John Termini, Ph.D.

626-301-8350

Professor, Department of Cancer Biology and Molecular Medicine

Research Area

Nucleic Acid Chemistry & Biology
Metabolic Diseases
Metastatic Brain Tumors

Academic Appointments

Associate Director for Shared Resource Management, Comprehensive Cancer Center

Research Teams

Molecular Medicine

Molecular and Cellular Biology

Location

Duarte Cancer Center

1500 East Duarte Road
Duarte, CA 91010

Phone Numbers

Education & Experience

Degrees

1985, Ph.D., Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY
1981, M.S., M.Phil., Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY
1980, B.A., Chemistry, Columbia College, New York, NY

Fellowship

1987–1989, American Cancer Society Fellowship
1987–1989, California Institute of Technology Faculty Fellowship
1985–1986, Columbia University Fellowship

Research

Laboratory

Metabolically induced DNA/RNA damage and human disease
Metabolic syndrome and diabetes increase the risk for certain cancers. We have identified carbohydrate-induced DNA/RNA damage products that may provide a molecular link between these diseases. We were the first to measure one of the major DNA damage products induced by glucose, CEdG, as a significant DNA adduct in humans (~ 1 in 107 dG). It is also significantly elevated in T1 and T2D and correlates with fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c in animal models. We have also shown that CEdG is mutagenic in human cells and contributes to genomic instability, and has few pathways for repair in DNA. Since diabetics accumulate this adduct and have been shown by others to be compromised in DNA repair, we have proposed that CEdG accumulation as a result of hyperglycemia may enhance the risk for specific cancers.
Metabolic targeting in brain cancer
In collaborative studies with Rahul Jandial, M.D., Ph.D., in Neurosurgery and Eugene Roberts, M.D., Ph.D., we have shown that metastatic breast tumors in the brain acquire the ability to utilize the neurotransmitter GABA to meet energetic demands, as well as acquire other “brain-like” characteristics to allow them to successfully inhabit the neural niche. We have also recently found that targeting the glyoxalase system (GLO1) in glioblastoma can arrest brain tumor development in animal models via a mechanism that involves the accumulation of pro-apoptotic CEdG. Encouraged by these results, we are investigating GLO1 targeting in breast-to-brain metastases.
Metallocorroles for therapeutic and imaging applications in cancer
In collaboration with Profs. Harry Gray, Ph.D., of Caltech and Zeev Gross, Ph.D., at Technion we have shown that metal-containing compounds called metallocorroles possess antitumor activity towards different cancers in a manner that depends upon the identity of the metal ion and the pattern of corrole functional group substitution. These factors profoundly influence the intracellular uptake kinetics, which can be monitored spectrophotometrically due to the intense fluorescence emission of certain metal-substituted corroles. We have also established the mechanism of cytotoxic action for some of these compounds, which involves late M phase cell cycle arrest.