Lu Lab
The Lu Laboratory has multiple research programs that are focused primarily on mechanisms and treatments of liver injury, fibrosis and cancer. Two molecules that the Lu Lab is most interested in are glutathione (GSH) and S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe).
GSH is a key anti-oxidant that protects human cells. Studies in the Lu Lab show that GSH synthesis is impaired in multiple forms of liver injury, including fibrosis. SAMe is the principal biological methyl donor and patients with liver disease have reduced hepatic SAMe level. The Lu Laboratory has shown that chronic SAMe depletion in the liver results in liver cancer development in mice. The goal in the lab is to understand how the synthesis of these molecules is regulated and why they become dysregulated in liver disease. Researchers in the Lu Lab hope results from their studies will pave the way for novel treatments of liver diseases and prevention of liver cancer.
The Lu Laboratory is affiliated with the Cedars-Sinai Department of Medicine and Digestive and Liver Diseases.
Personal Statement
I am a physician scientist engaged in teaching, clinical work and basic research. I have been working in the fields of S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) and glutathione (GSH) metabolism for more than 25 years and have received uninterrupted funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 1992."
Shelly C. Lu, MD
The Lu Laboratory has five active research programs funded by the National Institutes of Health. The longest-running program in the Lu Lab focuses on the regulation of hepatic glutathione (GSH) synthesis. GSH is vital in defense against oxidative stress. For more than 20 years, the Lu Laboratory has shown how the GSH synthetic enzymes are regulated transcriptionally and posttranscriptionally.
Collaborations
Meet Our Team
Learn more about the scientists, faculty members, investigators and other healthcare professionals of the Lu Laboratory, whose dedicated efforts lead to groundbreaking discoveries.
Yang JW, Murray B, Barbier-Torres L, Liu T, Liu Z, Yang H, Fan W, Wang J, Li Y, Seki E, Mato JM, Lu SC.
J Biol Chem. 2018 Dec 6. pii: jbc.RA118.004863.
Liu T, Yang H, Fan W, Tu J, Li TWH, Wang J, Shen H, Yang J, Xiong T, Steggerda J, Liu Z, Noureddin M, Maldonado SS, Annamalai A, Seki E, Mato JM, Lu SC.
Gastroenterology. 2018 Aug;155(2):557-571.e14.
Fan W, Yang H, Liu T, Wang J, Li TW, Mavila N, Tang Y, Yang J, Peng H, Tu J, Annamalai A, Noureddin M, Krishnan A,Gores GJ, Martínez-Chantar ML, Mato JM, Lu SC.
Hepatology. 2017 Apr;65(4):1249-1266.