Ekrem Emrah Er, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Physiology and Biophysics
College of Medicine
Contact
Building & Room:
COMRB 1113
Address:
909 S. Wolcott Ave. MC 901
Office Phone:
Email:
Related Sites:
Lab Location
Building & Room:
COMRB 1140
About
Our lab focuses on understandinghow mechanochemical signal transduction (mechanotransduction) within the tumor microenvironment impacts the interactions between cancer cells, vascular stromal cells and immunity during the outgrowth of lethal metastases.
Research Currently in Progress
Our lab focuses on understanding how mechanotransduction, specifically activation of YAP/TAZ and MRTFA/B transcriptional program within the tumor microenvironment impacts the interactions between cancer cells, vascular stromal cells and immunity during the outgrowth of lethal metastases. We employ sophisticated ex vivo organotropic models, 2D and 3D multi-cellular in vitro systems, immuno-competent mouse models of metastatic colonization and utilize real-time confocal imaging, patient samples, atomic force microscopy, and bioinformatics. Our goal is to gain new mechanistic insights into cancer metastasis in order to identify novel points of therapeutic intervention, biomarkers of patient survival and therapy response.