Address

9271 Scott Hall 540 E. Canfield Ave. Detroit, MI 48201

Office Address

9271 Scott Hall
540 E. Canfield Ave.
Detroit, MI 48201

Department

 Pathology

Research Description

The long term objective of Dr. Kim’s research is to unveil the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which proteolytic and growth factor signaling networks contribute to tumor progression. Dr. Kim’s laboratory has investigated platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) isoform-specific signal transduction pathways and their roles in prostate and breast cancer progression. Recently, Dr. Kim’s laboratory showed that tumor-produced PDGF C and D undergo proteolytic activation by the serine proteases uPA and matriptase and mediate stromal reactions, critical for tumor cell invasion and metastasis. The laboratory of Dr. Kim has also investigated the pleiotropic activity of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP)-1 during cancer progression. Dr. Kim’s recent study identified the tetraspanin member CD63 as the first TIMP-1 binding cell surface protein, which mediates the integrin β1 survival pathway as well as phenotypic changes resembling an epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT). 

Selected publications

Warner RB, Najy AJ, Jung YS, Fridman R, Kim S, Kim HRC. Establishment of Structure-Function Relationship of Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 for Its Interaction with CD63: Implication for Cancer Therapy. Sci Rep. 2020;10:2099.

Bottrell A, Meng YH, Najy AJ, Hurst N Jr, Kim S, Kim CJ, Kim ES, Moon A, Kim EJ, Park SY, Kim HRC. An oncogenic activity of PDGF-C and its splice variant in human breast cancer. Growth Factors. 2019;37:131-45.

Najy AJ, Dyson G, Jena BP, Lin CY, Kim HR. Matriptase activation and shedding through PDGF-D-mediated extracellular acidosis. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2016;310:C293-304.

Huang W, Kim HR. Dynamic regulation of platelet-derived growth factor D (PDGF-D) activity and extracellular spatial distribution by matriptase-mediated proteolysis. J Biol Chem. 2015;290:9162-70.

Huang W, Fridman Y, Bonfil RD, Ustach CV, Conley-LaComb MK, Wiesner C, Saliganan A, Cher ML, Kim HR. A novel function for platelet-derived growth factor D: induction of osteoclastic differentiation for intraosseous tumor growth. Oncogene. 2012;31:4527-35.

Ustach CV, Huang W, Conley-LaComb MK, Lin CY, Che M, Abrams J, Kim HR. A novel signaling axis of matriptase/PDGF-D/ß-PDGFR in human prostate cancer. Cancer Res. 2010;70:9631-40.

Jung KK, Liu XW, Chirco R, Fridman R, Kim HR. Identification of CD63 as a tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 interacting cell surface protein. EMBO J. 2006;25:3934-42.

Education/Training

PhD (1989): Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Post-Doc (1990-1991): Northwestern University Cancer Center, Evanston, IL
Post-Doc (1991-1992): Washington University, St. Louis, MO 

Courses Taught

CB7210 Fundamentals of Cancer Biology 

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