Program Director/Principal Investigator (Last, First, Middle):
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Provide the following information for the key personnel and other significant contributors in the order listed on Form Page 2.
Follow this format for each person. DO NOT EXCEED FOUR PAGES.
NAME
POSITION TITLE
Avraham Raz
Professor
eRA COMMONS USER NAME
avrahan
EDUCATION/TRAINING (Begin with baccalaureate or other initial professional education, such as nursing, and include postdoctoral training.)
INSTITUTION AND LOCATION
Ben- Gurion Univ of the Negev, Beer Sheva
Ben- Gurion Univ of the Negev, Beer Sheva
& The Hebrew Univ
Weizmann Institute of Science
DEGREE
(if applicable)
YEAR(s)
FIELD OF STUDY
B.S.
M.S.
1970
1972
Biology
Physiology
Ph.D.
1978
Membrane Biology
A. Personal Statement
I am the Paul Zuckerman Professor of Oncology, Pathology and Radiation Oncology at the Barbara Ann
Karmanos Cancer Institute Wayne State University, School of Medicine. I have over 30 years of experience in
cancer biology and have published numerous research articles and reviews summarizing my contributions to
the field of tumor progression and metastasis. I was the first to clone galectin-3 from tumor cells and
established its signaling pathways during cancer progression and metastasis in experimental model system as
well as in the clinical setting. In addition, have generated multiple immunological and molecular reagents
currently used all over the world to study it. For these accomplishments I was awarded in 2007 the NCI Merit
Award.
B. Positions and Honors
Positions and Employment:
1978-1980 Visiting Scientist, National Cancer Institutes, Frederick Cancer Research Facility, Frederick, MD
1980-1981 Research Fellow , Department of Cell Biology, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot,
Israel
1981-1986 Senior Scientist, Department of Cell Biology, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
1986-1988 Associate Professor, Department of Cell Biology, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot,
Israel
1987-1995 Member and Director of Cancer Metastasis Research Program, Michigan Cancer Foundation,
Detroit, MI
1988-present Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Wayne State Univ, Sch of Med, Detroit, MI
1989-present Scientific Director, RenSci Biotech, Ltd., Detroit, MI
1989-present Faculty, Graduate Program in Cancer Biology, Wayne State Univ, Sch of Med, Detroit, MI
1990-1997 Director, Tumor Progression and Metastasis, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, MI
1992-present Professor, Department of Pathology, Wayne State Univ, Sch of Med, Detroit, MI
1995-2000 Director, Division of Basic Research, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, MI
1997-present Professor, Oncology, Wayne State Univ, Sch of Med, Detroit, MI
Honors and Awards: 1985 - “H. Dudley Wright Research Award” in Membrane Research, Weizmann Institute
of Science, 1987 - Incumbent of Paul Zuckerman Support Foundation for Cancer Research, Michigan Cancer
Foundation , 1989 - Consultant Expertise, NCI, 1992 - Ad Hoc Member Pathology B Study Section, NCI, 1992
- Board of Directors, International Metastasis Society, 1994 - Ad Hoc Member, Study Section, ACS, 1994 “The Maximilian-Nitze Award” - The German Urological Society, 1995 - Member Pathology B Study Section,
NCI, 1995 - Outside Advisor, Biochemistry and Endocrinology Scientific Advisory Committee, ACS, 1995 - Ad
Hoc Member, Special Emphasis Panel, Minority Predoctoral Fellowship, NCI, 1995 - Ad Hoc Member,
Diagnosis and Research, Chemical Exposures and Molecular Biology, Prostate, NCI, 1995 - Ad Hoc Member
PHS 398/2590 (Rev. 06/09)
Page
Continuation Format Page
Cell Biology Study Section, ACS, 1995 - Ad Hoc Member RFA-CA95-006, National Institutes of Health,
Bethesda, MD, 1995 - Scientific Advisory Board, Hipple Cancer Research Center,1996 - Ad Hoc Member
Oncological Sciences Special Emphasis Panel, NCI, 1996 - Ad Hoc Reviewer, Biochemical Genetics Study
Section, National Science Foundation, 1996 - Charter Member, The International Cancer Microenvironment
Forum, 1996 - Ad Hoc Member, Experimental Immunology Study Section, NIH, 1997 - Member ZRG2 MEP
(03) Biological Physiological Sci. Special Emphasis Panel Ctr. for Sci. Review, NIH, 1998 - Member SRA,
MEP Study Section, Special Emphasis Section, NIH, Program Project, 1998 - Chairperson, AACR,
Minisymposium, Cell and Tumor Biology 27, 1998 - President Elect, International Metastasis Research
Society, 1998 - Member ZCA1-SRC(99) Special Emphasis Panel, National Institutes of Health, 2000 President, International Metastasis Research Society, 2000 - “R.E. Bob Smith Lecture” Award - UTMD
Anderson Cancer Center, 2001 - Visiting Professor - University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, 2001 Plenary Speaker - Japanese Association of Metastasis Research, Japan , 2001 - Plenary Speaker - British
Cancer Research Meeting, 2003 - Plenary Lecturer- Japan’s Urological Society, 2004 - “Paget-Ewing” Award
– International Metastasis Research Society, 2004 - Member– Center for Scientific Review, NIH Oncological
Sciences Integrated Review Group Tumor Progression and Metastasis Study Section, 2004 - Member,
Reviewer - Israel Cancer Research Fund, 2005 - Member, Reviewer – Center for Scientific Review,
Oncological Sciences Integrated Review Group Tumor Progression and Metastasis, Study Section, 2005 Member, Reviewer - Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) 2005 Prostate Cancer
Research Program Pathobiology-2 Panel, USARMRC, DOD, 2005 - “Featured Synopsis in Profiles and
Legacies”, Cancer Biology and Therapies, Sugar Recognition and Metastasis, From the Birth of a Research
Field to the Clinic, Landes Bioscience, 2005 - Reviewer -North West Cancer Research Fund Scientific
Committee (NWCRF), Project Grant, London, UK, 2005, “MERIT Award”, 2006, Division of Cancer Biology,
National Institute of Health, National Cancer Institute, The Role of Tumor Cell Surface Lectins in Metastasis,
R37CA046120-19. Adhoc Committee Member, AACR Grants Sub-Committee for Basic Cancer Research,
2008; Reviewer, NIH, Special Emphasis Panel, ZRG 1CB-N 02(M), Cell Biology, Teleconference, 2008;
Reviewer, NIH, Center for Scientific Review, Cell Biology Integrated Review Group, MISTStudy Section, 2008
Reviewer, DOD, BCRP, Study Section, 2009, Reviewer, Special Emphasis Panel NIH CCNE, 2009
Editorial Activity: 1982 - Editorial Board: Anti-Cancer Research, 1983 - Editorial Advisory Board: Cancer
Metastasis Reviews, 1983 - Editorial Advisor: Revisiones Sobre Biologia Celular (RBC), 1985 - International
Editorial Board, Excerpta Medica, 1993 - Editorial Academy of the International Journal of Oncology, 1994 International Editorial Board, Pathology & Oncology Research, 1995 - Editorial Board, Clinical & Experimental
Metastasis, 1996 - Editorial Board - Invasion & Metastasis, 2001 - Associate Editor - Cancer Research, 2001
- Editorial Board - Cancer Biology and Therapy, 2002- Managing Editorial Board - Frontiers in Science 2002 Co- Editor in Chief, Cancer Metastasis Reviews, 2003 - Managing Editorial Board - Frontiers in Bioscience,
2005 - Editorial Board Member - Current Cancer Therapy Reviews, Editorial Board Member – Cancer
Microenvironment, 2007; Editorial Board Member – Open Glycoscience, 2007, Plenary Lecturer- Japan’s 59th
Broncho-Esophagological Society, November 1-2, 2007,
Professional Memberships: American Society for Microbiology , American Association for Cancer Research,
European Association for Cancer Research, International Metastasis Research Society, Southwest Oncology
Group, American Association for the Advancement of Science. International Tumor Microenvironment Society.
C. Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications( Selected from over 300)
Most relevant to the current application
Recent publications of importqance to the field (in chronological order)
Haga, A., Funasaka, T., Deyashiki Y, Raz, A. (2008) Autocrine motility factor stimulates the
invasiveness of malignant cells as well as up-regulation of matrix metalloproteinase-3 expression
via a MAPK pathway. FEBS Lett. 582(13):1877-82. PMCID: 18485900
Balan, V., Nangia-Makker, P., Schwartz, A.G., Suk, Y.J., Tait, L., Raz, T., Wang, Y., Yang, Z-Q,
Wu, G-S., Guo, Y-J., Li, H., Abrams, J., Couch, F.J., Lingle, W., Lloyd, R., Ethier, S.P., Tainsky,
M.A. and Raz, A. Racial Disparity in Breast Cancer and Functional Germ Line Mutation in Galectin-3
(rs4644): A Pilot study. Cancer Res 68:10045-50 PMCID: 19074869
Shalom-Feuerstein R, Levy R, Makovski V, Raz A, Kloog Y. (2008) Galectin-3 regulates RasGRP4-mediated
activation of N-Ras and H-Ras. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1783:985-93. PMCID: 18413234
PHS 398/2590 (Rev. 06/09)
Page
Continuation Format Page
Mourad-Zeidan AA, Melnikova VO, Wang H, Raz A, Bar-Eli M. (2008) Expression profiling of Galectin-3depleted melanoma cells reveals its major role in melanoma cell plasticity and
vasculogenic mimicry.
Am J Pathol. 173:1839-52. PMCID: 18988806
Inohara H, Segawa T, Miyauchi A, Yoshii T, Nakahara S, Raz A, Maeda M, Miyoshi E, Kinoshita N, Yoshida
H, Furukawa M, Takenaka Y, Takamura Y, Ito Y, Taniguchi N. (2008)
Cytoplasmic and serum galectin3 in diagnosis of thyroid malignancies. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 376605-10 PMCID: 118809382
Zhang, H-Y, Jin, L., Stilling, G.A., Ruebel, K.H., Coonse, K., Tanizaki, Y., Raz, A. and Lloyd, R.V. (2009)
RUNX1 and RUNX2 upregulate Galectin-3 expression in human pituitary tumors,
Endocr 35:101-111.
PMCID: 19020999
Wang, Y., Nangia-Makker, P., Balan, V., Tait, L., Hogan, V., Pienta, K., Raz, A. (2009) Regulation of prostate
cancer progression and metastasis by galectin-3. Am J Pathol 174:1515-1523. PMCID: 19286570
Glinsky, V.V. and Raz, A. Modified citrus pectin anti-metastatic properties: one bullet, multiple
targets. Carbohydrate Research 344:1788-1791 PMCID: 19061992
Funasaka, T. Hogan, V. and Raz, A. (2009) Phosphoglucsose isomerase/autocrine motility factor mediates
epithelial and mesenchymal phenotype conversions in breast cancer. Cancer Research 69:5349-56
PMCID: 19531650
Araki, K., Shimura, T., Yajima, T., Tsutsumi, S., Suzuki, H., Okada, K., Kobayashi, T., Raz , A. and Kuwano,
H. (2009) Phosphoglucose isomerase/autocrine motility factor promotes melanoma cell migration through
ERK activation dependent on autocrine production of interleukin-8. J Biol Chem 284:32305-11. PMCID:
19801670
Nangia-Makker, P., Wang, Y., Raz, T., Tait, L., Balan, V., Hogan, V., Raz, A. (2010) Cleavage of galectin-3
by matrix metalloproteases induces angiogenesis in breast cancer. International Journal of Cancer
PMCID: (Journal In Press).
D. Research Support
Ongoing Research Support
Agency
Grant Number
NIH/NCI
R37-CA4612020
PI/Role
NIH/NCI
R01 CA5171419
NIH/NCI
R01CA-6948009A3
Raz
NIH/NCI
R01GM06244406
NIH/NCI
3R37-CA4612021 S1
Raz
R. Bresalier
Subcontract
M. Cloniger
Subcontract
Raz
Award
Interval
Grant Title/Description
The Role of Tumor Cell Surface Lectin in Metastasis - The specific
aim of this project is to provide a better understanding of galectin-3 and
its interacting ligands in tumor progression and metastasis and will
further to the developments of specific reagents for the detection and
interventions in these processes.
Motility Factor Receptor - The specific aim of this project is to
continue to study the role of AMF and its receptor in vitro (motility) and
in vivo (hematogenous spread).
Mucin glycoproteins in colorectal cancer metastasis - The major
goal of this project are to determine the relationship between production
of sialomucin by colon cancer cells and metastatic capacity, to
determine how the type and amount of apomucin affects metastatic
capacity, and to determine the functional significance of mucins in
individual stages of metastasis.
Using Dendrimers to Design Multivalent Therapeutic - The objective
of this research project is to probe key questions in biological chemistry
using the tools of the organic chemist.
The Role of Tumor Cell Surface Lectin in Metastases -The specific
aim of this project is to provide a better understanding of galectin-3 and
its interacting ligands in tumor progression and metastasis and will
further to the developments of specific reagents for the detection and
interventions in these processes.
4/01/08
3/31/18
06/01/09
07/31/13
12/01/06
11/30/11
06/01/06
05/31/11
08/01/09
07/31/11
Completed Research Support
NIH/NCI
R01-CA46120PHS 398/2590 (Rev. 06/09)
Raz
The Role of Tumor Cell Surface Lectin in Metastasis - The specific
aim of this project is to provide a better understanding of galectin-3 and
Page
4/01/02
3/31/07
Continuation Format Page
19
its interacting ligands in tumor progression and metastasis and will
further to the developments of specific reagents for the detection and
interventions in these processes.
Pending
NIH/NCI
R21 GM09041101
PHS 398/2590 (Rev. 06/09)
Raz
Sugar Nanoparticles: A Novel Anti-Metastasis Therapeutic
Modality - An Anti-Cancer Metastasis Therapeutic Modality
The objectives of the this proposal is to generate and characterize nontoxic galacturonic acid-nanoparticles with high affinity to galectin-3, and
To test the properties of the galacturonic acid-nanoparticles as
competitive inhibitors of galectin-3 function in vitro and in vivo
Page
09/01/09
08/30/11
Continuation Format Page