Avraham Raz

Professor

biography

I am the Paul Zuckerman Professor of Oncology, Pathology and Radiation Oncology at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute Wayne State University, School of Medicine. I have over 30 years of experience in cancer biology and have published numerous research articles and reviews summarizing my contributions to the field of tumor progression and metastasis. I pioneered the field of galectins and cancer as I was the first to identify and clone the human galectin-3 and establish its functional role in cancer biology and metastasis. I have also developed the first mono clonal antibodies and specific carbohydrate inhibitors and translated these findings into the clinic. As recognition to my leadership in the field I was awarded the Merit Award from the NCI.

 

Area of Interest

Dr. Raz’s goal is to further the understanding of cancer progression and metastasis using in vitro and in vivo methodologies. Areas: Cancer, metastasis, motility, and carbohydrate-recognition


top publication

Recent publications of importance to the field (in chronological order)
1. Nangia-Makker P, Raz T, Tait L, Shekhar MP, Li H, Balan V, Makker H, Fridman R, Maddipati K, Raz A. (2013) Ocimum gratissimum retards breast cancer growth and progression and is a natural inhibitor of matrix metalloproteases Cancer Biol Ther. 14:5 PMID:23380593
2. Wang, Y., Kho, D., Hogan, V., Nangia-Makker, P., and Raz, A. (2013) Galectin-3 regulates p21 stability in human prostate cancer cells. Oncogene 10.1038. PMID:23160381
3. Ahmad. A., Ali. S. ,Ahmed, A., Ali. A,. Raz, A., Sakr, W., and Rahman, KM. (2013) 3, 3\'-diindolylmethane enhances the effectiveness of Herceptin against HER2/neu-expressing breast cancer cells. PLoS ONE 8:54657 PMID:23372748
4. Kho, D., Nangia-Makker, P., Balan, V., Hogan, V., Tait, L., Wang, Y. and Raz, A. (2013) Autocrine motility factor promotes HER2 cleavage and signaling in breast cancer cells. Cancer 73:1411-9 PMID: 23248119
5. Funasaka, T., Balan, V., Raz, A., and Wong, R. (2013) Nucleoporin Nup98 mediates galectin-3 nuclear-cytoplasmic trafficking. BBRC 434:155-61 PMID: 23541576
6. Balan V, Wang Y, Nangia-Makker P, Kho D, Bajaj M, Smith D, Heilbrun L, Raz A, Heath E. (2013) Galectin-3: a possible complementary marker to the PSA blood test. Oncotarget. 4:542-9. PMID:23625538
7. Funasaka T, Balan V, Raz A, Wong RW. (2013) Nucleoporin Nup98 mediates galectin-3 nuclear-cytoplasmic trafficking. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 434:155-61 PMID:23541576
8. Kho, D, Zhang, T., Balan, V., Wang, Y., Ha, S-W., Xie, Y. and Raz, A. (2013) Secretion of Autocine Motlity Factor (AMF) modulates EGF-induced invasion of breast cancer cells, Cancer Res. 74:2229-37.PMID:24576828
9. Gao X, Balan V, Tai G, Raz A. (2014) Galectin-3 induces cell migration via a calcium-sensitive MAPK/ERK1/2 pathway. Oncotarget. 5(8):2077-84. PMID: 24809457
10. Harazono Y, Nakajima K, Raz A. (2014) Why anti-Bcl-2 clinical trials fail: a solution. Cancer Metastasis Rev. PMID: 24338002
11. Michel AK, Nangia-Makker P, Raz A, Cloninger MJ. (2014) Lactose-Functionalized Dendrimers Arbitrate the Interaction of Galectin-3/MUC1 Mediated Cancer Cellular Aggregation. Chembiochem. 15:2106-12. PMID:25138772
12. Funasaka T, Raz A, Nangia-Makker P. (2014) Galectin-3 in angiogenesis and metastasis. Glycobiology. (2014) 24:886-91. PMID: 25138305
13. Funasaka T, Raz A, Nangia-Makker P (2014) Nuclear transport of galectin-3 and its therapeutic implications. Semin Cancer Biol. 27:30-8. PMID: 24657939
14. Harazono Y, Kho D-H, Balan V, Nakajima K, Zhang T, Hogan V, Raz A. (2014) Galectin-3 leads to attenuation of apoptosis through Bax heterodimerization in human thyroid carcinoma cells Oncotarget. 5:9992-10001.
15. Nakajima K, Kho D-H, Yanagawa T, Harazono Y, Gao X, Hogan V, Raz A. (2014) Galectin-3 inhibits osteoblast differentiation via Notch signaling, Neoplasm Nov 20;16(11):939-49.
16. Xu J, Zhou JY, Xu Z, Kho DH, Zhuang Z, Raz A, Wu GS. (2014) The role of Cullin3-mediated ubiquitination of the catalytic subunit of PP2A in TRAIL signaling. Cell Cycle.13:3750-8. PMID: 25551360
17. Wang. Y., Ha, S-W, Zhang, T., Kho, D-Y, Raz, A., and Xie, Y. (2014) Polyubiquitylation of AMF requires cooperation between the gp78 and TRIM25 ubiquitin ligases. Oncotarget. 5(8):2044- 51. PMID:24810856.
18. Goodman CK, Wolfenden ML, Nangia-Makker P, Michel AK, Raz A, Cloninger MJ.(2014) Multivalent scaffolds induce galectin-3 aggregation into nanoparticles. Beilstein J Org Chem. 10:1570-7. PMID: 25161713
19. Harazono Y, Kho D-H, Balan V, Nakajima K, Zhang T, Hogan V, Raz A. (2014) Galectin-3 leads to attenuation of apoptosis through Bax heterodimerization in human thyroid carcinoma cells.