The focus of my laboratory is to understand the role that ions such as calcium, magnesium, and zinc play in living organisms. We are currently focused on investigating the function of the TRPM7 and TRPM6 ion channels, which transport these divalent cations, and their contribution to human health and disease. Recently, we identified members of the CNNM family (CNNM1-4) as binding proteins of TRPM7. CNNMs are regulated by ARL15 and PRL proteins. We are currently studying the impact of CNNMs, PRLs, and ARL15 on TRPM7 and TRPM6 function and how these molecules work in concert to contribute to physiological and pathological processes, including embryonic development, cancer, and oxidative stress in neurons during ischemic stroke. This laboratory employs a multi-disciplinary approach to study the function of these unusual macromolecules. Among the many tools our laboratory uses are stem cells, fluorescence microscopy, biochemistry, and molecular biology.
Program Faculty
- Loren Runnels
- Professor
- Department: Department of Pharmacology
- Graduate Program(s): Cell and Developmental Biology | Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology | Microbiology and Molecular Genetics | Physiology and Integrative Biology
- Major Research Interest(s): Cell stress / Cell death, Cytoskeleton, Developmental Biology, Signaling, Stem Cells, Regeneration, and Tissue Injury
- Research Techniques: Cell Biology, Cell culture, Imaging, Proteomics, Transcriptomics
- Research Organism(s): Bacteria, Cell lines, Mice
- Phone: 1.7322354593
- Email:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
- RWJMS Research Tower, Room 402
- 675 Hoes Lane West
- Piscataway, NJ 08854
- Key Words: TRP channels, transporters, magnesium, development, cancer