Research / Clinical
Summary
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Yu-Tsueng Liu, MD, PhD
Assistant Adjunct Professor, Medicine
Cancer Genes and Genome Program
Contact by Email
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Diseases/Research Topics
AIDS Related Malignancies, Biomarkers, Fusion Gene, Influenza, p16ink4a, Prostate Cancer, Virus
Dr. Liu is interested in a global screening and high throughput approach to study extrinsic (eg, viruses) and intrinsic (eg, tumor suppressor genes and fusion genes) factors involved in cancer development, and has been developing novel microarray platforms as tools.
It is estimated that 15% of all human cancers are associated with viruses. A much higher incidence of virus-associated malignancies occurs in immunocompromised patients. Infectious viral agents may transform cells directly or induce chronic inflammation, an important cofactor for malignant transformation.
One of Liu's ongoing projects uses DNA and protein based microarrays to investigate the role of human papillomavriuses, Merkel cell polyomavirus and other viruses in the progression of HIV associated malignancies. The focus is on the virus-host interaction, especially between viral oncogenes and the gene products of human CDKN2A (p16INK4A/ARF) locus. This is a joint study with the Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) at UCSD. He is also investigating the clinical relevance and biological effects of the TMPRSS2-ETS fusion genes, xenotropic MuLV-related virus (XMRV) and androgen receptor variants in prostate cancer.
The Liu laboratory is also interested in other infectious diseases. In collaboration with Dr. Robert Schooley, they have been developing molecular assays to study influenza viruses in the clinical setting for the past few years.
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