Scientific Interest(s):
Dr. Farhad Parhami is interested in molecular regulation of tumor cells and tumor stromal cells by lipids, lipoproteins and nuclear hormone receptors. His interests also include studying the role of the tumor microenvironment in regulation of tumor growth and metastasis, cell signaling and small molecule therapeutic agents, as well as the molecular regulation of the hedgehog signaling pathway in the development of cancer. Other areas of research in Parhami's laboratory include mesenchymal stem cells, cancer stem cells, osteogenic small molecule compounds for development into novel osteoinductive agents and small molecule regulators of hedgehog signaling.
Selected Cancer-Related Publications:
Kim WK, Meliton V, Tetradis S, Weinmaster G, Hahn TJ, Carlson M, Nelson SF, Parhami F. Osteogenic oxysterol, 20(S)-hydroxycholesterol, induces notch target gene expression in bone marrow stromal cells. J Bone Miner Res. 2010 Apr;25(4):782-95.
Kim WK, Meliton V, Park KW, Hong C, Tontonoz P, Niewiadomski P, Waschek JA, Tetradis S, Parhami F. Negative regulation of Hedgehog signaling by liver X receptors. Mol Endocrinol. 2009 Oct;23(10):1532-43. Epub 2009 Jul 16.
Amantea CM, Kim WK, Meliton V, Tetradis S, Parhami F. Oxysterol-induced osteogenic differentiation of marrow stromal cells is regulated by Dkk-1 inhibitable and PI3-kinase mediated signaling. J Cell Biochem. 2008 Oct 1;105(2):424-36.
Dwyer JR, Sever N, Carlson M, Nelson SF, Beachy PA, Parhami F. Oxysterols are novel activators of the hedgehog signaling pathway in pluripotent mesenchymal cells. J Biol Chem. 2007 Mar 23;282(12):8959-68. Epub 2007 Jan 2.
Kha HT, Basseri B, Shouhed D, Richardson J, Tetradis S, Hahn TJ, Parhami F. Oxysterols regulate differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells: pro-bone and anti-fat. J Bone Miner Res. 2004 May;19(5):830-40. Epub 2004 Jan 12.