- Assistant Professor P: Internal Medicine: Hematology/Oncology
- pathu@umich.edu
- Office: 734 615 9656 6403 LSI
- Hu Lab: 734 647 2534 6183 LSI
- Personal Url | UMICH Directory Listing
Patrick Hu
Education
PH.D. New York University; M.D. New York University; B.A. Harvard University;
Research Focus
We use the nematode C. elegans as a model system to study evolutionarily conserved signal transduction pathways that are dysregulated in cancer and diabetes, with the ultimate goal of generating hypotheses that can be tested in mouse models of disease. Our current work is focused on a conserved insulin-like growth factor (IGF) pathway that regulates development, metabolism, and longevity in C. elegans. Many components of IGF-1 signaling are mutated in human cancers, and mice harboring knockout alleles of genes in the insulin signaling pathway develop insulin-resistant diabetes. We have identified several potential novel components of this pathway in C. elegans, including two protein tyrosine phosphatase-like molecules, a steroid dehydrogenase, and a novel conserved protein of unknown function. Mammalian homologs of these proteins may be attractive drug targets for novel treatments for cancer and diabetes. We are also embarking on a comprehensive reverse genetic analysis of C. elegans orthologs of human oncogenes and tumor suppressors, with the aim of identifying novel interactions between cancer pathways that may inform the treatment of cancer in humans.
