Saori Furuta, Ph.D.
| Saori Furuta, Ph.D. Associate Professor Cell and Cancer Biology saori.furuta@utoledo.edu |
EDUCATION:
| B.S. | 1999 | Biochemistry | University of California, Riverside |
| M.S. | 2001 | Chemistry & Biochemistry | California State University, Los Angeles |
| Ph.D. | 2007 | Biological Chemistry | University of California, Irvine |
| Post-Doc | 2007-2014 | Life Sciences Division | Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |
RESEARCH INTERESTS:
Over 300,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. each year, affecting
1 in 8 women in their lifetime. Despite the recent advances in diagnostic tools,
breast cancer mortality rate has only declined slowly, justifying the urgent need
for a better diagnostic marker and treatment modality. My long-term research interest
is to investigate how aberrant arginine metabolism influences different components
of tissue/tumor microenvironment, and how such havoc leads to carcinogenesis, drug
resistance and immunosuppression. I am also investigating whether normalizing arginine
metabolism could boost the gut microbiome and train the innate immunity to prevent
breast cancer formation.
FUNDING:
Ongoing Research Support
R01CA248304, National Cancer Institute
3/2020 - 2/2025
Normalizing arginine metabolism with sepiapterin for immunostimulatory-shift of HER2+
breast cancer
Role: PI
1R15CA238894-01A1
12/2019-11/2022
Understanding and targeting MELK overexpression in breast cancer and therapeutic efficacy
of its inhibition
Role: PI
American Cancer Society Research Scholar Award
01/2019-12/2022
Role of reduction of nitric oxide in formation of precancerous breast lesions
Role: PI
Completed Research Support
Medical Research Society Grant - University of Toledo
6/2018-6/2019
Role of reduction of nitric oxide in formation of precancerous breast lesions
Role: PI
Ohio Cancer Research Society
7/2017-6/2019
Role of nitric oxide in regulating the extracellular matrix in the breast
Role: PI
R01CA064786, National Institutes of Health (PI, M.J. Bissel)
Definition of microenvironment in breast cancer
2008-2015
Role: Postdoctoral Associate
W81XWH-05-1-0322, Department of Defense
Roles of breast cancer susceptibility genes BRCA's in mammary epithelial cell differentiation
2005-2008
Role: PI
PUBLICATIONS:
STUDENT OPENINGS: Not currently accepting students