Dr. Xu focuses on the estrogen receptor α (ERα), a nuclear hormone receptor that is mutated and hyperactivated in over 70% of breast cancers. Hormone therapy drugs, such as tamoxifen, which target classic ERα signaling are highly potent; however, many patients eventually develop drug resistance. His proposed research will address a previously unknown role of ERα in breast cancer progression and therapy resistance, and may identify a potential second-line therapy to treat breast cancer.
Damon Runyon Researchers
Meet Our Scientists
Yichen Xu, PhD
Project title: "Elucidating a non-classical role of ER in gene expression and breast cancer progression"
Institution: University of California, San Francisco
Award Program: Fellow
Sponsor(s) / Mentor(s): Davide Ruggero, PhD
Cancer Type: Breast
Research Area: RNA (RNA processing, miRNA and piRNA mechanisms, enzymatic RNAs, etc.)
