College of Natural Science
NatSci Directory

Kathleen Gallo

Faculty, Neuroscience Program
Faculty, Cell & Molecular Biology Program
Faculty, Department of Physiology
Professor, BioMolecular Science Gateway
Email: gallok@msu.edu
Website: https://gallolab.natsci.msu.edu/
Profile photo of Kathleen Gallo
Photo of: Kathleen Gallo

Bio

### Research Interests
The Gallo laboratory is interested in the understanding and therapeutic targeting of signaling pathways that govern cancer progression.  In particular, we have focused on the mixed-lineage kinase (MLK) family and their roles in cancer invasion and metastasis, particularly in the context of breast cancer.  We have demonstrated a critical role for MLK3 in triple-negative breast cancer metastasis in regulating both focal adhesion turnover during cell migration and gene expression during invasion and metastasis. In addition we are studying the roles of MLK family members and related signaling in lung cancer, glioblastoma, and melanoma.

Our laboratory uses diverse approaches and techniques to study mechanisms of tumor proliferation, invasion and metastatic outgrowth including 3D organotypic assays, cell biology, animal models, mass spectrometry, and biochemical techniques.

We collaborate with the Conrad lab (Microbiology & Molecular Genetics) in identifying mechanisms and alternative therapeutic strategies for endocrine resistant breast cancer. In collaboration with the Neubig lab in Pharmacology & Toxicology, we are exploring appropriate combination therapies in drug-resistant melanoma.

Selected Publications

  • Bernal Rubio YL, González-Reymúndez A, Wu KH, Griguer CE, Steibel JP, de Los Campos G, Doseff A, Gallo K, Vazquez AI. Whole Genome Multi-omic Study of Survival in Patients with Glioblastoma Multiforme. G3 (Bethesda). 2018 Nov 6;8(11):3627-3636. doi: 10.1534/g3.118.200391.
  • EGFR Signals through a DOCK180-MLK3 Axis to Drive Glioblastoma Cell Invasion. Misek SA, Chen J, Schroeder L, Rattanasinchai C, Sample A, Sarkaria JN, Gallo KA. Mol Cancer Res. 2017 May 9. doi: 10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-16-0318. [Epub ahead of print] PMID:28487380
  • Gallo KA, Ellsworth E, Stoub H, Conrad SE. Therapeutic potential of targeting mixed lineage kinases in cancer and inflammation. Pharmacol Ther. 2019 Dec 18:107457. doi:10.1016/j.pharmthera.2019.107457. [Epub ahead of print] Review.
  • Hollern DP, Swiatnicki MR, Rennhack JP, Misek SA, Matson BC, McAuliff A, Gallo KA, Caron KM, Andrechek ER. E2F1 Drives Breast Cancer Metastasis by Regulating the Target Gene FGF13 and Altering Cell Migration. Sci Rep. 2019 Jul 24;9(1):10718. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-47218-0.
  • Misek SA, Appleton KM, Dexheimer TS, Lisabeth EM, Lo RS, Larsen SD, Gallo KA, Neubig RR. Rho-mediated signaling promotes BRAF inhibitor resistance in de-differentiated melanoma cells. Oncogene. 2019 Oct 28. doi: 10.1038/s41388-019-1074-1. [Epub ahead of print].
  • MLK3 regulates FRA-1 and MMPs to drive invasion and transendothelial migration in triple-negative breast cancer cells. Rattanasinchai C, Llewellyn BJ, Conrad SE, Gallo KA. Oncogenesis. 2017 Jun 12;6(6):e345. doi: 10.1038/oncsis.2017.44. PMID: 28604765
  • Rattanasinchai C. and Gallo KA. MLK3 signaling in cancer invasion. Cancers (Basel). 2016 8(5) E51doi: 10.3390/cancers8050051.