Ho-Hyung Woo, PhD

Laboratory of RNA-Protein Interactions

E-Mail Address: 
hwoo@uacc.arizona.edu
Short Bio: 
Dr. Woo received his PhD from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and his undergraduate degree from the Korea University, Seoul, Korea. He did postdoctoral work at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York.
 
His research goal is to understand the molecular mechanisms of metastasis. He is interested particularly in how breast and ovarian cancer metastasize to other organs.
 
His current research focuses on the molecular basis of metastasis in epithelial ovarian and breast cancers. Abnormal expression of proto-oncogenes c-fms and CSF-1 is an important prognostic factor in breast and ovarian cancers. CSF-1 encodes colony stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1) and c-fms encodes receptor tyrosine kinase, a sole receptor to CSF-1. He is studying about post-transcriptional and translational regulation of c-fms and CSF-1 in breast and ovarian cancers by means of RNA-binding proteins, miRNAs and their interactions with mRNA 5' and 3'UTRs.

Research Information
Summary of Research Activity: 
 
Translational Regulation of Proto-Oncogene C-Fms by RNA-binding proteins in Breast Cancer
Post-transcriptional regulation of c-fms is an important mechanism and RNA binding proteins are involved in this process.

Both HuR and vigilin are working together to coordinate the proper level of expression of c-fms. Once this coordination is dysregulated, c-fms expression increases and causes breast cancer.
 
Translation-7 copy.jpg 
 
 
 
Post-transcriptional and Translational Regulation of Colony Stimulating Factor-1 mRNA (CSF-1) in Ovarian Cancer
Abnormal expression of CSF-1 is poor prognostic factor in ovarian cancer development.

Cis-acting regulatory elements in mRNA UTRs and microRNAs are important regulatory factors for CSF-1 expression. Comprehensive study of these cis-acting regulatory elements will give a clue to understand a regulation of CSF-1 expression in ovarian cancer.

Translation copy.jpg

 

Selected Publications: 
 
2013:
1.  Nucleolin mediates microRNA-directed CSF-1 mRNA deadenylation, but increases translation of CSF-1 mRNA in ovarian cancer. Molecular & Cellular Proteomics. doi:10.1074/mcp.M112.025288.
 
2. Prevention of bone metastasis and bone destruction from breast cancer by autocrine inhibition of the c-fms proto-oncogene. Molecular Oncology.
 
3.  Post-transcriptional regulation of proto-oncogene c-fms by RNA binding proteins in breast cancer. Oncogene and Cancer. Chapter 13. pp295-316. 
 
 
2012:
4.  Regulation of colony stimulating factor-1 expression and ovarian cancer cell behavior in vitro by miR-128 and miR-152. Molecular Cancer. 11:58 doi:10.1186/1476-4598-11-58.
 
 
2011:
5.  Post-transcriptional suppression of proto-oncogene c-fms expression by vigilin in breast cancer. Molecular and Cellular Biology. 31: 215-225.
 
 
2010:
6.  Inhibition of the c-fms proto-oncogene autocrine loop and tumor phenotype in glucocorticoid stimulated human breast carcinoma cells. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. 129: 411-419.
 
 
2009:
7.  Regulation of non-AU-rich element containing c-fms proto-oncogene expression by HuR in breast cancer. Oncogene. 28: 1176-1186.
 
Professional Information
Professional Affiliations: 

1. American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

2. American Society for Microbiology

3. Associate Editor - European Journal of Molecular Biology

 

 

Academic Information
Doctorate: 
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Undergraduate School: 
Korea University, Seoul, Korea