Faculty and Staff

Biomedical Sciences Center
940 Stanton L. Young Blvd
RM 401A
Oklahoma City, OK 73104-5020

---

Academic Section(s):

Pathology

---

Education:

• Lund University
  Department of Medical Neurochemistry
  Lund, Sweden
  PhD (1998)
• Center for Basic Research in Digestive Diseases
  Mayo Clinic and Foundation
  Postdoctoral research fellow (2002)

---

Clinical/Research Interests:

This laboratory investigates cellular mechanisms of exosome microRNA signaling in cancer cells and their potential implications in cancer diagnosis and therapy. We are also interested in developing combination therapies using docosahexaenoic acid (a long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid), and other anticancer drugs. A combination of cellular, molecular, and biochemical approaches are applied to address critical questions using experimental model systems and patient specimens.

---

Select Publications:

1. Zou S, Yang J, Guo J, Su Y, He C, Wu J, Yu L, Ding WQ, Zhou J. RAD18 promotes the migration and invasion of esophageal squamous cell cancer via the JNK-MMPs pathway. Cancer Lett. 2018 Mar 28;417:65-74. PMID: 29306013.

2. Hannafon BN, Ding WQ. miRNAs as Biomarkers for Predicting the Progression of Ductal Carcinoma in Situ. Am J Pathol. 2018 Mar;188(3):542-549. PMID: 29246496.

3. Xue J, Zhu W, Song J, Jiao Y, Luo J, Yu C, Zhou J, Wu J, Chen M, Ding WQ, Cao J, Zhang S. Activation of PPARα by clofibrate sensitizes pancreatic cancer cells to radiation through the Wnt/Β-catenin pathway. Oncogene. 2018 Feb 15;37(7):953-962. PMID: 29059162.

4. Xu YF, Hannafon BN, Zhao YD, Postier RG, Ding WQ. Plasma exosome miR-196a and miR-1246 are potential indicators of localized pancreatic cancer. Oncotarget. 2017 Aug 18;8(44):77028-77040. PMID: 29100367.

5. Hannafon BN, Trigoso YD, Calloway CL, Zhao YD, Lum DH, Welm AL, Zhao ZJ, Blick KE, Dooley WC, Ding WQ. Plasma exosome microRNAs are indicative of breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res. 2016 Sep 8;18(1):90. PMID: 27608715.

6. Jiao Y, Hannafon BN, Ding WQ. Disulfiram's Anticancer Activity: Evidence and Mechanisms. Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2016;16(11):1378-1384. PMID: 27141876.

7. Hannafon BN, Carpenter KJ, Berry WL, Janknecht R, Dooley WC, Ding WQ. Exosome-mediated microRNA signaling from breast cancer cells is altered by the anti-angiogenesis agent docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Mol Cancer. 2015 Jul 16;14:133. PMID: 26178901.

8. Zhang S, Xue J, Zheng J, Wang S, Zhou J, Jiao Y, Geng Y, Wu J, Hannafon BN, Ding WQ. The superoxide dismutase 1 3'UTR maintains high expression of the SOD1 gene in cancer cells: The involvement of the RNA-binding protein AUF-1. Free Radic Biol Med. 2015 Aug;85:33-44. PMID: 25908445.

9. Zhang S, Wang W, Gu Q, Xue J, Cao H, Tang Y, Xu X, Cao J, Zhou J, Wu J, Ding WQ. Protein and miRNA profiling of radiation-induced skin injury in rats: the protective role of peroxiredoxin-6 against ionizing radiation. Free Radic Biol Med. 2014 Apr;69:96-107. PMID: 24447893.

10. Wang S, Hannafon BN, Wolf RF, Zhou J, Avery JE, Wu J, Lind SE, Ding WQ. Characterization of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-induced heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression in human cancer cells: the importance of enhanced BTB and CNC homology 1 (Bach1) degradation. J Nutr Biochem. 2014 May;25(5):515-25. PMID: 24613086.