Roselyn Dai

Ms. Roselyn Dai


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

2Years (2025-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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2 September 2025 in Cancers
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
RKRyan Kanai
Ryan Kanai
SMSarah McMullan
Sarah McMullan
PBPukar Baniya
Pukar Baniya
RDRoselyn Dai
Roselyn Dai
ENEmily Norton
Emily Norton
John M. LamarJohn M. Lamar
John M. Lamar
Background/Objectives: Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is an ultra-rare, metastatic vascular sarcoma with limited therapeutic options. The hallmark of EHE is a chromosomal translocation that produces the WWTR1-CAMTA1 gene fusion, encoding the aberrant transcriptional regulator TAZ-CAMTA1. Given its central role in the EHE initiation and progression, TAZ-CAMTA1 represents a compelling therapeutic target. Methods and Results: In this study, we identified AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) as one of several proteins capable of repressing the TAZ-CAMTA1 transcriptional activity in NIH3T3 and HEK293 cell lines. The pharmacologic activation of AMPK inhibited the proliferation of EHE cell lines without inducing apoptosis; however, in contrast to the NIH3T3 and HEK293 models, AMPK activation in EHE cells unexpectedly increased the TAZ-CAMTA1 expression and activity. Notably, elevated TAZ-CAMTA1 expression was also associated with reduced EHE cell growth, suggesting that the induction of TAZ-CAMTA1 may be one mechanism by which AMPK suppresses EHE growth. Additionally, we found that AMPK inhibits mTOR activity and that direct mTOR inhibition also suppresses EHE cell growth. Conclusions: Together, these findings demonstrate that AMPK activation impairs EHE viability through dual mechanisms: by promoting TAZ-CAMTA1 expression and by inhibiting mTOR signaling. This work highlights AMPK as a potential therapeutic target in EHE and supports the growing body of evidence favoring mTOR inhibitors as promising treatments for this rare cancer.