Mustafa Albahrani

Mr. Mustafa Albahrani


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

8Years (2019-Present)

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

Representative Publications

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7 May 2019 in bioRxiv
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CBCarter Barger
Carter Barger
CBConnor Branick
Connor Branick
LCLinda Chee
Linda Chee
MAMustafa Albahrani
Mustafa Albahrani
DKDavid Klinkebiel
David Klinkebiel
Adam R KarpfAdam R Karpf
Adam R Karpf
Summary: We report that the oncogenic transcription factor FOXM1 is arranged in a head-to-head configuration with RHNO1 , a gene involved in the ATR/CHK1-dependent DNA replication stress (DRS) response. FOXM1 and RHNO1 are both amplified and upregulated in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC). FOXM1 and RHNO1 expression are closely associated in normal and cancer tissues, including single cells, and a bidirectional promoter (F/R-BDP) mediates balanced expression. Targeting of FOXM1 and RHNO1 in HGSC cells using shRNA, CRISPR mutagenesis, or CRISPR interference directed to the F/R-BDP reduced DNA homologous recombination repair (HR) capacity, increased DNA damage, reduced clonogenic survival, and sensitized HGSC cells to the poly-ADP ribosylase inhibitor (PARPi) olaparib. Thus, there is functional cooperativity between FOXM1 and RHNO1 in cancer cells, and combinatorial targeting of this bidirectional gene pair may be a novel cancer therapeutic strategy. More broadly, our data provide evidence that bidirectional gene units function in human cancer.