Anna M Wu

Anna M Wu

(310) 794-5088

Laboratory Address:
Crump Institute
Los Angeles, CA 90095

Office Address:
CNSI 4335, Crump Institute,570 Westwood Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90095

http://faculty.pharmacology.ucla.edu/institution/personnel?personnel_id=45665

Affiliations

Director, JCCC Cancer Molecular Imaging
Professor, Molecular & Medical Pharmacology
Member, CTSI, California NanoSystems Institute, Molecular Pharmacology GPB Home Area
Faculty, Cellular and Molecular Pathology PhD Program, Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging
 

Research Interests

Our research interests center around understanding and using molecular recognition (protein-protein, nucleic acid-nucleic acid, and protein-nucleic acid) to distinguish tumor cells from normal cells and to develop practical applications in oncology – diagnostic or therapeutic. Recent work has focused on genetic engineering of antibodies to provide optimal agents for delivery of radionuclides to tumor cells. Monoclonal antibodies specific for human tumor antigens have been re-engineered to reduce immunogenicity (by chimerization or humanization), and engineered fragments with improved pharmacokinetic properties have been produced. Biological therapies based on engineered antibodies are also under investigation, including retargeting T-cells using antibody-T cell receptor fusion proteins, and intracellular expression of single-chain antibodies. New biological probes for imaging are being developed. Antibodies, peptides, and oligonucleotides tagged with positron-emitting isotopes can provide highly specific tools for examining gene expression and function in cells and tissues, and ultimately, patients.
 

Publications

A selected list of publications: