Tom Thomas Cunningham, PhD

Research/Clinical Interests
Research in the Cunningham lab aims to decipher the molecular mechanisms that underlie the re-wiring of cellular metabolism during cancer development and progression. We employ a multifaceted approach that utilizes the toolkits of cell biology, mouse genetics, biochemistry, and molecular biology in an effort to uncover novel, exploitable targets to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. 

PhD Degree, Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD, 2009 (Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology (BCMB) Program)

BS Degree, Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY, 2002 (Recombinant Gene Technology and Chemistry)

Grant: #V2017-020 Investigators:Cunningham, John 11-01-2017 -11-01-2019 The V Foundation Leveraging Built-In Enzyme Redundancy to Exploit Cancer Cells’ Achilles' Heel Role:PI $200,000.00 Active Level:Private Non-Profit

Grant: #1R01CA230904-01A1 Investigators:Cunningham, John 08-01-2019 -07-31-2024 National Cancer Institute Investigating Mechanisms of Deregulated Nucleotide Metabolism in Cancer Role:PI $367,144.00 Awarded Level:Federal

Grant: #R35GM133561 Investigators:Cunningham, John 07-01-2019 -06-30-2024 National Institute of General Medical Sciences Defining the biological roles of PRPS isozymes in normal and diseased settings Role:PI $401,250.00 Active Level:Federal

Peer Reviewed Publications

John T. Cunningham, Melissa V. Moreno, Alessia Lodi, Sabrina M. Ronen, and Davide Ruggero (2014. ) Protein and nucleotide biosynthesis are coupled by a single rate-limiting enzyme, PRPS2, to drive cancer.Cell, , 157 (5 ) ,1088-1103

Finding Myc's Weak Spot

Francisco Verdeguer, Sharon M. Blättler, John T. Cunningham, Jessica A. Hall, Helen Chim, and Pere Puigserver (2014. ) Decreased genetic dosage of hepatic yin yang 1 causes diabetic-like symptoms.Molecular Endocrinology , , 28 (3 ) ,308-316

Lori Hart, John T. Cunningham, Tatini Datta, Souvik Dey, Feven Tameire, Stacey L. Lehman, Bo Qiu, Haiyan Zhang, George Cerniglia, Meixia Bi, Yan Li, Yan Gao, Huayi Liu, Changhong Li, Amit Maity, Andrei Thomas-Tikhonenko, Alexander E. Perl, Albert Koong, Serge Y. Fuchs, J. Alan Diehl, Ian G. Mills, Davide Ruggero, and Constantinos Koumenis (2012. ) ER stress–mediated autophagy promotes Myc-dependent transformation and tumor growth.Journal of Clinical Investigation, , 122 (12 ) ,4621-4634

Sharon M. Blättler, Francisco Verdeguer, Marc Liesa, John T. Cunningham, Rutger O. Vogel, Helen Chim, Huifei Liu, Klaas Romanino, Orian S. Shirihai, Francisca Vazquez, Markus Rüegg, Yang Shi, and Pere Puigserver (2012. ) Defective mitochondrial morphology and bioenergetic function in mice lacking the transcription factor yin yang 1 in skeletal muscle.Molecular and Cellular Biology, , 32 (16 ) ,3333-3346

Sharon M. Blättler, John T. Cunningham, Francisco Verdeguer, Helen Chim, Wilhelm Haas, Huifei Liu, Klaas Romanino, Markus Rüegg, Steven P. Gygi, Yang Shi, and Pere Puigserver (2012. ) Yin Yang 1 deficiency in mouse skeletal muscle protects against rapamycin-induced diabetic-like symptoms through activation of insulin/IGF signaling.Cell Metabolism, , 15 (4 ) ,505-517

John T. Cunningham, Joseph T. Rodgers, Daniel H. Arlow, Francisca Vazquez, Vamsi K. Mootha, and Pere Puigserver (2007. ) mTOR controls mitochondrial oxidative function through a YY1/PGC-1α transcriptional complex.Nature, , 450 (7170 ) ,736-740

Charles Truillet, John T. Cunningham, Matthew F. Parker, Loc T. Huynh, Crystal S. Conn, Davide Ruggero, Jason S. Lewis, Michael J. Evans (2016. ) Non-invasive measurement of mTORC1 signaling with 89Zr-transferrin.Clinical Cancer Research, ,

Nguyen, Hao G; Conn, Crystal S; Kye, Yae; Xue, Lingru; Forester, Craig M; Cowan, Janet E; Hsieh, Andrew C; Cunningham, John T; Truillet, Charles; Tameire, Feven; Evans, Michael J; Evans, Christopher P; Yang, Joy C; Hann, Byron; Koumenis, Constantinos; Walter, Peter; Carroll, Peter R; Ruggero, Davide (2018. ) Development of a stress response therapy targeting aggressive prostate cancer.Science translational medicine, , 10 (439 ) ,

Truillet, Charles; Cunningham, John T; Parker, Matthew F L; Huynh, Loc T; Conn, Crystal S; Ruggero, Davide; Lewis, Jason S; Evans, Michael J (2017. ) Noninvasive Measurement of mTORC1 Signaling with 89Zr-Transferrin.Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, , 23 (12 ) ,3045-3052

Verdeguer, Francisco; Blättler, Sharon M; Cunningham, John T; Hall, Jessica A; Chim, Helen; Puigserver, Pere (2014. ) Decreased genetic dosage of hepatic Yin Yang 1 causes diabetic-like symptoms.Molecular endocrinology (Baltimore, Md.), , 28 (3 ) ,308-16

Cunningham, John T; Ruggero, Davide (2013. ) New connections between old pathways: PDK1 signaling promotes cellular transformation through PLK1-dependent MYC stabilization.Cancer discovery, , 3 (10 ) ,1099-102

Cunningham, John T; Pourdehnad, Michael; Stumpf, Craig R; Ruggero, Davide (2013. ) Investigating Myc-dependent translational regulation in normal and cancer cells.Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.), , 1012 ,201-12

Hart, Lori S; Cunningham, John T; Datta, Tatini; Dey, Souvik; Tameire, Feven; Lehman, Stacey L; Qiu, Bo; Zhang, Haiyan; Cerniglia, George; Bi, Meixia; Li, Yan; Gao, Yan; Liu, Huayi; Li, Changhong; Maity, Amit; Thomas-Tikhonenko, Andrei; Perl, Alexander E; Koong, Albert; Fuchs, Serge Y; Diehl, J Alan; Mills, Ian G; Ruggero, Davide; Koumenis, Constantinos (2012. ) ER stress-mediated autophagy promotes Myc-dependent transformation and tumor growth.The Journal of clinical investigation, , 122 (12 ) ,4621-34

Blättler, Sharon M; Verdeguer, Francisco; Liesa, Marc; Cunningham, John T; Vogel, Rutger O; Chim, Helen; Liu, Huifei; Romanino, Klaas; Shirihai, Orian S; Vazquez, Francisca; Rüegg, Markus A; Shi, Yang; Puigserver, Pere (2012. ) Defective mitochondrial morphology and bioenergetic function in mice lacking the transcription factor Yin Yang 1 in skeletal muscle.Molecular and cellular biology, , 32 (16 ) ,3333-46

Blättler, Sharon M; Cunningham, John T; Verdeguer, Francisco; Chim, Helen; Haas, Wilhelm; Liu, Huifei; Romanino, Klaas; Rüegg, Markus A; Gygi, Steven P; Shi, Yang; Puigserver, Pere (2012. ) Yin Yang 1 deficiency in skeletal muscle protects against rapamycin-induced diabetic-like symptoms through activation of insulin/IGF signaling.Cell metabolism, , 15 (4 ) ,505-17

Cunningham, John T; Rodgers, Joseph T; Arlow, Daniel H; Vazquez, Francisca; Mootha, Vamsi K; Puigserver, Pere (2007. ) mTOR controls mitochondrial oxidative function through a YY1-PGC-1alpha transcriptional complex.Nature, , 450 (7170 ) ,736-40

Xu, Yichen; Poggio, Mauro; Jin, Hyun Yong; Shi, Zhen; Forester, Craig M; Wang, Ying; Stumpf, Craig R; Xue, Lingru; Devericks, Emily; So, Lomon; Nguyen, Hao G; Griselin, Alice; Gordan, John D; Umetsu, Sarah E; Reich, Siegfried H; Worland, Stephen T; Asthana, Saurabh; Barna, Maria; Webster, Kevin R; Cunningham, John T; Ruggero, Davide (2019. ) Translation control of the immune checkpoint in cancer and its therapeutic targeting.Nature medicine, ,

Invited Publications

John T. Cunningham and Davide Ruggero (2013. ) New Connections between Old Pathways: PDK1 Signaling Promotes Cellular Transformation through PLK1-Dependent MYC Stabilization.Cancer Discovery, 3 (10 ) ,1099-1102

Book Chapter

John T. Cunningham, Michael Pourdehnad, Craig R. Stumpf, and Davide Ruggero (2013 ) Investigating Myc-Dependent Translational Regulation in Normal and Cancer Cells The Myc Gene .(pp. 201-212).Humana Press

08-29-2009-02-10-2016 Postdoctoral Fellow, Research conducted under the training of Dr. Davide Ruggero in the Department of Urology at the Helen Diller Comprehensive Cancer Center of UCSF., University of California, San Francisco, , San Francisco, CA

Cancer Biology & Therapeutics Level:Graduate

Academic - Office:
3125 Eden Ave., Vontz Rm. 3306
Cincinnati  Ohio, 45219
Phone: 5135581157
cunnijn@ucmail.uc.edu