Lu Le, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Le received his Ph.D. degree in Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics (with Owen N. Witte), and a medical degree (M.D.) from the Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).  He completed an Internship in Internal Medicine at UCLA/St. Mary Medical Center, residency training in Dermatology and a postdoctoral fellowship in Cancer Biology (with Luis F. Parada) from University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.  He is board certified by the American Board of Dermatology.  Dr. Le sees patients in the Dermatology clinic and at the UTSW Comprehensive Neurofibromatosis clinic.

As a principal investigator in cancer biology, his laboratory investigates how genetic and tumor microenvironmental events interplay to regulate carcinogenesis.  His research group focuses on: (1) identifying the cells of origin of tumorigenesis (how do certain type of cancers originate and develop from adult stem/progenitor cells?); and (2) elucidating the roles of tumor microenvironment in cancer development (how do neighboring non-cancerous cells dictate cancer development and progression?). His laboratory dissects these cellular and molecular mechanisms of tumorigenesis from the developmental perspective. They utilize Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1), a common tumor predisposition human genetic disorder, as a model to address these two fundamental questions in cancer biology as well as elucidating cutaneous nervous system development and regeneration.  His major research goals are to understand mechanisms that initiate Neurofibroma genesis and drive their malignant transformation as well as to develop novel therapeutic targets for Neurofibroma.  Research in Dr. Le's laboratory is supported by R01 and SPORE grants from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health as well as grants from the U.S. Department of Defense, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and other private foundations.

The Le Laboratory Website

Dr. Le's ORCID iD and Weblink

Other Post Graduate Training

University of California - Los Angeles (2002)

Graduate School

University of California - Los Angeles (2002), Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics

Medical School

UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA Medical Center (2003)

Internship

Saint Mary's Medical Center-Long Beach (2004), Internal Medicine

Residency

UT Southwestern Medical School (2007), Dermatology

Fellowship

UT Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (2009), Cancer Biology

• Cancer Biology
• Neurofibromatosis
• Stem Cell Biology

Featured Publications

Basement membrane proteins in extracellular matrix characterize NF1 neurofibroma development and response to MEK inhibitor.

Jiang C, Kumar A, Yu Z, Shipman T, Wang Y, McKay RM, Xing C, Le LQ, J Clin Invest 2023 May

Neuronal hyperexcitability drives central and peripheral nervous system tumor progression in models of neurofibromatosis-1.

Anastasaki C, Mo J, Chen JK, Chatterjee J, Pan Y, Scheaffer SM, Cobb O, Monje M, Le LQ, Gutmann DH, Nat Commun 2022 May 13 1 2785

Epithelial stem cell homeostasis in Meibomian gland development, dysfunction, and dry eye disease.

Tchegnon E, Liao CP, Ghotbi E, Shipman T, Wang Y, McKay RM, Le LQ, JCI Insight 2021 Sep

Training Physician-Scientists for Careers in Investigative Dermatology

Li, S., Yancey, K.B., Cruz, P.D., Le, L.Q. JID Innovations 2021 doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjidi.2021.100061

Humanized neurofibroma model from induced pluripotent stem cells delineates tumor pathogenesis and developmental origins

Mo J, Anastasaki C, Chen Z, Shipman T, Papke JB, Yin KY, Gutmann DH, Le LQ, The Journal of Clinical Investigation 2021 131 (1) e139807

Schwannoma development is mediated by Hippo pathway dysregulation and modified by RAS/MAPK signaling.

Chen Z, Li S, Mo J, Hawley ET, Wang Y, He Y, Brosseau JP, Shipman T, Clapp DW, Carroll TJ, Le LQ, JCI Insight 2020 Sep

Overcoming BET Inhibitor Resistance in Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors

Cooper, J., Patel, A., Chen, Z., Liao, C.P., Chen, K., Mo, J., Wang, Y., Le, L.Q. Clinical Cancer Research 2019 25(11): 3404-3416.

Robust Surgical Approach for Cutaneous Neurofibroma in Neurofibromatosis Type 1

Chamseddin, B.H., Hernandez, L., Solorzano, D., Vega, J., Le, L.Q. Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight (JCI Insight) 2019 4(11): e128881: 1-9.

Spatiotemporal loss of NF1 in Schwann cell lineage leads to different types of cutaneous neurofibroma susceptible to modification by the Hippo pathway.

Chen, Z., Mo, J., Brosseau, J.P., Shipman, T., Wang, Y., Liao, C.P., Cooper, J.M., Allaway, R.J., Gosline, S., Guinney, J., Carroll, T., Le, L.Q. Cancer Discovery. 2019 9(1): 114-129.

NF1 heterozygosity fosters de novo tumorigenesis but impairs malignant transformation

Brosseau, J.P., Liao, C.P., Wang, Y., Ramani, V., Vandergriff, T., Lee, M., Patel, A., Ariizumi, K., and Le, L.Q. Nature Communications 2018 9:5014 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07452-y

• Elected to membership in the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI)
  (2015)
• Thomas L. Shields, M.D. Endowed Professorship in Dermatology
  (2015)
• Elisabeth Reed Wagner Fund for Research and Clinical Care in Neurofibromatosis and Cardiothoracic Surgery
  (2014)
• U.S. Department of Defense-Investigator Initiated Research Program Awards
  (2014)
• European Society for Dermatological Research/Society for Investigative Dermatology Collegiality Travel Awards
  (2012)
• U.S. Department of Defense-Neurofibromatosis Research Program New Investigator Awards
  (2012)
• Victor Newcomer Award from the Pacific Dermatologic Association
  (2012)
• Outstanding Teaching Award from Dermatology residents
  (2010)
• Disease-Oriented Clinical Scholars (DOCS) Award
  (2009)
• Career Awards for Medical Scientists from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund
  (2008)
• President's Research Council Distinguished Young Researcher Award (UTSW)
  (2008)
• The American Academy of Dermatology Young Investigator Award
  (2008)
• The Dermatology Foundation Physician Scientist Career Development Award
  (2008)

• American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (2013)
• American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) (2015)
• Leaders Society - Dermatology Foundation (2013)
• Texas Dermatological Society
• The American Academy of Dermatology
• The Society for Investigative Dermatology
• UCLA Association of Chemists and Biochemists