Research Program: Tumor Biology and Progression
Professor and Vice Chair of Research, Department of Surgery

asaluja@umn.edu
612-624-8108 - office

Dr. Saluja received a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Washington State University in 1980. He subsequently conducted postdoctoral training at Washington State and at Cornell. In 1988, he joined the faculty at Harvard Medical School. Before joining the faculty of the Department of Surgery at the University of Minnesota Medical School in 2006, he was Professor of Surgery, Medicine and Cell Biology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Director of their Pancreatic Diseases Center.

Research Interests

Pancreatic cancer is so difficult to treat because its cells are highly resistant to apoptotic cell death. Our laboratory is interested in the role played by heat shock proteins in the pathophysiology of this resistance. In recent studies published in Cancer Research, we demonstrated that HSP70 is overexpressed in pancreatic cancer cells and that its inhibition leads to apoptotic cell death. Inhibiting HSP70 expression is also very effective at reducing the growth of pancreatic tumors in orthotopic models of pancreatic cancer, where it markedly reduces loco-regional spread. We are currently developing strategies to extend these findings into the clinical setting, which include creating novel pharmacologic inhibitors of HSP70 expression as well as developing nanoparticles capable of delivering HSP70 siRNA selectively to cancer tissue. In other studies, we are evaluating novel strategies (also involving death receptors and HSP70) to treat otherwise non-responsive and very aggressive pancreatic tumors.

Another important area in pancreatic cancer research is the mechanism by which HSP70 inhibits apoptosis in cancer cells. We have demonstrated that HSP70 inhibits apoptosis by two independent yet simultaneous means: by attenuating intracellular calcium and by stabilizing the lysosomes. We are currently investigating how HSP70 influences calcium homeostasis and lysosomal stability. We are also evaluating various naturally-occurring compounds as potential therapies for this deadly disease.

Another area of interest in our group is to ascertain and evaluate the mechanisms and treatment strategies for the excruciating pain associated with the pancreatic diseases, with particular emphasis on opioid receptors.