Dandan Sun, MD, PhD

  • Professor, Neurology

Phone

412-624-0418

E-mail

sund@upmc.edu

Education & Training

MD, Harbin Medical University, P.R. China (1983)
PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison (1992)

Campus Address

S-598 Biomedical Science Tower

One-Line Research Description

Ion transporters in neurological diseases.

The Sun lab is interested in understanding the role of ion transporter proteins (Na+-K+ -Cl- cotransporter, Na+/H+ exchanger, and Na+/Ca2+ exchangers) in ionic dysregulation and neurodegeneration associated with stroke, traumatic brain injury, or glioma tumor. In particular, we study how changes of cytosolic ionic concentrations (Na+, H+, Ca2+) as well as organelle Ca2+ (ER and mitochondria) cause cell death and proinflammatory responses in ischemic or traumatic brain damage. We are also interested in studying Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) brain tumor. We investigate how the Cl- cotransporter functions in regulation of intracellular Cl- and cell volume in GBM cancer cell survival and migration. These ion transport proteins may be potential ''targets'' for therapeutic interventions for these diseases. The Sun lab includes postdoc fellows, graduate students, and undergraduate students. The research employs in vitro cell culture models and in vivo animal models. A variety of biochemical assays, and live cell imaging techniques are used in our research.

Representative Publications

Nerolidol Protects Against LPS-induced Acute Kidney Injury via Inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB Signaling. Zhang L, Sun D, Bao Y, Shi Y, Cui Y, Guo M.Phytother Res. 2017 Jan 17. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5770. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 28093813

 

Promoter Polymorphism of Toll-Like Receptor 4 is Associated with a Decreased Risk of Coronary Artery Disease: A Case-Control Study in the Chinese Han Population.Sun D, Sun L, Xu Q, Wang H, Yang J, Yuan Y.Med Sci Monit. 2017 Jan 16;23:276-284. PMID: 28092654

 

Toll-like receptor 4 rs11536889 is associated with angiographic extent and severity of coronary artery disease in a Chinese population.Sun D, Wu Y, Wang H, Yan H, Liu W, Yang J.Oncotarget. 2017 Jan 10;8(2):2025-2033. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.14014. PMID: 28002812

 

Docetaxel-Loaded Self-Assembly Stearic Acid-Modified Bletilla striata Polysaccharide Micelles and Their Anticancer Effect: Preparation, Characterization, Cellular Uptake and In Vitro Evaluation.Guan Q, Sun D, Zhang G, Sun C, Wang M, Ji D, Yang W.Molecules. 2016 Dec 2;21(12). pii: E1641. PMID: 27918445

 

Begum, G., Kintner, D., Liu, Y., Cramer, S.W. and Sun, Dandan. DHA inhibits ER Ca2+ release and ER stress in astrocytes following in vitro ischemia. J. Neurochem. 120: 622-630, 2012.

 

Algharabli, J., Kintner, D.B., Wang, Q., Begum, G., Clark, P.A., Yang, S., Lin, S., Kahle, K.T., Kuo, J.S. and Sun, Dandan. Inhibition of Na+-K+-2ClÂ- cotransporter isoform 1 accelerates temozolomide-mediated apoptosis in glioblastoma cancer cells. Cell Physiol and Biochem. 30: 33-48, 2012.

 

Liu, Y., Kintner, D.B., Begum, G., Algharabli, J., Cengiz, P., Shull, G.E., Liu, X. and Sun, Dandan. ER Ca2+ signaling and mitochondrial Cyt c release in astrocytes following oxygen and glucose deprivation. J Neurochem. 114: 1435-46, 2010.

 

Kintner, D.B., Chen, X., Chiu, S., Baba, A., Matsuda, T., Cohen, M., Orlowski, J., Taunton, J. and Sun, Dandan. Excessive Na+/H+ exchange in disruption of dendritic Na+ and Ca2+ homeostasis and mitochondrial dysfunction following in vitro ischemia. J Biol Chem. 285 (45): 35155-68, 2010.

 

Liu, Y., Kintner, D.B., Chanana, V., Algharabli, J., Chen, X., Gao, Y., Chen, J., Ferrazzano, P., Olson, J.K. and Sun, Dandan. Activation of microglia depends on Na+/H+ exchange-mediated H+ homeostasis. J. Neurosci. 30 (45): 15210-20, 2010.