Research in the laboratory of Tushar C. Patel, M.B., Ch.B., focuses on liver epithelial cell biology, with an emphasis on understanding the role and regulation of noncoding RNA genes in the pathogenesis of liver and biliary tract cancers. An area of emphasis is the study of cellular and molecular mechanisms by which dysregulation of cell survival signaling pathways contributes to disease pathogenesis in hepatobiliary cancers.

Dr. Patel is particularly interested in the roles of extracellular vesicles and extracellular RNA in fundamental processes involved in liver cancers. In conjunction with the Extracellular RNA Communication Consortium, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Fund, Dr. Patel and his group are exploring novel biomarkers. Based on this research, they are developing new treatments and exploring new paradigms of disease.

Focus areas

• Pathogenesis of cholangiocarcinoma in the setting of inflammation
• Developing therapeutic targets for liver cancers based on study of tumor related noncoding RNAs or signaling pathways
• Contribution of long noncoding RNA and microRNA to disease pathogenesis
• Biological role of extracellular vesicles, and their use as novel therapeutic agents
• Extracellular RNA as a disease biomarker for liver cancers

Significance to patient care

The goal of Dr. Patel's laboratory is to develop effective therapies for liver and biliary cancers based on studies of noncoding RNA and extracellular vesicle-mediated communication on cell survival mechanisms. This research seeks to explore the potential for using extracellular RNAs in the clinic as therapeutic molecules or as biomarkers for the early diagnosis of liver cancers.