Cannon Research Center

Email:

Education:

Professional Experience:

• Research Scientist, University of Miami School of Medicine, 1997-1999
• Instructor, University of Miami School of Medicine, 1999-2000
• Assistant Professor, University of Miami School of Medicine, 2000-2006

Research Interests:

• Investigation of the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis: Determination of the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. We use human osteoarthritic cartilage and meniscal tissues to investigate the cellular alterations in tissues and cells derived from patients with osteoarthritis, and identify potential therapeutic targets and disease markers.
• Development of disease modifying drugs: We screen and test agents as potential disease modifying drugs using animal models of osteoarthritis.

Publications:

Yubo Sun, Yunquan Jian, Jian Zhang, Peng Zhang and Marietta Y.W.T. Lee. (1997). Expression and characterization of the small subunit of human DNA polymerase delta. J. Biol. Chem. 272, 13013-8.

Peng Zhang, Yubo Sun, Heng Xu, Zhang L, Zhang Y, and Marietta Y.W.T. Lee. (1998). The interdomain connector loop of human PCNA is involved in a direct interaction with human polymerase delta. J. Biol. Chem. 273, 713-19.

Rebeil, R., Y. Sun, L. Chooback, M. Pedraza-Reyes, and W.L. Nicholson (1998). Spore photoproduct lyase from Bacillus subtilis spores is a novel iron-sulfur enzyme-which shares features with class III anaerobic enzymes such as ribonucleotide reductases and pyruvate-formate lyase. J. Bacteriol. 180, 4879-85.

Y. Sun, Y.I. Sun, L. Wenger, C.E. Brinkerhoff, and H.S. Cheung. (1998). Human metalloproteinase-1 (collagenase-1) is a tumor suppressor protein p53 target gene. Ann NY Acad. Science 878, 638-41.

Y. Sun, YI Sun, L. Wenger, C.E. Brinkerhoff, and H.S. Cheung. (1999). P53 down-regulates human metalloproteinase-1 (collagenase-1) gene expression. J. Biol. Chem. 274, 11535-40.

Y. Sun, J. Cheung, J. Martel-Pelletier, J.P. Pelletier, L. Wenger, R.D. Altman and H.S. Cheung. (2000). p53 and p53 mutants differentially regulate the gene expression of metalloproteinase-13. J. Biol. Chem. 275, 11327-32.

Reuben P.M., Brogley M.A., Sun Y., and H.S. Cheung (2002). Molecular mechanism of the induction of metalloproteinases 1 and 3 in human fibroblasts by basic calcium phosphate crystals. Role of calcium-dependent protein kinase C alpha. J. Biol. Chem. 277, 15190-8.

Sun Y., L. Wenger, C.E. Brinkerhoff, R.R. Misra, and H.S. Cheung (2002). Basic calcium phosphate crystals induce matrix metalloproteinase-1 through Ras/MEK1/C-fos/AP-1/MMP1 pathway: Involvement of transcription factor binding sites AP-1 and PEA-3. J. Biol. Chem. 277, 1544-52.

Sun Y. and H.S. Cheung (2002). P53, Proto-Oncogenes and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Seminars in Arthritis & Rheum. 31, 299-310.

Zhu, P.C., Sun Y., H. Xien, and S. Zhao. (2003). The interaction of ADAM22 and 14-3-3 Zeta -regulation of cell adhesion and spreading. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 301, 991-9.

Zeng, X.Y., Sun Y., and H.S. Cheung (2003). Induction of early growth gene by BCP crystals. Cells Tissues Organs 174, 64-72.

Im, Hee-Jeong, Carol Pacione, Susan Chubinskaya, Andre J. van Wijnen, Sun Y, and Richard F. Loeser. (2003). Inhibitory effects of insulin-like growth factor-1 and osteogenic protein-1 on fibronectin fragment- or Interleukin-1 -stimulated matrix metalloproteinase-13 expression. J Biol Chem 278, 25386-94.

Sun Y., Zeng X.R., Wenger L., Cheung H.S. (2003). Basic calcium phosphate crystals stimulate the endocytotic activity of cells-inhibition by anti-calcification agents. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 312, 1053-9.

Huang, C-YC., K. Hagar, L.E. Frost, Y. Sun, and H.S. Cheung (2004). Effects of cyclic compressive loading on chondrogenesis of rabbit bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Stem Cells 22, 313-23.

Reuben, P., Sun Y., and H.S. Cheung (2004). Basic calcium phosphate crystals activate P44/42 MAPK signal transduction pathway via protein kinase C-? in human fibroblasts. J. Biol Chem 279, 35719-25.

Sun, Y., G.S. Firestein, L.Wenger, C-YC. Huang, and H.S. Cheung (2004). Telomerase transduced osteoarthritic fibroblast-like synoviocyte cell line. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 323, 1287-92.

Sun, Y., X.R. Zeng, L. Wenger, G.S. Firestein, and H.S. Cheung (2004). P53 down-regulates matrix metalloproteinase-1 by targeting the communication between AP-1 and the basal transcriptional complex. J. Cellular Biochem 92, 258-69.

Zeng, X.R., Y. Sun, L. Wenger, and H.S. Cheung (2005). Egr-1 stimulates proliferation of human fibroblast cells, Biochem Biophys Res Commun 330, 658-64.

Zhu, P.C., Y. Sang, H. Xu, J. Zhao, R. Xu, Y. Sun, T. Xu, X. Wang, L. Chen, H. Feng, C. Li, S. Zhao. (2005). ADAM22 plays an important role in cell adhesion and spreading with the assistance of 14-3-3. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 331, 938-46.

Sun, Y., P. Reuben, L. Wenger, J.D. Sallis, K.D. Demadis, and H.S. Cheung (2005). Inhibition of amorphous calcium phosphate-DNA coprecipitates-induced cell death by phosphocitrate salts, Frontiers in Bioscience 10, 803-8.

van Waveren C, Sun Y, Cheung HS, Moraes CT (2006). Oxidative phosphorylation dysfunction modulates expression of extracellular matrix--remodeling genes and invasion. Carcinogenesis, 27, 409-18.

Wu JY, Lu H, Sun Y, Graham DY, Cheung HS and Yamaoka Y (2006). Balance between polyoma enhancing activator 3 and activator protein 1 regulates helicobacter pylori-stimulated matrix metalloproteinase 1 expression. Cancer Res. 66, 5111-20.

Gruber, H.E., H.J. Norton, Y. Sun, E. Hanley (2007). Crystal deposits in the human intervertebral disc: Implications for disc degeneration. Spine J, 7:444-50, 2007

Sun, Y, Firestein, G, Boyle, D, Gruber H, and Cheung, H. (2007). Long-term culture of telomerase-transduced rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes display a distinct gene expression pattern. J Rheumatol 34: 1959-1970.

Sun, Y., Hanley, E.N. (2007). Calcium-containing crystals and osteoarthritis. Curr.Opin. Orthopaedics 18, 472-477.

HE Gruber, D Mauerhan, Y Chow, JA. Ingram, HJ Norton, EN. Hanley Jr. and Y Sun (2008). Three-dimensional culture of human meniscal cells: Extracellular matrix and proteoglycan production. BMC Biotechnology, 8:5

Sun, Y, Mauerhan, DR, BJ Loeffler, MD, EN Hanley, HE Gruber (2009). Telomerase-transduced osteoarthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes display a distinct gene expression profile” J Rheumatol 36:1; 141-155.

Gruber HE, Ingram JA, Hoelcher GL, Zinchenko N, Hanley EN Jr, Sun Y (2009). Asporin, a susceptibility gene in osteoarthritis, is expressed at higher levels in the more degenerate human intervertebral disc. Arthritis Res Ther 11:2;R47.

Gruber HE, Hanley EN Jr, Sun Y (2009). Digital histologic images: practical pointers for successful electronic submission to biomedical journals. Biotechnic & Histochemistry 1: 4

Sun, Y, Mauerhan, DR, Honeycutt PR, Kneisl JS, EN Hanley, HE Gruber (2010). Analysis of meniscal degeneration and meniscal gene expression. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorder 11:19.

Yubo Sun, David R Mauerhan, Patrick R Honeycutt, Jeffrery S Kneisl, H James Norton, Natalia Zinchenko, Edward N Hanley Jr and Helen E Gruber (2010). Calcium deposition in osteoarthritic menisci and meniscal cell culture. Arthritis Research & Therapy 12(2) R56.

Gruber HE, Chow Y, Hoelscher GL, Ingram JA, Zinchenko N, Norton HJ, Sun Y, Hanley EN Jr (2010). Micromass culture of human anulus cells: Morphology and extracellular matrix production. Spine (in press).