Dr. Li received his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa in 1989 and conducted post-doctoral research at the University of Washington from 1990 to 1993. The main interest of research in Dr. Ming's laboratory is to study the role of Ca2+ channels in the development of human diseases, especially in breast cancer. Ca2+ channels have long been known to be involved in the regulation of a variety of biological functions ranging from the control of cell excitability to the regulation of cell exocytosis and proliferation. We have reported the expression of T-type Ca2+ channels in breast cancer tumor cells and mitogenic cell lines. We have also found that the rate of proliferation of these cell lines could be reduced by our newly developed selective T-type Ca2+ channel antagonists. We are characterizing the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of these compounds as well as their anti-tumor effect in animal experiments. The goal of this project is to search for a new drug in the implement of the treatment of human breast cancer.
Long-term interests of this laboratory are focused on the in research of ion channels and diseases. We recently found that the dysregulation of basal intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]) in pancreatic b-cells is the primary defect in both insulin-dependent and insulin independent diabetes mellitus. We believe that there is an interplay between basal [Ca2+] and trafficking of high-voltage activated L-type Ca2+ channels to the outer membrane. It is under high basal [Ca2+] conditions where insulin release will be severely attenuated because of a decreased number of nifedipine-sensitive Ca2+ channels...
PubMed listing for Ming Li, PhD
