Skip to Content
John Hagan

John Hagan

Regular Member

Assistant Professor

713-500-6137713-500-6137
[email protected]
MSE R158

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
McGovern Medical School
Department of Neurosurgery

Our research focuses has two primary focus areas:

1. Understanding the role of microRNAs and 3’ RNA uridylation in developmental and cancer biology. We and others have shown that microRNA expression is dysregulated in cancer and demonstrated using mouse models a direct role for these non-coding RNAs in cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis. We are particularly interested in the tumor suppressor let-7 microRNA family and the mechanisms regulating its expression, including 3’ RNA uridylation. We hypothesize that Terminal Uridylyl Transferases (TUTases) are viable molecular targets for cancer therapies as these enzymes are co-opted by malignancies to degrade tumor suppressor mRNAs and to block of biogenesis let-7 microRNA family. We have recently identified a lead compound that inhibits TUT4 and TUT7 that may hold therapeutic potential for treating LIN28A-expressing and/or FOCAD-deleted cancers.

2. Interrogating genetic rare variants that cause human intracranial aneurysms. An intracranial aneurysm (IA) is a weakened area in a cerebral artery wall that leads to abnormal dilatation whose rupture causes aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), a major cause of hemorrhagic stroke. We previously incorporated familial, case-control, and animal studies to identify Thrombospondin-type 1 domain-containing protein 1 (THSD1) as a novel IA gene.19 Our team is continuing to analyze THSD1 as well as identify additional genes that cause IA/SAH using a similar strategy.

We recently have performed whole exome sequencing on additional families with ≥4 affected individuals, identifying additional candidate IA genes. We currently seek to identify which genes are causative of disease using case-control studies, human cell line analyses, functional mouse screens, and lastly, genetically engineered mouse models.

PubMed 

McGovern Medical School Faculty

Hagan Lab

Education & Training

PhD, University of Pittsburgh, 1998