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Our goal is to understand the roles of innate immune cells (i.e., myeloid cells) in stress responses in various disease models. We investigate how sterile and pathogen-induced inflammation contributes to organ injury and carcinogenesis. Moreover, we focus on basic mechanisms of regulation of tumor microenvironment and cancer cells growth. Our interest lies in regulatory mechanisms related to the heme biology and other regulatory genes  in tumor evolution and cancer therapy. The metabolic pathway of heme degradation is a critical regulator of inflammation and tumor growth. Much of our efforts have been directed towards how the enzymes involved in heme degradation (biliverdin reductase/BVR and heme oxygenase-1/HO-1) and the products (carbon monoxide, biliverdin/bilirubin, iron) control metabolism and gene regulation in both immune and cancer cells.