Department Directory
Paul Dent, Ph.D.
Professor
of Biochemistry & Molecular BiologyPO Box 980614
Richmond, VA 23298-0614
Email: pdent@vcu.edu
Telephone: 804-628-0861
Education
- B.Sc. Biochemistry (1st class Hons.) University of Newcastle upon Tyne (1985-1988)
- Ph.D. Biochemistry (Prof. Sir Philip Cohen) University of Dundee (1988-1991)
Dept. Clinical Pharmacology (Dr. Thomas W. Sturgill) University of Virginia (1992-1996)
Research
My laboratory has three main areas of interest. First, to understand the signaling processes which regulate the survival of normal liver cells exposed to toxic stresses such as bile acids and novel therapeutic agents. By understanding how the survival of normal liver cells is controlled, we may better understand how to protect the liver from drug and cholestatic-induced injury. Second, ionizing radiation doses which are used in clinical radiotherapy can both kill cells and also unfortunately cause survival / proliferation of other cells within the same tumor. Several translational projects are understanding how radiation and novel signal transduction modulators can alter tumor cell viability and proliferation in colon cancer, prostate cancer and in breast cancer. Third, the novel cytokine mda-7 / IL-24 has been shown by this laboratory to act as a radiosensitizer in many tumor cell types. Our studies have shown that IL-24, administered as either a recombinant adenovirus or as a purified protein radiosensitizes primary human glioma cells and enhances the lethality of novel therapeutic agents which generate ROS in renal carcinoma. Several projects are uncovering the mechanisms by which ROS generating agents and radiation act to enhance IL-24 lethality.
Publications
