E. Shyam P Reddy, M.S., Ph.D., GCC Distinguished Cancer Scholar 

Education

POSTGRADUATE:
Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven CT
Fellowship: Human Genetics


GRADUATE:
Andhra University, India 
Degree: Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry,  Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology

Andhra University, India 
Degree: Master of Science in Chemistry


UNDERGRADUATE:
Loyola College, Andhra University, Vijayawada, India
Degree: Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry

Research Interests

Function Based Therapeutic Strategies to Prostate cancer, Ewing Sarcoma, Breast cancer and leukemias.

Dr Shyam Reddy discovered and cloned several cancer genes/oncogenes (close to 20 genes) and studied their functions. The most notable genes discovered by Dr Reddy include ERG-1, ERG-2, ERG-3 and human FLI-1genes. Dr Reddy named the gene as ERG ( ETS Related Gene, published in prestigious journals Science and PNAS) . ERG is a transcriptional factor and also a stem cell factor and is involved in 50-80% of Prostate cancers, Ewing sarcoma and also leukemias (AML). Other notable ETS genes discovered and studied by Dr Reddy include human Fli-1 (involved in 80% of Ewing family of tumors, Leukemias and Prostate cancer), EWS-Fli-1 (involved in 80% of Ewing Sarcoma, Pediatric cancer), EWS-erg (involved in Ewing Sarcoma), TLS-erg (involved in Acute Myeloid Leukemia), EWS (involved in multiple cancers), TLS/FUS (involved in multiple cancers), ELK-1 (Drs Reddy and Rao named this gene as ETS Like Gene, published in prestigious journals Science and Nature), BRCA1a, BRCA1b, BRCA2a (involved in breast, ovarian and prostate cancers) and EWS-ATF-1 (malignant Melanoma of Soft Parts/Clear cell sarcoma)

 Dr Reddy and his group have shown that ERG and FLI-1 proteins involved in several cancers are responsible for making cancer cells resistant to chemo-therapeutic agents. They are targeting these onco-proteins or their functions to develop novel targeted therapeutic agents. Using this strategy, they have developed several novel drugs (patent being submitted) that target Prostate cancer, Ewing Sarcoma, Breast cancer (Triple Negative Breast Cancer), Pancreatic cancer, Ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer etc. These drugs appear to be targeted therapeutic agents with no or little effect on normal cells. Dr Reddy received a grant from DOD to do research on two drugs against prostate cancer. We are grateful to DOD organization for standing up to our cancer research. We have also shown that anti-epileptic drug Valproic acid (VPA) targets ERG-positive Prostate cancers and Children bone cancer and identified the molecular mechanism of action of VPA on ERG function. Recently, we have identified novel ways by which ERG/ETS oncoproteins target diffent signaling pathways that leads to prostate and other cancers (leukemias, lymphomas and sarcomas). Recently, we have identified novel molecular mechanism of activation of TGF beta–signaling pathway by ERG oncoprotein in prostate cancer. We are also studying the mechanism of action of successful novel drugs (that are presently being used in clinical trials) on prostate, breast and childhood cancers including their metastases. 

Publications

Jinbo Fang, Huali Xu, Chunshu Yang, Sharif Morsalin, Shubhalaxmi Kayarthodi, Kunchala Rungsrisuriyachai, Ujwala Gunnal, Brittany Mckenzie, Veena N. Rao, and E. Shyam P. Reddy. Ets Related Gene and Smad3 Proteins Collaborate to Activate Transforming Growth Factor-Beta Mediated Signaling Pathway in ETS Related Gene-Positive Prostate Cancer Cells J. Pharm. Sci. Pharmacol. 1, 175-181 (2014)

Shubhalaxmi Kayarthodi, Yasuo Fujimura, Jinbo Fang, Sharif Morsalin, Veena N. Rao, and E. Shyam P. Reddy. Anti-Epileptic Drug Targets Ewing Sarcoma .  (Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacology, 1, 87-100, 2014.

Jinbo Fang, Huali Xu, Chunshu Yang, Shubha Kayarthodi, Roland Matthews,Veena N. Rao, and E. Shyam P. Reddy. Molecular Mechanism of Activation of Transforming Growth Factor Beta/Smads Signaling Pathway in Ets Related Gene-Positive Prostate Cancers. (Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacology, 1, 82-85, 2014) (Discovered novel mechanism by which ERG oncoprotein regulates TGF-beta signaling pathway in ERG-positive prostate cancer).

Qin Y, Xu J, Aysola K, Oprea G, Reddy A, Matthews R, Okoli J, Cantor A, Grizzle WE, Partridge EE, Reddy ES, Landen C, Rao VN. Am J Cancer Res. 2012;2(5):540-8. Epub 2012 Aug 20. ( BRCA1 proteins regulate growth of ovarian cancer cells by tethering Ubc9).

Qin Y, Xu J, Aysola K, Begum N, Reddy V, Chai Y, Grizzle WE, Partridge EE, Reddy ES, Rao VN. Ubc9 mediates nuclear localization and growth suppression of BRCA1 and BRCA1a proteins. Global Medical Discovery, Jan 2012 (Key Scientific articles). 

 Qin Y, Xu J, Aysola K, Begum N, Reddy V, Chai Y, Grizzle WE, Partridge EE, Reddy ES, Rao VN. J Cell Physiol. 2011 Dec;226(12):3355-67. doi: 10.1002/jcp.22695. Ubc9 mediates nuclear localization and growth suppression of BRCA1 and BRCA1a proteins. ( Highlighted in the journal).

Honors and Awards

Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Gold Medal at the House of Lords, Parliament, London, UK

Lifetime Achievement Award by IIFS

Bharat Award for Excellence

The Prestigious Rashtrya Jewel Award and Gold Medal by FFI

Mother Teresa Excellence Award by the Integrated Council for Socio-e Economic Progress

International Goldstar Award