UASOM Faculty Profiles

Biochemistry and Structural Biology	http://www.gbs.uab.edu	http://www.uab.edu/graduate

Faculty Detail


Name
Campus Address
Phone
E-mail
Other websites

Graduate Biomedical Sciences Affiliations

Biochemistry and Structural Biology

Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics

Hughes Med-Grad Fellowship Program

Integrative Biomedical Sciences

Integrative Genetics Graduate Program

Medical Scientist Training Program

Pathobiology and Molecular Medicine

Biographical Sketch

Dr. Sorscher is originally from Flint, MI and graduated summa cum laude with honors in biology from Yale University in 1979. He completed his medical degree from Harvard University in 1984 following a one year leave of absence to study cystic fibrosis. He trained as a resident at Massachusetts General Hospital, and completed two postdoctoral fellowships, one at Massachusetts General, the other at UAB. In 1989, Dr. Sorscher was recruited to UAB to the position of Assistant Professor of Medicine and Physiology and Biophysics, and Associate Scientist at the Gregory Fleming James Cystic Fibrosis Research Center. In 1994, Dr. Sorscher was appointed to the position of Associate Professor of Medicine and Physiology and Biophysics as well as Director of the UAB Cystic Fibrosis Research Center. In 1998, Dr. Sorscher was promoted to the position of Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Physiology and Biophysics. In 2003 he became the recipient of the Gwaltney Endowed Chair for cystic fibrosis research at UAB. He is currently co-chair of the international consortium for cystic fibrosis protein folding and chairs the New Therapies Committee for the Cystic Fibrosis National Meetings.

Society Memberships

Organization Name Position Held Org Link

AAP

ASPI

Research/Clinical Interest

Title
Cystic Fibrosis and Molecular Genetics; Patient Oriented Research
Description
Dr. Sorscher has two major research interests. He directs the UAB Cystic Fibrosis Research Center that performs respected studies concerning molecular pathogenesis of this disease. His own laboratory investigates the structure and function of the gene product responsible for cystic fibrosis (i.e., the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, CFTR), and also evaluates new approaches to therapy, including the activation of alternate chloride secretory pathways in cystic fibrosis epithelia, molecular correction of mutant CFTR, and gene transfer-related aspects of cystic fibrosis using both viral and non-viral vectors. The other major interest in Dr. Sorscher’s laboratory involves the characterization of a novel mechanism for tumor sensitization using the E. coli PNP gene. In this approach, tumors are rendered hundreds or thousands of times more sensitive to conventional chemotherapy by expression of a prokaryotic enzyme that cleaves nontoxic nucleoside prodrugs to a very toxic form. The research involves analysis of the crystal structure of E. coli PNP, and structure-based drug design of novel compounds that would be effectively cleaved in vitro and in vivo. Gene transfer vectors that might be important in the treatment of human cancers are also developed and characterized.

Selected Publications

Horvath, G and EJ Sorscher. Luminal fluid tonicity regulations airway ciliary beating by altering membrane stretch and intracellular calcium. Cell Motility and the Cytoskeleton 65(6):469-475, 2008. 18435452

Berdiev, BK, E Cormet-Boyaka, A Tousson, YJ Qadri, HM Oosterveld-Hut, JS Hong, PA Gonzales, CM Fuller, EJ Sorscher, GL Lukacs, and DJ Benos. Molecular proximity of CFTR and ENaC assessed by fluorescence resonance energy transfer. Journal of Biologcal Chemistry 282(50): 36481-36488, 2007. 17913705

Hill, AE, JS Hong, H Wen, L Teng, DT McPherson, SA McPherson, DN Levasseur, EJ Sorscher. Micro-RNA-like effects of complete intronic sequences. Frontiers in Bioscience 11:1998-2006, 2006. 16368574

Rowe SM, SM Miller and EJ Sorscher. Mechanisms underlying cystic fibrosis. New England Journal of Medicine 352(19):1992-2001, 2005. 15888700

Hong, JS, WR Waud, DN Levasseur, TM Townes, H Wen, SA McPherson, BA Moore, Z, Bebok, PW Allan, JA Secrist 3rd, WB Parker, EJ Sorscher. Excellent in vivo bystander activity of fludarabine phosphate against human glioma xenografts that express the escherichia coli purine nucleoside phosphorylase gene. Cancer Research 64(18):6610-5, 2004. 15374975

Hill A and EJ Sorscher. Common structural patterns in human genes. Bioinformatics 10: 1093, 2004. 14988119

Naren AP, B Cobb, C Li, K Roy, D Nelson, GD Heda, J Liao, KL Kirk, EJ Sorscher, J Hanrahan, JP Clancy. A macromolecular complex of â2 adrenergic receptor, CFTR, and ezrin/radixin/moesin-binding phosphoprotein 50 is regulated by PKA. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 100:342-346, 2003. 12502786

Ruiz FE, JP Clancy, MA Perricone, Z Bebok, J Hong, SH Cheng, DP Meeker, KR Young, R Schoumacher, M Weatherly, JE Morris, L Sindel, M Rosenberg, FW van Ginkel, JR McGhee, D Kelly, RK Lyrene, EJ Sorscher. A clinical inflammatory syndrome attributable to aerosolized lipid/DNA administration in cystic fibrosis. Human Gene Therapy 12(7):751-761, 2001. 11339892

Bebok, Z., C. Mazzochi, S.A. King, J.S. Hong, and E.J. Sorscher. The mechanism underlying cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator transport from the endoplasmic reticulum to the proteasome includes Sec61beta and a cytosolic, deglycosylated intermediary. Journal of Biological Chemistry 273: 29873-29878, 1998. 9792704

Hughes, B.W., S.A. King, P.W. Allan, W.B. Parker, and E.J. Sorscher. Cell to cell contact is not required for bystander cell killing by Escherichia coli purine nucleoside phosphorylase. Journal of Biological Chemistry 273: 2322-2328, 1998. 9442077

Bedwell DM, A Kaenjak, DJ Benos, Z Bebok, JK Bubien, J Hong, A Tousson, JP Clancy, EJ Sorscher. Suppression of a CFTR premature stop mutation in a bronchial epithelial cell line. Nature Medicine 3: 1280-1284, 1997. 9359706

Parker, W.B., S.A. King, P.W. Allan, L.L. Bennett, Jr., J.A. Secrist, III, J.A. Montgomery, K.S. Gilbert, W.R. Waud, A.H. Wells, G.Y. Gillespie, and E.J. Sorscher. In vivo gene therapy of cancer with E. coli purine nucleoside phosphorylase. Human Gene Therapy 8: 1637-1644, 1997. 9322865

Logan, J., D. Hiestand, P. Daram, Z. Huang, D.D. Muccio, J. Hartman, B. Haley, W.J. Cook, and E.J. Sorscher. Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator mutations that disrupt nucleotide binding. Journal of Clinical Investigation 94: 228-236, 1994. 7518829

Sorscher, E.J., K.L. Kirk, M.L. Weaver, T. Jilling, J.E. Blalock, and R.D. LeBoeuf. Antisense oligodeoxynucleotide to the cystic fibrosis gene inhibits anion transport in normal cultured sweat duct cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 88: 7759-7762, 1991. 1715578

Hartman J, Z Huang, TA Rado, S Peng, T Jilling, DD Muccio, EJ Sorscher. Recombinant synthesis, purification, and nucleotide binding characteristics of the first nucleotide binding domain of the cystic fibrosis gene product. Journal of Biological Chemistry 267: 6455-6458, 1992. 1372605