Anna S. S. Gukovskaya, PhD

Dr. Anna Gukovskaya's research has been focused for many years on pathobiology of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. She has become a leading expert, both nationally and internationally, on cell death pathways in pancreatic disorders. In particular, Gukovskaya's group uncovered a novel pro-survival role of reactive oxygen species in pancreatic cancer, in particular through regulation of phosphatases and kinases, such as PHLLP, Akt, and JAK2. Her most recent findings reveal that autophagy, the principal cellular degradative pathway, is impaired in pancreatitis and mediates key pathologic responses of this disease; and further, that autophagy is critical for pancreatic cancer development. Gukovskaya's current project in an NCI-funded program project grant (PPG) investigates the role of autophagy in cancer promoting effects of high-fat, high-caloric diet in oncogenic Kras driven pancreatic tumorigenesis.

Gukovsky I, Li N, Todoric J, Gukovskaya A, Karin M. Inflammation, autophagy, and obesity: common features in the pathogenesis of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. Gastroenterology. 2013 Jun;144(6):1199-209.e4. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2013.02.007.

Nitsche C, Edderkaoui M, Moore RM, Eibl G, Kasahara N, Treger J, Grippo PJ, Mayerle J, Lerch MM, Gukovskaya AS. The phosphatase PHLPP1 regulates Akt2, promotes pancreatic cancer cell death, and inhibits tumor formation. Gastroenterology. 2012 Feb;142(2):377-87.e1-5. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2011.10.026. Epub 2011 Oct 29.

Ohno I, Eibl G, Odinokova I, Edderkaoui M, Damoiseaux RD, Yazbec M, Abrol R, Goddard WA 3rd, Yokosuka O, Pandol SJ, Gukovskaya AS. Rottlerin stimulates apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells through interactions with proteins of the Bcl-2 family. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2010 Jan;298(1):G63-73. doi: 10.1152/ajpgi.00257.2009. Epub 2009 Sep 17.

Lee JK, Edderkaoui M, Truong P, Ohno I, Jang KT, Berti A, Pandol SJ, Gukovskaya AS. NADPH oxidase promotes pancreatic cancer cell survival via inhibiting JAK2 dephosphorylation by tyrosine phosphatases. Gastroenterology. 2007 Nov;133(5):1637-48. Epub 2007 Aug 14.

Vaquero EC, Edderkaoui M, Pandol SJ, Gukovsky I, Gukovskaya AS. Reactive oxygen species produced by NAD(P)H oxidase inhibit apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells. J Biol Chem. 2004 Aug 13;279(33):34643-54. Epub 2004 May 23.