TTUHSC School of Medicine
Cell Biology & Biochemistry

Brad A. Bryan, Ph.D.

Brad A. Bryan, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor


Ph.D. Biomedical Sciences
Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Houston, TX, 2005


Department of Biomedical Sciences
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

Center of Excellence in Cancer Research
Paul Foster School of Medicine
5001 El Paso Drive, MSB1 Room 2111
El Paso, TX  79912
Phone: (915) 783-5235
FAX: (915) 783-5222
brad.bryan@ttuhsc.edu

Research Interests

The research in the Bryan lab is focused on the subcellular mechanics and cellular signaling involved in the formation of the cardiovascular system.  We are particularly interested in how these pathways are deregulated in aberrant vascular states such as hemangiomas, vascular malformations, and cancer.  Insights gained from this work can lead to a better understanding of the cause and treatment of vascular disease and cancer. 

Current projects  |  Selected publications  |  laboratory  | curriculum vitae


Current Projects

To achieve these goals, we are developing novel experimental techniques to (1) elucidate the mechanisms by which cell shape and mechanical stress affect gene expression, (2) identify the genetic and epigenetic components controlling hemangioma and vascular malformation progression, and (3) develop advanced therapeutics against a variety of vascular tumors including hemangioendotheliomas and angiosarcomas. 

Selected Publications

Research Articles

  • Stiles J, Amaya C, Pham R, Rowntree RK, Lacaze M, Mulne A, Bischoff J, Kokta V, Boucheron LE, Mitchell DC, Bryan BA.  Propranolol treatment of infantile hemangioma endothelial cells—a molecular analysis. (In press—Exp Ther Med)
  • MontalvoJ, Spencer C, Hackathorn A, MasterjohnK, Perkins A, Doty C, Arumugam A, Ongusaha PP, Lakshmanaswamy R, Liao JK, Mitchell DC, Bryan BA. ROCK1 & 2 perform overlapping and unique roles in angiogenesis and angiosarcoma tumor progression. (In press—Curr Mol Med)
  •  MitchellDC, Bryan BA, LiuL, Hu XH, Huang XQ, Li C, Chen PC, ZhouJ, Liu JP, Zhang J, Liu M, Li DW. (2011) GEFT, a Rho family guanine nucleotide exchange factor, regulates lens differentiation through a Rac1 mediated mechanism. Curr Mol Med. 11(6):465-80.
  •  Spencer C, Montalvo J, McLaughlin SR, Bryan BA. (2011) Small molecule inhibition of cytoskeletal dynamics in melanoma tumors results in altered transcriptional expression patterns of key genes involved in tumor initiation and progression. Cancer Genomics Proteomics 8(2):77-85.
  •  Street CA, Routhier AA, Spencer C, Perkins AL, Masterjohn K, Hackathorn A, Montalvo J, Dennstedt EA, Bryan BA. (2010) Pharmacological inhibition of Rho-kinase (ROCK) signaling enhances cisplatin resistance in neuroblastoma cells. Int J Oncol 37:1297-1305.
  •  Bryan BA, Dennstedt E, Mitchell DC, Walshe TE, Noma K, Loureiro R, Saint-Geniez M, Campaigniac JP,  Liao JK, and D’Amore PA. (2010) RhoA/ROCK signaling is essential for multiple aspects of VEGF-mediated angiogenesis. FASEB J. 24:3186-95.
  •  Routhier A, Astuccio M, Lahey D, Monfredo N, Johnson A, Callahan W, Partington A, Fellows K, Ouellette L, Zhidro S, Goodrow C, Smith A, Sullivan K, Simone P, Le L, Vezuli B, Zohni M, West E, Gleason D, Bryan B. (2010) Pharmacological inhibition of Rho-kinase signaling with Y-27632 blocks melanoma tumor growth.  Oncol Rep. 23:861-867.
  •  Bryan BA, Walshe TE, Mitchell DC, Havumaki JS, Saint-Geniez M, Maharaj AS, Maldonado AE, D'Amore PA. (2008) Coordinated Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor expression and signaling during skeletal myogenic differentiation.  Mol Biol Cell. 19(3):994-1006.
  •  Mitchell DC, Bryan BA, Liu JP, Liu WB, Zhang L, Qu J, Zhou X, Liu M, Li DW. (2007) Developmental expression of three small GTPases in the mouse eye. Mol Vis. 13:1144-53.
  •  Wrighton KH, Liang M, Bryan B, Luo K, Liu M, Feng XH, Lin X. (2007) TGF-beta-independent regulation of myogenesis by SnoN sumoylation.  J Biol Chem. 282(9):6517-24.
  •  Bryan B, Cai Y, Liu M. (2006) Retinoic acid- and dibutyric cyclic AMP-induced neurite outgrowth is enhanced by the Rho-family guanine nucleotide exchange factor GEFT. J Neurosci Res. 83(7):1151-1159.
  •  Bryan B, Mitchell D, Ma W, Stafford LJ, Liu M. (2005) Modulation of myogenesis and adipogenesis by the Rho family guanine nucleotide exchange factor GEFT. Mol Cell Biol. 25(24):11089-101.
  •  Bryan B, Cai Y, Wrighton K, Wu G, Feng XH, Liu M. (2005) Ubiquitination of RhoA by Smurf1 Promotes Neurite Outgrowth. FEBS Letters 579(5):1015-9.
  •  Cai Y, Stafford LJ, Bryan BA, Mitchell D, Liu M. (2005) G-protein activated phospholipase C, new partners for cell polarity protein Par3 and Par6. Oncogene. 24(26): 4293-300.
  •  Guo J, Bryan BA, Polymenis M. (2004) Nutrient-specific effects in the coordination of cell growth with cell division in continuous cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Arch Microbiol. 182(4):326-30.
  •  Bryan B, Kumar V, Stafford LJ, Cai Y, Wu G, Liu M. (2004) GEFT, a Rho family guanine nucleotide exchange factor, regulates neurite outgrowth and dendritic spine formation. J Biol Chem. 279(44):45824-32.
  •  Bryan BA, Knapp GS, Bowen LM, Polymenis M. (2004) The UV response in Saccharomyces cerevisiae involves the mitogen-activated protein kinase Slt2p. Curr Microbiol. 49(1):32-4.
  •  Bryan BA, McGrew E, Lu Y, Polymenis M. (2004) Evidence for control of nitrogen metabolism by a START-dependent mechanism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mol Genet Genomics. 271(1):72-81.
  •  Guo X, Stafford LJ, Bryan B, Xia C, Ma W, Wu X, Liu D, Songyang Z, Liu M. (2003) A Rac/Cdc42-specific exchange factor, GEFT, induces cell proliferation, transformation, and migration. J Biol Chem. 278(15):13207-15.

 Review Articles

  •  Street CA, Bryan BA. (2011) Rho kinase proteins—pleiotropic modulators of cell survival & apoptosis.  Anticancer Res.  31(11):3645-57.
  •  Mitchell DC, Bryan BA. (2010) Anti-angiogenic therapy—adapting strategies to overcome resistant tumors.  J Cell Biochem. 111(3): 543-53.
  •  Nieves BJ, D’Amore PA, Bryan BA. (2009) The function of vascular endothelial growth factor.  Biofactors. 35(4):332-7.
  •  Bryan BA, D’Amore PA. (2007) What tangled webs they weave:  Rho-GTPase control of angiogenesis. Cell Mol Life Sci. 64(16):2053-65.
  •  Bryan B, Li D, Wu X, Liu M. (2005) The Rho Family of Small GTPases—crucial regulators of skeletal myogenesis.  Cell Mol Life Sci. 62(14):1547-55.
  •  Bryan B, Liu M. (2005)  GEFT.  AfCS-Nature Molecule Pages. (AFCS ID: A003469)

Book Chapters

  • Figella K, Bryan BA, Liu M. (2011) ARHGEF25. Encyclopedia of Signaling Molecules.  Springer Publishing. (In Press)
  • Dennstedt E, Bryan BA. (2011)  Gene knockdown in endothelial cells.  Methods Mol Biol. 764:214-22.
  • Bryan BA, D’Amore PA. (2008) Pericyte isolation and usage in endothelial/pericyte coculture models. Methods Enzymol. 443:315-31.
  • Bryan B, Cai Y, Liu M. (2004) Advancements in Neuroscience Research: The Rho family of small GTPases—Central Regulators of Neurite Outgrowth.  3rd Edition. Beijing, China. Higher Education Press.