2016 Scientific Report

NING WU, PH.D.
Dr. Wu received her Ph.D. from the Department of Biochemistry
of the University of Toronto in 2002. She joined VARI in 2013 as
an Assistant Professor.
STAFF
HOLLY DYKSTRA, B.S.
ALTHEA WALDHART, B.S.
STUDENT
MATT HOLLOWELL
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Our laboratory studies the interface between cellular metabolism and signal
transduction. The generation of two daughter cells depends on the proper uptake
and use of nutrients that are often limited in the tumor environment. The distribution
of these nutrients is controlled not only by the intrinsic catalytic rate and allosteric
regulation of the enzymes, but also by post-translational modifications of these
enzymes by signaling molecules. At the same time, signaling molecules must respond
to cellular nutrient status and other cues such as environmental stresses and growth
factors. Our laboratory focuses on key metabolic steps in glucose and lipid catabolism
and aims to understand the mutual interactions between metabolites and signaling
during cell replication.
Fundamentally, cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cell growth. Relative to normal cells,
tumor cells have aberrant metabolic addictions that differ depending on the cell’s tissue
of origin and genetic mutations. By understanding the energy requirements and
regulatory pathways of tumor cells, more-effective treatments can be developed. Our
projects include unraveling the molecular mechanisms that regulate glucose uptake in
cancers, investigating the effect of glucose on mitochondrial activity, and exploring the
role of glucose as the link between metabolic syndrome and cancer incidence.
26 Van Andel Research Institute | Scientific Report