Tao T. Lu, PhD
Associate Professor of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Pharmacology
Adjunct Associate Professor of Medical & Molecular Genetics
Showalter Scholar
Chair, Trainee Award Committee
Associate Editor, Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
Member, IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center
Member, Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases
- Phone
- (317) 278-0520
- Address
-
635 Barnhill Drive, MS-A521 PHTX
Indiana University School of Medicine
Indianapolis, IN 46202 - PubMed:
-
Bio
Dr. Tao Lu’s research focuses on epigenetics, cell signaling pathways (e.g., NF-κB), and drug discovery. She was mentored by the world-renowned Nobel Prize nominee Dr. George Stark, a distinguished member of both the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Medicine, as well as a Fellow of the Royal Society in the U.K.
Dr. Lu’s lab has led pioneering work in the field of epigenetics in cancer, diabetes, neovascular macular degeneration, and neurodegeneration. Her discovery of novel small molecule inhibitors targeting protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5), along with her work in drug repurposing for cancer treatment, has earned her two prestigious U.S. patents. She is also a founder of a startup company and is deeply committed to translating basic scientific discoveries into clinical applications.
In recognition of her research excellence, Dr. Lu has been named a "Showalter Scholar." She is also the recipient of several prestigious honors, including the "Trustees' Teaching Award", the "Faculty of the Year Award", the "Outstanding Community Engagement Award" from Indiana University School of Medicine, and the "Seymour and Vivian Milstein Young Investigator Award" and "First Place Young Investigator Award" at International Cytokine and Interferon Society (ICIS).
Dr. Lu serves as an associate editor or editorial board member for multiple scientific journals and is a standing member of both National Institutes of Health (NIH) and American Cancer Society (ACS) study sections. She has authored near 100 publications and has been invited to serve as a chair or keynote speaker at numerous international conferences. In addition, she currently serves as Chair of the Trainee Award Committee.
In her spare time, Dr. Lu leads community outreach by hosting health seminars for the public and mentoring student teams recognized at national science competitions, fostering the next generation of scientists. She also enjoys outdoor jogging and has a passion for journal design.
US Patents Granted:
- Lu, T, Prabhu, L, Martin, M. (2025). Repurposing FDA-approved drugs as a novel cancer therapeutic avenue through inhibition of PRMT5. US Patent #12,409,173, US Patent and Trademark Office, granted on September 9, 2025
- Lu, T and Prabhu, L. Small molecule protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) inhibitors and methods of treatment. US Patent #11,034,689, US Patent and Trademark Office, granted on June 15, 2021
Key Publications
Selected from near 100 publications, Complete list of published work can be found at:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/browse/collection/48581694/?sort=date&direction=descending
- Alipourgivi, F, and Lu, T*. Celebrating the 40-Year Milestone: NF-κB in Oncoimmunity. Cancer Lett. 2025. (in press) *Corresponding author.
- Alipourgivi F, Su J, and Lu, T*. Cracking PRMT5: Mechanistic Insights, Clinical Advances, and AI-Driven Strategies. Cancer Lett. 634: 218075, 2025. *Corresponding author.
- Han W, Motolani A, Nephew K, Jiang G, Alipourgivi F, Sun S, He T-C, Huang X, Opyrchal M, Sandusky G, Habboub R, Liu Y, and Lu, T*. Forward genetics identifies HN1L/JPT2 as a novel carboplatin resistance gene in ovarian cancer. Genes Dis.13,101720, 2025. *Corresponding author.
- Motolani, A, Martin, M, Wang, B, Jiang, G, Alipourgivi, F, Huang, X, Safa, A, Liu, Y, and Lu, T*.(2023). Critical role of novel O-GlcNAcylation of S550 and S551 on the p65 Subunit of NF-κB in pancreatic cancer. Cancers 15,4742, 2023. *Corresponding author
- Martin, M, Motolani, A, Kim, HG, Collins, AM, Alipourgivi, F, Jin, J, Wei, H, Wood, BA, Ma, YY, Dong, XC, Mirmira, RG, Lu, T*. KDM2A deficiency in the liver promotes abnormal liver function and potential liver damage. Biomolecules 13, 1457, 2023. *Corresponding author.
- Prabhu, L, Martin, M, Chen, L, Demir, Ö, Jin, J, Huang, X, Motolani, A, Sun, M, Jiang, G, Nakshatri, H, Fishel, ML, Sun, S, Safa, A, Amaro, RE, Kelley, MR, Liu, Y, Zhang, Z, and Lu, T*. Inhibition of PRMT5 by Market Drugs as a Novel Cancer Therapeutic Avenue. Genes Dis. 10:267-283, 2023. *Corresponding author.
- Prabhu, L, Wei, H, Chen, L, Ozlem, D, Amero, A, Sandusky, G, Sun, E, Wang, J, Mo, J, Safa, A, Korc, M, Zhang, Z, and Lu, T*. Innovative AlphaLISA discovers a novel small-molecule inhibitor targeting PRMT5 in pancreatic and colon cancers. Oncotarget 8(25): 39963-39977, 2017. * Corresponding author. - 1) Featured Journal Cover, 2) Honorable Mention Award, Cancer Research Day, 3) Honorable Mention, Erica M. Daniel Kepner Award for Scientific Achievement
- Martin, M, Hua, L, Wang, B, Wei, H, Prabhu, L, Hartley, AV, Jiang, G, Liu, Y, and Lu, T*. Novel serine 176 phosphorylation of YBX1 activates NF-kB in colon cancer. J Biol Chem 292 (8): 3433-3444, 2017. * Corresponding author
- Wang, B, Wei, H, Prabhu, L, Zhao, W, Martin, M, Hartley, A, and Lu, T*. Role of novel serine 316 phosphorylation of the p65 subunit of NF-kB in differential gene regulation. J Biol Chem 290 (33): 20336-20347, 2015 * Corresponding author - Donald Bowman Award
- Lu, T* and Stark, GR*. NF-kB, regulation by methylation. Cancer Res 75 (18): 3692-3695, 2015. * Corresponding authors
- Wei, H, Wang, B, She, Y, Gopalan, B, Miyagi, M, Stark, GR, and Lu, T*. PRMT5 dimethylates R30 of the p65 subunit to activate NF-kB. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 110:13516-13521, 2013. *Corresponding Author. -1) Featured on F1000 Prime, 2) Hal Broxymeyer & Victoria Champion Outstanding Publication Award, 3) 2nd Place Award, Cancer Research Day
- Lu, T*, Yang, M, Huang, D, Ghosh, G, and Stark GR. Role of lysine methyaltion of NF-kB in differential gene regulation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 110: 13510-13515, 2013. *Corresponding author - Featured on F1000 Prime
- Zhang, T, Park, KA, Li, Y, Byun, HS, Jeon, J, Lee, Y, Hong, JH, Kim, JM, Huang, SM, Choi, SW, Kim, SH, Sohn, KC, Ro, H, Lee, JH, Lu, T, Stark, GR, Shen, HM, Liu, ZG, Park, J, and Hur, GM. PHF20 regulates NF-κB signalling by disrupting recruitment of PP2A to p65. Nat Commun 4:2062-2074, 2013.
- Stark, GR, Wang, Y, and Lu, T. Lysine methylation of promoter-bound transcription factors and relevance to cancer. Cell Res 21(3):375-380, 2011.
- Lu, T*, Jackson, MW, Wang, B, Yang, M, Chance, M, Miyagi, M, Gudkov, AV, and Stark, GR*. Regulation of NF-kB by NSD1/FBXL11-dependent reversible lysine methyaltion of p65. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 107: 46-51, 2010 *Corresponding authors
- Lu, T and Stark, GR. Use of forward genetics to discover novel regulators of NF-kB. Book Chapter in Book "NF-kB". Editors: Michael Karin and Lou Staudt, Cold Spring Harbor Press, p253-264, 2010.
| Year | Degree | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Postdoctoral Training | Cleveland Clinic |
| 2002 | PhD | University of Toledo |
| 1994 | MS | Shandong University |
| 1991 | BS | Nanjing University |
Please visit Dr. Tao Lu's laboratory website for more information:
https://marti336.wixsite.com/taolulab
The research in my lab centers on the multi-functional transcription factor nuclear factor κB (NF-κB). As a hallmark in many cancers and a key link between inflammation and cancer, the pivotal transcription factor NF-κB is a “hot” target for disease treatment. My research focuses on addressing how NF-κB is regulated and how this regulation contributes to tumorigenesis. Ultimately, these studies may provide a rational basis for the design of new strategies for treating NF-κB-activated cancers and inflammatory disorders.
ACTIVE RESEARCH:
Two major directions of research are being conducted in our lab.
1) Epigenetic regulation of NF-κB in cancer, metabolic disorders, and inflammation-related diseases.
We have discovered that the histone modifying enzymes, such as protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) and the F-box leucine repeat rich protein 11 (FBXL11), a known histone H3 lysine 36 (H3K36) demethylase are novel regulators of NF-κB. Currently, we are studying the role of these histone modifying enzymes in cancer. Specifically, we have adapted the AlphaLISA technique into a high throughput screen platform to screen for PRMT5 small molecule inhibitors. This work has resulted in two prestigious US Patents. The lead compound and its derivatives may serve as the basis for new medicine development to combat cancer and other inflammation-related diseases, such as neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).
Furthermore, since elevated NF-κB activity has been widely observed in both chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colitis-associated colon cancer (CAC), and is believed to be a key link between IBD and CAC, therefore, NF-κB is widely considered to be an attractive therapeutic target for CAC. We have successfully established genetically engineered mouse models to investigate the role of the role of FBXL11 in CAC and other inflammation-related diseases, such as diabetes and liver diseases.
2) Using Validation-based insertional mutagenesis (VBIM) technique to discover novel genes.
VBIM is a powerful genetic approach for gene discovery. We have employed this innovative approach to identify novel regulators of NF-κB. These regulators may have great potential to serve as new biomarkers and therapeutic targets for cancer. Furthermore, understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms regarding how these novel regulators control NF-κB activity may help to devise innovative therapeutic strategies to control NF-κB activity in cancer.
Additionally, our lab is also utilizing VBIM technique to discover carboplatin and paclitaxel resistance genes in cancer. Once identified (e.g. the HN1L gene that we identified), targeting these genes may help to overcome chemoresistance to carboplatin or paclitaxel, thus, improving their efficacies for cancer treatment. Finally, the newly discovered drug resistance genes may serve as biomarkers to help physicians to design more precise treatment to each individual patient.
In conclusion, the research in our lab utilizes a broad range of advanced research techniques and experimental models to discover novel aspects of NF-κB regulation and new genes for drug resistance, with the hope of identifying innovative biomarkers, therapeutic targets in cancer and other NF-κB related diseases, and eventually, lead to the development of new medicines to treat these devastating diseases.
RESEARCH FUNDING:
NIH-NIGMS Grant # 1R01GM120156-01A1
Role: Principal investigator
Project Title: Gene-specific responses to NF-κB through lysine and arginine methylation of p65
NIH-NCI Grant # 1 R03 CA223906-01
Role: Leading Principal Investigator (with Dr. Harikrishna Nakshatri)
Project Title: Impact of NF-κB methylation on chemoresistance and metastasis of breast cancer
NIH-NCI Grant #1R03CA283225-A1
Role: Contact Principal Investigator (with Dr. Yoon Yeo)
Project Title: Improving the potency of novel PRMT5 inhibitor with nanocrystal technology to treat PDAC
V Foundation Kay Yow Cancer Fund 4486242
Role: Principal Investigator
Project Title: Facing the challenge, a novel approach to combat carboplatin resistance in ovarian cancer
100 VOH Grant # 2987613
Role: Contact Principal Investigator (with Dr. Lang Li)
Project Title: A novel approach to discover drug resistance genes in metastasized breast cancer cells
Showalter Scholar Fund
Outstanding research scholar fund
Pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, metabolic diseases, diabetes, inflammation-related ocular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases
Desc: U.S. Patent
Scope: International
Date: 2025-09-09
Desc: Outstanding Community Engagement Award
Scope: School
Date: 2022-09-01
Desc: U.S. Patent
Scope: International
Date: 2021-06-15
Desc: Showalter Scholar
Scope: School
Date: 2020-09-15
Desc: Faculty of the Year
Scope: School
Date: 2017-09-15
Desc: Trustees' Teaching Award
Scope: School
Date: 2016-09-01
Desc: Elwert Award in Medicine
Scope: School
Date: 2015-09-15
Desc: Young Investigator Travel Award
Scope: International
Date: 2014-10-15
Desc: 1st Place, ICIS Young Investigator Award
Scope: International
Date: 2009-10-15
Desc: Seymour and Vivian Milstein Young Investigator Award
Scope: International
Date: 2008-10-15
Desc: Young Investigator Travel Award
Scope: International
Date: 2007-10-15
Desc: Cleveland Clinic Innovator Award
Scope: University
Date: 2007-09-01
Desc: Young Investigator Travel Award
Scope: International
Date: 2004-10-15
Desc: Cleveland Clinic Innovator Award
Scope: University
Date: 2004-09-01
Desc: 1st Place, Liberato J.A. DiDio Award
Scope: School
Date: 2000-09-12
Desc: Third Place, FASEB Research Award
Scope: International
Date: 1999-09-01