysola, P; Okoli, J; Partridge, E.; Reddy, E.S.P.; and Rao, V.N. “BRCA1a has antitumor activity in Triple-negative breast and ovarian and prostate cancer cells” ” Oncogene, 26: 6031-6037, 2007.
  • Chai, Y; Shao, N; Gabriela, O; Okoli, J; Reddy, E.S.P; Rao, V.N. “BRCA1a has antitumor activity in Triple-negative breast cancers” Breast Cancer Research, June, volume 9, 2007.
  • Maniccia, A; Lewis, C; Begum, N; Xu, J; Cui, J; Chipitsyna, G; Aysola, K; Reddy, V; Bhat, G; Fujimura, Y; Henderson, B; Reddy, E.S.P; Rao, V.N. Mitochondrial localization, ELK-1 transcriptional regulation and Growth inhibitory functions of BRCA1, BRCA1a and BRCA1b proteins. Journal of Cellular Physiology, 219(3):634-41, 2009.
  • Xu, J; Watkins, T; Reddy, A; Reddy, E.S.P; Rao, V.N. A novel mechanism whereby BRCA1/1a/1b fine tunes the dynamic complex interplay between SUMO-dependent/independent activities of Ubc9 on E2-induced ERα activation/repression and degradation in breast cancer cells. International Journal of Oncology, 34: 939-949, 2009.
  • OWS, Y; Ganapathy, B; Liang, L; Tollefsbol, T. Epigenetic modification of the estrogen receptor β gene in epithelial ovarian cancer cells. Anticancer Research 29: 139-144, 2009.
  • Siddique, H; Rao, VN; Reddy, ESP.  CBP-mediated post-translational N-Glycosylation of BRCA2. International Journal of Oncology, 35(2): 387-91, 2009.

Ewing sarcoma, clear cell sarcoma and Leukemias:

  • Ramugounder, R., Fujimura, Y., Liu, F., Jian-Ping Zou, Leo Lee, Rao, V.N. and Reddy, E.S.P. Role of protein-protein interactions in the anti-apoptotic function of EWS-Fli-1. Oncogene, 23, 7087-7094, 2004.
  • Fujimura, Y., Siddique, H., Rao, V.N. and Reddy, E.S.P.EWS-ATF-1 chimeric protein in soft tissue clear cell sarcoma associates with CREB-Binding Protein and interferes with p53-mediated trans-activation function. Oncogene, 20, 6653-6659, 2001.
  • Pereira, D.S., Dorrell, C.S., Ito, C.Y., Gan, O.G., Murdock, B., Zou, J.P., Rao, V.N., Reddy, E.S.P. and Dick, J.E.; Retroviral transduction of TLS‑ERG initiates a leukemogenic program in normal primary human hematopoietic cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 95: 8239‑8244, 1998.
  • Yi, H‑K, Fujimura, Y., Ouchida, M., Ohno, T., Prasad, D.D.K., Rao, V.N. and Reddy, E.S.P. Inhibition of apoptosis by normal and aberrant Fli‑1 and erg proteins involved in human solid tumors and leukemias. Oncogene 14: 1259‑1268, 1997.

Research Highlights

  • Press release by Science Spectrum magazine on “Anti tumor activity of BRCA1a on TN breast, ovarian and prostate cancer” 2007.
  • Press release on MSM website and numerous prestigious scientific journals, newspapers, and magazines on “New Research at Morehouse School of Medicine Unravels Enigma as to why BRCA1 Dysfunction Results in ER-Negative Breast Cancers” March 17, 2009.
  • Press release Morehouse School of Medicine Gains Ground on Prostate Cancer Research. ERG gene discovered by Dr Reddy and Dr Rao is involved in 50-80% of prostate cancers.
  • Press release on “MSM Cancer Biologists Discover Novel Post-Translational Mechanism and Possible Implications on Gene Expression, Cancer and Other Human Diseases” 2009.
  • Morehouse School of Medicine Distinguished Cancer Researcher Dr Rao Named to International Breast Cancer Journal BENTHAM Editorial Board 2009.
  • Dr. Reddy is a GCC Distinguished scholar advisory committee member. 2009

Patents Obtained

  • Splice variants of BRCA1 by V.N. Rao and E.S.P. Reddy.  Patent No: 6,720,158.
  • Novel BRCA1 function-based assays for screening agents that modulate steroid hormone receptor activation in cancer and other diseases by V.N.Rao. Patent No: 12/591,495.