UT Health San Antonio

Manjeet K. Rao, Ph.D.

Professor

Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy

Co-Leader, Experimental and Development Therapeutics, Mays Cancer Center

Discipline Director, Cancer Biology, IBMS

Currently seeking M.S. & Ph.D. students

Cancer– We are actively engaged in translational research to discover new, more effective and safe regimens for treating cancers. Towards that goal, we recently discovered that an anti-depressant and its derivative can block cancer cell’s ability to repair DNA. Our study became the basis for the clinical trial, which is currently underway

Another focus of my laboratory is to use microRNAs as novel biomarkers and therapeutics for the diagnosis/prognosis and treatment of pediatric brain tumors and adult cancers. Our recent research achievements of safe and efficacious delivery of microRNA using lipid and FDA-approved nanoparticle-based systemic delivery approaches to treat cancers in mouse tumor model paves the way for a clinical trial in the near future. 

In addition to miRNA, using unbiased genomewide synthetic lethal screens, we have identified novel proteins that play a causal role in tumorigenesis and render cancer cell resistant to cancer treatment drugs.  With our expertise in medicinal chemistry, structural biology, in silicomodeling and small molecule screening, we have rationally designed and synthesized several lead small molecules that can interfere with the key residues that are critical for the activity of those proteins.

RNA epigenetics- We were the first group to design novel algorithms that can identify transcriptome wide methylation as well as differential RNA methylation in normal and disease condition. Recently, in a groundbreaking study, we showed that writers, erasers and readers of RNA methylation cross-talk with each other to maintain a level of RNA methylation that is critical for the stability of key progrowth/proliferation-specific genes and any pro-tumorigenic stimulus that perturbs that cross-talk leads to uncontrolled activity of those genes, resulting in tumor growth and progression. We are currently investigating the role of specific RNA epigenetic modifiers in children’s and adult cancers.

MicroRNA and Development – In addition to cancer, my group has made some seminal discoveries in the field of miRNA and development. We were the first group to develop an in vivoRNA interference (RNAi) approach that that mimics the principle by which “microRNAs” are processed (Rao et al., Genes & Dev, 2006). Furthermore, we were first to show that miRNA plays a critical role in chromatin condensation during germ cell development (Chang et al., PNAS, 2012). Recently, in a groundbreaking work, we showed that LC3-associated phagocytosis is not only confined to macrophages but it is actively used by Sertoli cells to engulf and clear germ cell during germ cell differentiation (Panneerdoss et al., Nature Communications, 2018). 

Field of study: Adult and Children’s Cancer; MicroRNA; Small Molecule Inhibitors

Sub field of study: Drug development, Translational Research  

Research areas: Cancer, Epigenetics, Development

Relevant diseases: Medulloblastoma; Osteosarcoma; Breast Cancer; Glioblastoma 

Research Techniques: Mouse tumor models; Ex-vivo explants from cancer patients; Nanoparticle-based drug delivery; RNA-seq; Me-RIP-Seq; PAR-CLIP; Fiber analysis; IHC; Routine Molecular biology techniques