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Albert Lai, M.D., Ph.D.

Work Email Address:
albertlai@ mednet.ucla.edu

Mailing Address:
BOX 957334, Neuroscience Research
Building 1, Room 575B
Los Angeles, CA 90095
UNITED STATES

Office Address:
635 Charles E. Young Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90095
UNITED STATES

Fax Number:
310-825-0644
Work Phone Number:
310-825-5321


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Department / Division Affiliations
Assistant Professor, Neurology
Assistant Professor In-Residence, Neuroscience Graduate Program, Brain Research Institute
Member, ACCESS Program: Neuroscience IDP

Research Interest:

Identification of genes influencing glioblastoma response to therapy using microarray technology
The focus of our research is to identify genes influencing glioblastoma response to therapy using microarray technology. In collaboration with Dr. Stan Nelson, we are developing a microarray based procedure to determine global methylation patterns found in glioblastoma. We anticipate that correlation of methylation array data with gene expression and SNP array data will help identify genes critical in determining response to agents such as temozolomide and bevacizumab. These techniques will be applied to frozen glioblastoma patient tissue archived in the UCLA Neuro-oncology Tumor Bank. All stored tissue is complemented by detailed clinical response, survival and imaging data. Identified genes will be expressed in glioblastoma cell lines and subjected to functional assays for validation. Validated genes may be candidate biomarkers of prognosis or response. As a secondary focus, I am continuing research initiated with Dr. Andrew Charles examining the role of Connexin 43 in glioma migration. We have expressed Cx43-eYFP fusion proteins in polarized MDCK cells as a model of Cx43 expression in brain endothelial cells. We are determining the cellular localization of Cx43-eYFP using a variety of fluorescent based techniques.

Publications:

Tran, Anh Escovedo, Cameron Migdall-Wilson, Justine Chou, Arthur P Chen, Weidong Cloughesy, Timothy Nelson, Stanley Lai, Albert In silico enhanced restriction enzyme based methylation analysis of the human glioblastoma genome using Agilent 244K CpG Island microarrays. Frontiers in Neurogenomics. 2010; .
Remington, M. Chtchetinin, J. Ancheta, K. Nghiemphu, P. L. Cloughesy, T. Lai, A. The L84F polymorphic variant of human O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase alters stability in U87MG glioma cells but not temozolomide sensitivity. Neuro Oncol. 2009; 11(1): 22-32.
Pope, W. B. Chen, J. H. Dong, J. Carlson, M. R. Perlina, A. Cloughesy, T. F. Liau, L. M. Mischel, P. S. Nghiemphu, P. Lai, A. Nelson, S. F. Relationship between gene expression and enhancement in glioblastoma multiforme: exploratory DNA microarray analysis. Radiology. 2008; 249(1): 268-77.
Wang Christina H, Rockhill Jason K, Mrugala Maciej, Peacock Danielle L, Lai Albert, Jusenius Katy, Wardlaw Joanna M, Cloughesy Timothy, Spence Alexander M, Rockne Russ, Alvord Ellsworth C, Swanson Kristin R Prognostic significance of growth kinetics in newly diagnosed glioblastomas revealed by combining serial imaging with a novel biomathematical model.. Cancer research. 2009; 69(23): 9133-40.
Chtchetinin Jana, Gifford Wes D, Li Sichen, Paznekas William A, Jabs Ethylin Wang, Lai Albert Tyrosine-dependent basolateral targeting of human connexin43-eYFP in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells can be disrupted by the oculodentodigital dysplasia mutation L90V.. The FEBS journal. 2009; 276(23): 6992-7005.
Lee Yohan, Liu Jason, Patel Shilpa, Cloughesy Timothy, Lai Albert, Farooqi Haumith, Seligson David, Dong Jun, Liau Linda, Becker Donald, Mischel Paul, Shams Soheil, Nelson Stanley Genomic Landscape of Meningiomas.. Brain pathology (Zurich, Switzerland). 2009; 276(23): .
Kappadakunnel Melanie, Eskin Ascia, Dong Jun, Nelson Stanley F, Mischel Paul S, Liau Linda M, Ngheimphu Phioanh, Lai Albert, Cloughesy Timothy F, Goldin Jonathan, Pope Whitney B Stem cell associated gene expression in glioblastoma multiforme: relationship to survival and the subventricular zone.. Journal of neuro-oncology. 2009; 78(11): .
Pope Whitney B, Kim Hyun J, Huo Jing, Alger Jeffry, Brown Matthew S, Gjertson David, Sai Victor, Young Jonathan R, Tekchandani Leena, Cloughesy Timothy, Mischel Paul S, Lai Albert, Nghiemphu Phioanh, Rahmanuddin Syed, Goldin Jonathan Recurrent glioblastoma multiforme: ADC histogram analysis predicts response to bevacizumab treatment.. Radiology. 2009; 252(1): 182-9.
Nghiemphu P L, Liu W, Lee Y, Than T, Graham C, Lai A, Green R M, Pope W B, Liau L M, Mischel P S, Nelson S F, Elashoff R, Cloughesy T F Bevacizumab and chemotherapy for recurrent glioblastoma: a single-institution experience.. Neurology. 2009; 72(14): 1217-22.
Lee, Y. Scheck, A. C. Cloughesy, T. F. Lai, A. Dong, J. Farooqi, H. K. Liau, L. M. Horvath, S. Mischel, P. S. Nelson, S. F. Gene expression analysis of glioblastomas identifies the major molecular basis for the prognostic benefit of younger age. BMC Med Genomics. 2008; 1(1): 52.
Lai Albert, Filka Emese, McGibbon Bruce, Nghiemphu Phioanh Leia, Graham Carrie, Yong William H, Mischel Paul, Liau Linda M, Bergsneider Marvin, Pope Whitney, Selch Michael, Cloughesy Tim Phase II pilot study of bevacizumab in combination with temozolomide and regional radiation therapy for up-front treatment of patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme: interim analysis of safety and tolerability.. International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics. 2008; 71(5): 1372-80.
Ananthnarayan Suchitra, Bahng Jennie, Roring James, Nghiemphu Phioanh, Lai Albert, Cloughesy Timothy, Pope Whitney B Time course of imaging changes of GBM during extended bevacizumab treatment.. Journal of neuro-oncology. 2008; 88(3): 339-47.
Nghiemphu Phioanh Leia, Green Richard M, Pope Whitney B, Lai Albert, Cloughesy Timothy F Safety of anticoagulation use and bevacizumab in patients with glioma.. Neuro-oncology. 2008; 10(3): 355-60.
Cloughesy, T. F. Yoshimoto, K. Nghiemphu, P. Brown, K. Dang, J. Zhu, S. Hsueh, T. Chen, Y. Wang, W. Youngkin, D. Liau, L. Martin, N. Becker, D. Bergsneider, M. Lai, A. Green, R. Oglesby, T. Koleto, M. Trent, J. Horvath, S. Mischel, P. S. Mellinghoff, I. K. Sawyers, C. L. Antitumor activity of rapamycin in a Phase I trial for patients with recurrent PTEN-deficient glioblastoma. PLoS Med. 2008; 5(1): e8.
Chen, W. Delaloye, S. Silverman, D. H. Geist, C. Czernin, J. Sayre, J. Satyamurthy, N. Pope, W. Lai, A. Phelps, M. E. Cloughesy, T. Predicting treatment response of malignant gliomas to bevacizumab and irinotecan by imaging proliferation with [18F] fluorothymidine positron emission tomography: a pilot study. J Clin Oncol. 2007; 25(30): 4714-21.
Carlson, M. R. Pope, W. B. Horvath, S. Braunstein, J. G. Nghiemphu, P. Tso, C. L. Mellinghoff, I. Lai, A. Liau, L. M. Mischel, P. S. Dong, J. Nelson, S. F. Cloughesy, T. F. Relationship between survival and edema in malignant gliomas: role of vascular endothelial growth factor and neuronal pentraxin 2. Clin Cancer Res. 2007; 13(9): 2592-8.
Pope, W. B. Lai, A. Nghiemphu, P. Mischel, P. Cloughesy, T. F. MRI in patients with high-grade gliomas treated with bevacizumab and chemotherapy. Neurology. 2006; 66(8): 1258-60.
Lai, A. Le, D. N. Paznekas, W. A. Gifford, W. D. Jabs, E. W. Charles, A. C. Oculodentodigital dysplasia connexin43 mutations result in non-functional connexin hemichannels and gap junctions in C6 glioma cells. J Cell Sci. 2006; 119(Pt 3): 532-41.
Lai, A. Gibson, A. Hopkins, C. R. Trowbridge, I. S. Signal-dependent trafficking of beta-amyloid precursor protein-transferrin receptor chimeras in madin-darby canine kidney cells. J Biol Chem. 1998; 273(6): 3732-9.
Lai, A. Sisodia, S. S. Trowbridge, I. S. Characterization of sorting signals in the beta-amyloid precursor protein cytoplasmic domain. J Biol Chem. 1995; 270(8): 3565-73.
Collawn, J. F. Lai, A. Domingo, D. Fitch, M. Hatton, S. Trowbridge, I. S. YTRF is the conserved internalization signal of the transferrin receptor, and a second YTRF signal at position 31-34 enhances endocytosis. J Biol Chem. 1993; 268(29): 21686-92.