E. Shyam P. Reddy, Ph.D.
Professor & Director
GCC Distinguished Cancer Scholar & Cancer Biology Program
Microbiology, Biochemistry & Immunology
Phone: 404-489-9991
E-mail: ereddy@msm.edu
Education
GRADUATE:Andhra University
Degree: Doctor of Philosophy
Andhra University
Degree: Master of Science
UNDERGRADUATE:
Andhra University
Degree: Bachelor of Science
Research Interests
Function Based Therapeutic Strategies to Prostate cancer, Ewing Sarcoma, Breast cancer and leukemias.
Dr Shyam Reddy discovered and cloned several cancer genes/oncogenes (close to 20 genes)
and studied their functions. The most notable genes discovered by Dr Reddy include
ERG-1, ERG-2, ERG-3 and human FLI-1genes. Dr Reddy named the gene as ERG ( ETS Related
Gene, published in prestigious journals Science and PNAS) . ERG is a transcriptional
factor and also a stem cell factor and is involved in 50-80% of Prostate cancers,
Ewing sarcoma and also leukemias (AML). Other notable ETS genes discovered and studied
by Dr Reddy include human Fli-1 (involved in 80% of Ewing family of tumors, Leukemias
and Prostate cancer), EWS-Fli-1 (involved in 80% of Ewing Sarcoma, Pediatric cancer),
EWS-erg (involved in Ewing Sarcoma), TLS-erg (involved in Acute Myeloid Leukemia),
EWS (involved in multiple cancers), TLS/FUS (involved in multiple cancers), ELK-1
(Drs Reddy and Rao named this gene as ETS Like Gene, published in prestigious journals
Science and Nature), BRCA1a, BRCA1b, BRCA2a (involved in breast, ovarian and prostate
cancers) and EWS-ATF-1 (malignant Melanoma of Soft Parts/Clear cell sarcoma)
Dr Reddy and his group have shown that ERG and FLI-1 proteins involved in several
cancers are responsible for making cancer cells resistant to chemo-therapeutic agents.They
are targeting these onco-proteins or their functions to develop novel targeted therapeutic
agents. Using this strategy, they have developed several novel drugs (patent being
submitted) that target Prostate cancer, Ewing Sarcoma, Breast cancer (Triple Negative
Breast Cancer), Pancreatic cancer, Ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer,
pancreatic cancer etc. These drugs appear to be targeted therapeutic agents with no
or little effect on normal cells. Dr Reddy received a grant from DOD to do research
on two drugs against prostate cancer. We are grateful to DOD organization for standing
up to our cancer research.We have also shown that anti-epileptic drug Valproic acid
(VPA) targets ERG-positive Prostate cancers and identified the molecular mechanism
of action of VPA on ERG function. Recently, we have identified novel ways by which
ERG/ETS oncoproteins target diffent signaling pathways that leads to prostate and
other cancers (leukemias, lymphomas and sarcomas). Recently, we have identified novel
molecular mechanism of activation of TGF beta –signaling pathway by ERG oncoprotein
in prostate cancer.
Publications
Shubhalaxmi Kayarthodi, Yasuo Fujimura, Jinbo Fang, Sharif Morsalin, Veena N. Rao,
and E. Shyam P. Reddy. Anti-Epileptic Drug Targets Ewing Sarcoma. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and
Pharmacology, 1, 87-100, 2014.
Jinbo Fang, Huali Xu, Chunshu Yang, Shubha Kayarthodi, Roland Matthews,Veena N. Rao,
and E. Shyam P. Reddy. Molecular Mechanism of Activation of Transforming Growth Factor Beta/Smads Signaling
Pathway in Ets Related Gene-Positive Prostate Cancers. (Journal of Pharmaceutical
Sciences and Pharmacology, 1, 82-85, 2014) (Discovered novel mechanism by which ERG
oncoprotein regulates TGF-beta signaling pathway in ERG-positive prostate cancer).
Qin Y, Xu J, Aysola K, Oprea G, Reddy A, Matthews R, Okoli J, Cantor A, Grizzle WE,
Partridge EE, Reddy ES, Landen C, Rao VN. Am J Cancer Res. 2012;2(5):540-8. Epub 2012 Aug 20. ( BRCA1 proteins
regulate growth of ovarian cancer cells by tethering Ubc9).
Qin Y, Xu J, Aysola K, Begum N, Reddy V, Chai Y, Grizzle WE, Partridge EE, Reddy ES, Rao VN. Ubc9 mediates nuclear localization and growth suppression of BRCA1 and BRCA1a
proteins. Global Medical Discovery, Jan 2012 (Key Scientific articles).
Qin Y, Xu J, Aysola K, Begum N, Reddy V, Chai Y, Grizzle WE, Partridge EE, Reddy ES, Rao VN. J Cell Physiol. 2011 Dec;226(12):3355-67. doi: 10.1002/jcp.22695. Ubc9 mediates
nuclear localization and growth suppression of BRCA1 and BRCA1a proteins. ( Highlighted
in the journal).
Wendell S. Fortson, Shubhalaxmi Kayarthodi, Yasuo Fujimura, Huali Xu , Roland Matthews, William E Grizzle, Veena N. Rao, Ganapathy K. Bhat and E. Shyam P. Reddy. Histone deacetylase inhibitors, valproic acid and trichostatin-A induce apoptosis and affect acetylation status of p53 in ERG-positive prostate cancer cells. International J. of Oncology, 2011, Jul;39(1):111-9. doi: 10.3892/ijo.2011.1014. Epub 2011 Apr 21. (Anti-epilepsy drug Valproic acid targets ERG-positive Prostate cancers) PMID: 21519790
Click here to view additional publications.
Honors and Awards
Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Gold medal at the House of Lords, Parliament, London, UKLifetime Achievement Award by IIFS
The prestigious Rashtrya Jewel Award and gold medal by FFI
Mother Teresa excellence award by the Integrated Council for Socio-Economic Progess
International Goldstar award, 2012 at Bangkok
Prestigious best personalities of India Award and Gold Medal, 2012 by FFI