Principal Investigator, Linus Pauling Institute
Professor, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology
Contact:
541-737-1799
[email protected]
Research Interests
The Kolluri laboratory has expertise in the investigation of biological activity of chemical compounds and their mechanisms of action. Research in the Kolluri laboratory includes investigation of the pathways regulating cell cycle, cell death, and differentiation.
Currently, the Kolluri laboratory is investigating aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-mediated pathways that regulate anti-cancer functions. They have discovered and developed a new class of compounds termed as “Select Modulators of AhR-regulated Transcription” (SMAhRTs). SMAhRTs are effective against certain cancers, including triple-negative breast cancers, which account for about 15% of breast cancers with the worst prognosis. The Kolluri laboratory is elucidating the molecular mechanisms of SMAhRT-induced anti-cancer effects mediated by AhR signaling.
The Kolluri laboratory is also investigating mechanisms of therapeutic resistance in cancers. Human cancers express Bcl-2, a protein that gives survival advantage to cancer cells. Increased expression of this protein allows the cancer cells to resist chemotherapy treatments and survive. The Kolluri lab has an invention to change Bcl-2 from a cancer-protective to a cancer-destructive protein and has developed ‘first-in-class’ small molecules that change Bcl-2 into a cancer cell killer. They are also investigating the therapeutic utility of this innovation in cancers.
Education
- B.Pharm (Hons.), Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani
- M.Tech (Bio-tech), Biotechnology, Jadavpur University, Calcutta, India
- Ph.D. (magna cum laude), The Institute of Genetics, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Germany
- Postdoctoral Research, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA
Featured Publications
Kopparapu PR, Pearce MC, Löhr CV, Duong C, Jang HS, Tyavanagimatt S, O'Donnell EF, Nakshatri H, Kolluri SK. (2024) Identification and characterization of a small molecule Bcl-2 functional converter. Cancer Res Commun. 4(3):634–644. doi: 10.1158/2767-9764.CRC-22-0526.
Elson DJ, Nguyen BD, Korjeff NA, Wilferd SF, Puig-Sanvicens V, Sang Jang H, Bernales S, Chakravarty S, Belmar S, Ureta G, Finlay D, Plaisier CL, Kolluri SK. (2023) Suppression of Ah Receptor (AhR) increases the aggressiveness of TNBC cells and 11-Cl-BBQ-activated AhR inhibits their growth. Biochem Pharmacol. 215:115706. doi: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115706.
Elson DJ, Nguyen BD, Bernales S, Chakravarty S, Jang HS, Korjeff NA, Zhang Y, Wilferd SF, Castro DJ, Plaisier CL, Finlay D, Oshima RG, Kolluri SK. (2023) Induction of aryl hydrocarbon receptor-mediated cancer cell-selective apoptosis in triple-negative breast cancer cells by a high-affinity benzimidazoisoquinoline. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci. 6(7):1028-1042. doi: 10.1021/acsptsci.2c00253.
Elson DJ, Kolluri SK. (2023) Tumor-suppressive functions of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and AhR as a therapeutic target in cancer. Biology (Basel). 12(4):526. doi: 10.3390/biology12040526.
Nguyen BD, Stevens BL, Elson DJ, Finlay D, Gamble JT, Kopparapu PR, Tanguay RL, Buermeyer AB, Kerkvliet NI, Kolluri SK. (2023) 11-Cl-BBQ, a select modulator of AhR-regulated transcription, suppresses lung cancer cell growth via activation of p53 and p27Kip1. FEBS J. 290(8):2064-2084. doi: 10.1111/febs.16683.
Full Publication List from PubMed