Yang Su, PhD

The oncogene c-MYC is a “master regulator” that drives aggressive cancer growth but is widely considered “undruggable” due to its lack of an accessible drug-binding pocket. Inside a cell, the levels of c-MYC protein are tightly controlled at both the RNA and protein levels by various chemical modifications. For example, c-MYC messenger RNA (mRNA) is frequently modified with the addition of a methyl group, which typically triggers rapid mRNA decay. Dr. Su and his colleagues recently discovered that c-MYC mRNA can also be decorated with two methyl groups, a completely new class of modification. Crucial questions remain unanswered: What is the biological impact of this modification on c-MYC? Which enzyme installs it? How does it alter c-MYC function? Dr. Su will address these questions using multidisciplinary approaches, revealing a fundamentally new mechanism of c-MYC regulation and paving the way for novel therapeutics designed to interfere with c-MYC modifications in cancer cells. Dr. Su received his PhD from the University of Georgia, Athens, and his BS from Zhejiang University, Hangzhou.