Caius Radu

About

Caius Radu is a Professor in the Departments of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology and Surgery at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). He also serves as a Vice Chairman of the Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology and is Co-Director of the Cancer Molecular Imaging, Nanotechnology, and Theranostics Research Program (CMINT) at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Radu received his M.D. from the University of Medicine, Craiova, Romania, and completed his postdoctoral training in immunology and cancer biology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, as well as at UCLA with Dr. Owen Witte. His research group aims to advance the understanding of fundamental biological processes at the interface between metabolic, signal transduction, and immune networks in cancer, leveraging this knowledge towards the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Additional research focuses include studies of novel mechanisms regulating nucleotide metabolism in cancer, identification of targetable co-dependencies in pancreatic and prostate cancers, and the use of nucleoside imaging probes as non-invasive predictive biomarkers for treatment responses.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Cancer research
• Internal medicine
• Biology
• Immunology
• Oncology
• Cell biology
• Biochemistry

Selected publications

• Efficacy of a Small-Molecule Inhibitor of KrasG12D in Immunocompetent Models of Pancreatic Cancer

  Cancer Discovery · 2022 · 348 citations

  Mutations in the KRAS oncogene are found in more than 90% of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), with Gly-to-Asp mutations (KRASG12D) being the most common. Here, we tested the efficacy of a small-molecule KRASG12D inhibitor, MRTX1133, in implantable and autochthonous PDAC models with an intact immune system. In vitro studies validated the specificity and potency of MRTX1133. In vivo, MRTX1133 prompted deep tumor regressions in all models tested, including complete or near-com…

  DOI

• Immune-Checkpoint Blockade Enhances²²⁵Ac-PSMA617 Efficacy in a Mouse Model of Prostate Cancer

  Journal of Nuclear Medicine · 2020 · 84 citations

  PSMA RNT and PD-1 blockade synergistically improve therapeutic outcomes in our PC model, supporting the evaluation of RNT and immunotherapy combinations for PC patients.

  DOI

• Mechanisms of Resistance to Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen–Targeted Radioligand Therapy in a Mouse Model of Prostate Cancer

  Journal of Nuclear Medicine · 2020 · 52 citations

  We identified signaling alterations that may mediate resistance to PSMA RLT in a PCa mouse model. Our data enable the development of rational synergistic RLT-combination therapies to improve outcomes for PCa patients.

  DOI

• Cardiomyocytes disrupt pyrimidine biosynthesis in nonmyocytes to regulate heart repair

  Journal of Clinical Investigation · 2021 · 40 citations

  Various populations of cells are recruited to the heart after cardiac injury, but little is known about whether cardiomyocytes directly regulate heart repair. Using a murine model of ischemic cardiac injury, we demonstrate that cardiomyocytes play a pivotal role in heart repair by regulating nucleotide metabolism and fates of nonmyocytes. Cardiac injury induced the expression of the ectonucleotidase ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 (ENPP1), which hydrolyzes extracellular ATP to…

  DOI

• Tailoring the adjuvanticity of lipid nanoparticles by PEG lipid ratio and phospholipid modifications

  Nature Nanotechnology · 2025-06-23 · 33 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant R01CA160770

  NIH · $1.8M · 2014

• In Vivo Pharmacodynamics of RNAi-based Cancer Therapies

  NIH · $24.3M · 2016

• Cancer Molecular Imaging, Nanotechnology, and Theranostics (CMINT)

  NIH · $65.6M · 1996–2030

Frequent coauthors

• Johannes Czernin

  164 shared

• Owen N. Witte

  161 shared

• Evan R. Abt

  158 shared

• Thuc Le

  Medizinische Hochschule Hannover

  152 shared

• Timothy R. Donahue

  115 shared

• Robert Damoiseaux

  99 shared

• Antoni Ribas

  Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy

  95 shared

• James R. Heath

  Institute for Systems Biology

  64 shared

Education

• Postdoctoral Fellow, Cancer Immunobiology Center and Center for Immunology

  UT Southwestern

  2021

• Postdoctoral Fellow, MIMG

  University of California at Los Angeles

  2006

• MD

  University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova

  1993

• Bachelor of Science

  National College Fratii Buzesti

  1987

Similar researchers at University of California, Los Angeles

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• Daniel H. Silvermanh-85